A reference of the terms our curation team uses every day. 199 definitions covering design movements, materials, furniture types, lighting, art, handbag terminology, condition grades and the marketplace mechanics that make secondhand design work. Each term has its own anchor — copy the URL to share a single definition.
A decorative style that peaked between 1920 and 1939, defined by geometric symmetry, lacquered surfaces, exotic woods like Macassar ebony, and inlays of brass, ivory or mother-of-pearl. On Whoppah, Art Deco shows up most in sideboards, vitrines and lighting from French and Belgian makers.
Late 1890s to about 1910. Curved, organic lines inspired by plant forms — think Hector Guimard's Paris metro entrances or the whiplash chairs of Henry van de Velde. Often confused with Art Deco; the rule of thumb is curves (Nouveau) vs angles (Deco).
British movement led by William Morris from the 1860s. Honest joinery, exposed mortise-and-tenon, oak as the default wood, hand craftsmanship valued over factory polish. The intellectual seed that later led to Bauhaus.
Design school founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919, moved to Dessau in 1925. Tubular steel, primary colours, geometric clarity. Marcel Breuer's Wassily and the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair are still in production a century later.
Architectural movement of the 1960s and 70s that overflowed into furniture: heavy, sculptural pieces in raw oak, blackened steel, slate or concrete. Paul Evans and Lane Acclaim are the names to know.
Loose label for design made roughly from 2000 onward. Less a style than a posture: comfortable mixing materials, willing to quote earlier eras. Look for it on Whoppah under pieces from Patricia Urquiola, Konstantin Grcic and Hella Jongerius.
Dutch movement founded in 1917, identified by the primary palette and right angles of Mondrian's canvases. Gerrit Rietveld's Red and Blue chair (1917) and Zig-Zag chair (1934) are the canonical pieces.
Catch-all for the conceptual, witty, often material-driven design that came out of the Netherlands from the 1990s onward. Droog Design, Hella Jongerius, Marcel Wanders, Piet Hein Eek. Sustainability and irony in equal measure.
An interior that deliberately mixes eras and styles — a Wegner chair next to a Memphis lamp next to an African mask. Done well it's a thesis; done badly it's a yard sale. Curation makes the difference.
Late 18th-century Swedish neoclassicism named after Gustav III. Pale palette, painted finishes, slim tapered legs, restrained ornament. The visual ancestor of today's Scandinavian Modern.
1930s-50s glamour aesthetic from California: brass, mirrored surfaces, lacquered black, faux-bamboo, jewel-tone velvets. Dorothy Draper is the matriarch. Returns to fashion every decade or so.
Furniture and lighting built for factories from roughly 1880 to 1960 — cast iron, steel, riveted joints, enamel-shaded lamps. Tolix stools and Jielde lamps are the genre's hits.
Postwar Italian design, c. 1945-1980. Sculptural, sometimes theatrical, deeply confident with colour. Gio Ponti, Achille Castiglioni, Joe Colombo, Vico Magistretti. Cassina and Arflex were the patron manufacturers.
Recent hybrid of Japanese wabi-sabi and Scandinavian Modern. Pale woods, dark accents, near-empty rooms. More of a styling vocabulary than a movement with a manifesto, but it sells well.
Milan-based design collective started by Ettore Sottsass in 1981. Saturated colours, geometric forms, terrazzo and laminate. Lasted only six years on paper but is the visual reference for almost everything labelled 'postmodern furniture' today.
Roughly 1945-1970. Tapered legs, organic curves, mass-produced quality. Eames, Saarinen, Bertoia and Knoll in the US; Wegner, Jacobsen and Juhl in Denmark. The most consistently appreciating segment on Whoppah.
Postwar reduction to essentials — Dieter Rams' ten principles, John Pawson's interiors. Less ornament, more material truth. Beware fake minimalism that's just empty.
Late 1970s onward. Quotes historical ornament with irony, mixes high and low. Memphis is its most photogenic chapter; Robert Venturi the theorist.
18th-century French style — asymmetry, gilt, shell motifs, pastel palette. Mostly relevant on Whoppah for antique mirrors, console tables and the occasional bergère.
Distressed, painted-and-sanded vintage aesthetic. Mostly French country furniture treated to look older than it is. Whoppah generally skips this in favour of original-finish pieces.
