Gucci and Christie’s Offer First-Ever Vintage Products Appraisal Service
Vintage bag lovers, rejoice! Gucci has partnered with Christie’s auction house on a new, and first-ever, partnership to appraise its vintage products. “Gucci Collector: Presented by Christie’s” is the first-ever Gucci-certified online destination for such a service, fusing the heritage of Gucci with the expertise of one of the world’s premier auction houses.
This service, designed for collectors who want to learn more about the provenance and worth of their products, will, according to the company, provide a “trusted” venue for transactions of vintage Gucci items thereby “avoiding recourse to ‘uncontrolled’ auction sites such as eBay.”
The free service started on January 18 and is offered on the Christie’s Web site–accessible both via gucci.com and christies.com. The customized page allows users to upload photos of their vintage items and to submit an appraisal request. Within a 2 to 4 week period, an auction estimate will be sent (prepared by Christie’s Director of Fashion and Textiles, Patricia Frost, in collaboration with the Gucci Archive Department), as will notice on whether the product would be appropriate for an upcoming Christie’s vintage sale.
In order for the appraisal to take place, collectors will be asked to provide: clear color images of the front and back, and a close-up of the signature or identifying logos, dimensions, medium and other details available, such as history of the item or any literature relating to the item.
What’s more, for the true Gucci aficionados, the Florentine fashion house is well underway with plans to unveil a Gucci museum in Florence, Italy in 2011 to coincide with its 90th anniversary.