1960s-early 70s futurism: plastic, fiberglass, swivels, pod shapes, white-on-white with one accent. Joe Colombo, Eero Aarnio, Verner Panton are the canon.
Austrian breakaway movement around 1897. Geometric, severe, often gilt. Josef Hoffmann's Wiener Werkstätte produced furniture and silver that still sets auction records.
Japanese aesthetic that finds beauty in asymmetry, weathering, and incompleteness. In furniture terms: visible joinery, raw wood grain, hand-thrown ceramics with intentional imperfections. The opposite of factory polish.
Looped wool or wool-blend upholstery fabric with a soft, nubby texture. Best known on Eero Saarinen's Womb chair and on every photographed Cassina sofa from 2020 onward. Hard-wearing but shows pet hair.
A veneer cut from the gnarled growth of a tree, giving swirling, almost galactic grain. Common on Art Deco bars and Mid-Century credenzas. Authentic burl has random, irreproducible patterning — printed-foil fakes give themselves away by repeating.
Woven rattan webbing used in chair backs and cabinet fronts. Hans Wegner, Pierre Jeanneret and Marcel Breuer all used it. Tends to dry and split after 40-50 years; rewebbing is a common, accepted repair.
Steel coated with a thin chromium layer for shine and corrosion resistance. The signature material of Bauhaus tubular furniture (Wassily, Cesca) and the Barcelona chair. Pitting on the chrome is the most common authenticity tell.
Mid-brown vegetable-tanned leather that develops a deep amber patina with use. The standard upholstery on Børge Mogensen's Hunting chair and on most of Pierre Chapo's seating.
Interlocking trapezoidal pins used to join drawer sides. Hand-cut dovetails (irregular spacing) suggest pre-1900 craft; machine-cut (perfectly even) is post-industrial. A drawer with neither is almost certainly modern flat-pack.
Carved wood or cast metal made to look like bamboo culms. A Regency conceit revived in the 1970s. Pleasant on bedroom chairs and brass étagères.
Box-shaped interlocking joint, often seen on solid-wood case furniture and on edge-glued tabletops where short stock is finger-jointed end-to-end. Strong, less elegant than a dovetail.
Handwoven Greek wool rug with a long, shaggy pile. The standard floor covering in 1970s living rooms. Whoppah lists these mostly in natural cream, sometimes in saturated dyed tones.
European imitation of East Asian lacquer, built up in layers of varnish over a dark gesso ground. Common on 18th and 19th-century furniture; check for cracking and crackle around handles.
Vinyl- or polyurethane-coated fabric mimicking leather. Used on 1950s diner chairs and 1970s office furniture. Disqualifies a piece from genuine luxury but is a legitimate period material in its own right.
Decorative inlay of contrasting wood veneers, sometimes mixed with brass, mother-of-pearl or ivory, applied to flat surfaces. Hallmark of French Art Deco (Ruhlmann, Leleu) and 18th-century cabinetmaking.
Ancient joinery: a tenon (tongue) on one piece slots into a mortise (slot) on the other, glued and sometimes pegged. Stronger than screws, used everywhere from Ming dynasty stools to mid-century Danish chairs.
Hand-blown glass made on the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon. Look for furnace-mark roughness on the base and the maker's signature etched in cursive. Counterfeits abound; the Promovetro consortium runs an authentication scheme.
Surface change accumulated over time: darkening of brass, amber tinting of leather, micro-scratches on lacquer. Authentic patina increases value; harsh restoration that wipes it off generally decreases it.
Climbing palm whose stems are bent under steam into furniture frames. Lighter than bamboo, stronger than wicker. The defining material of mid-century 'Riviera' style — Vincent Sheppard, Audoux-Minet.
Dense, dark hardwood with characteristic black streaks. The signature timber of 1960s Danish furniture (Wegner, Juhl). CITES-listed since 2017, which means re-export of post-2017 pieces requires paperwork — pre-2017 vintage is fine.
Thick, vegetable-tanned cowhide originally made for equestrian use. Stiff when new, supple within a year. Mario Bellini's Cab chair (Cassina) is the marquee piece.
Tanned skin of stingray or shark, dotted with small pebble-like granules. Used on Art Deco boxes, mirrors and small cabinets. Today's shagreen is almost always sustainably farmed.
Japanese technique of charring cedar to preserve it. Increasingly used on contemporary furniture for its deep black, slightly textured finish. Naturally weatherproof and termite-resistant.
European white oak is the workhorse of Arts & Crafts and Scandinavian Modern furniture. Pale honey when new, darkens to amber over decades. Hard, dense, and almost impossible to fake at a glance.
Dense hardwood with chocolate-brown grain and occasional purple streaks. Heavy, expensive, and the marquee material for American Mid-Century furniture (George Nakashima, Vladimir Kagan). Solid walnut sounds dull when knocked; walnut-veneered MDF sounds hollow.
Tropical hardwood with high natural oil content. The defining timber of 1950s-60s Danish furniture exported to America (Vodder, Mølgaard-Nielsen). Pre-1990 Burmese teak is the gold standard; post-1990 mostly comes from Indonesian plantations.
Polished composite of marble, granite or glass chips set in cement or resin. Italian invention, now used for everything from floors to coffee tables. Modern resin-based terrazzo can be thinner and lighter than the original cement version.
Upholstery technique that uses buttons or stitches to compress padding into a diamond or square pattern. Chesterfields are deep-tufted; Eames Lounge Chair is shallow-tufted. The pattern dictates how the leather wears.
Thin layer of decorative wood glued onto a stable core (plywood, MDF, sometimes solid timber). Not inferior to solid wood — many Art Deco masterpieces are veneered to allow exotic species. The substrate matters: solid-wood core good, particleboard bad.
PVC-based upholstery introduced in the 1950s. Used on Eames LCM (early versions), most diner booths, and the original Wassily armrests. Tends to crack after 30-40 years; reupholstery is sometimes the only option.
Generic term for furniture woven from plant fibre — rattan, willow, reed, paper cord. The technique, not the material. Hans Wegner's CH24 (Wishbone) chair has a paper-cord wicker seat.
Seating with side arms, designed for one. Higher and more upright than a lounge chair. Wegner's Wishbone (CH24) is technically a side chair; his Papa Bear is an armchair.
French armchair with closed, upholstered sides and a loose seat cushion. 18th-century invention, still being produced today. The visual ancestor of every overstuffed reading chair.
Standing or wall-mounted shelving for books. Closed-front variants (vitrines) protect the spines from light. Pastoe and Vitsoe are the canonical mid-century examples; the Vitsoe 606 has been in continuous production since 1960.
Long low cabinet for serving and storing dining-room items. Often confused with a sideboard; rule of thumb is that a buffet is taller and shallower, a sideboard lower and deeper.
Elongated chair for reclining. Le Corbusier's LC4 (1928, still made by Cassina) is the icon. Despite the name, French speakers mostly call it a 'méridienne' today.
Deep-tufted leather sofa with armrests at the same height as the back. 18th-century English invention, named after the 4th Earl of Chesterfield. Buttons should be hand-tied; iron-on dot rivets give away a cheap modern version.
Low cabinet with sliding or hinged doors, often on tapered legs. The marquee item of mid-century Danish dining rooms. Florence Knoll's 1954 credenza is the platonic ideal.
Bed designed to also function as seating during the day. Le Corbusier's LC4 chaise, Charlotte Perriand's Tokyo bench, Florence Knoll's bench. Single mattress depth.
Dutch / French term for a low cabinet, somewhere between a sideboard and a credenza. Often used on Whoppah listings written in Dutch.
Dutch for 'dining chair'. Appears on Whoppah's Dutch-language listings.
French for armchair. On Whoppah, the term tends to indicate French manufacture or French-period (Empire, Louis XVI) styling.
Low, deep, reclined seating for relaxed sitting. The Eames Lounge (1956), Hans Wegner's Papa Bear (1951), and the Charles Eames Soft Pad are the genre's icons.
Sofa built from interchangeable units that can be configured into corners, U-shapes, or extra ottomans. Mario Bellini's Camaleonda (1970, B&B Italia) is the modular sofa that re-defined the category — now reissued.
Backless, armless seat or footstool. The matching companion to most lounge chairs. The Eames ottoman is sold as part of the chair-and-ottoman set, never solo.
Soft cushioned ottoman without a hard frame. Filled with kapok, foam or beans. Cini Boeri's Strips for Arflex (1972) is the canonical pouf.
Chair on curved bottoms or springs. Eames RAR (1948) is the mid-century reference; Thonet No. 1 (1860) is the bentwood classic.
Small two-seat sofa, usually with arms. Smaller than a loveseat. The Knoll Florence Knoll settee (1954) is the elemental version.
Long, low storage cabinet for dining rooms. Originated in 18th-century England, redefined in mid-century Denmark. Heights between 70-90 cm; depth 40-50 cm.
Sofa with a pull-out or fold-down bed mechanism. Italian post-war makers (Cassina, Saba, B&B Italia) produced the most refined examples.
Display cabinet with glass front and sides. From the Latin 'vitrum' (glass). Art Deco vitrines in burlwood and brass are some of the most collectible cabinets in the category.
Compact desk designed for correspondence and light paperwork. Bruno Mathsson, Florence Knoll and Pierre Paulin all designed canonical writing desks; depth is typically 50-60 cm.
Floor lamp with a long curved arm reaching out over a table or seating area. Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo's Arco (Flos, 1962) is the genre defining piece — and the one most often counterfeited.
Arc floor lamp designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in 1962. Carrara marble base (65 kg), polished aluminium shade. Authentic Arcos have a small hole in the marble base for a broomstick to lift the lamp.
Branched ceiling fixture with multiple light sources, traditionally suspended from a chain. Originally for candles, now electrified. Murano glass and crystal are the dominant materials in vintage examples.
Recessed ceiling fixture that throws a narrow cone of light directly downward. Functional lighting; rarely a collectible category.
Filament-style incandescent bulb with visible coiled tungsten. Originally pre-1920 technology, revived in the 2010s as a styling element. The vintage industrial look depends on these.
Hans Wegner's 1950 lounge chair, not a lamp — but worth noting because the term often appears in lighting search results due to its name. The chair uses 240 metres of woven flag-line cord.
Spherical pendant lamp in opaline glass or acrylic. Achille Castiglioni's Flos Cocoon and Verner Panton's VP Globe are the references.
Milky-white glass made by adding bone ash. Translucent rather than transparent — diffuses light evenly. The Louis Poulsen PH lamps and most Stilnovo wall sconces use opaline diffusers.
Louis Poulsen lamp series designed by Poul Henningsen from 1925 onward. Multi-shade reflector system distributes light without glare. PH 5 (1958) is the residential bestseller; PH Artichoke (1958) is the museum piece.
Table lamp designed by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce in 1965. Telescoping chrome stem, opal methacrylate shade that gathers like an upside-down skirt. Italian for 'bat'.
Long pendant designed to hang low over a billiard or dining table. Industrial enamel-shaded examples (1900-1950) and Louis Poulsen's PH 4/3 (1966) are the references.
Adjustable floor or table lamp for task lighting. Tizio (Richard Sapper, 1972, Artemide) and Anglepoise (1932) are the classic forms.
Wall-mounted light fixture. From the medieval term for a candle bracket. Today's collectible sconces are mostly Italian 1950s-70s (Stilnovo, Sarfatti, Mazzega).
Table lamp designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in 1967. Carrara marble base, lacquered metal shade reminiscent of the cartoon dog's head. Discontinued and reissued multiple times.
Multi-arm starburst chandelier, named after the 1957 Soviet satellite. Brass spheres at the tips of radiating arms. Mostly Italian and German production from 1958 to about 1975.
Task lamp designed by Richard Sapper for Artemide in 1972. Counter-balanced arms, no springs or cables — power flows through the metal arms themselves. Originally used 12V halogen; current production uses LED.
Post-war American movement (1940s-60s) characterised by gestural, non-representational painting. Pollock, Rothko, de Kooning, Mitchell. Most works that reach the secondary market trade through major auction houses; smaller works appear on Whoppah occasionally.
Sculpture produced by pouring molten bronze into a mould, usually via the lost-wax process. Foundry mark and edition number on the base are the authentication signals. Posthumous casts are valued lower than lifetime casts.
Photographic printing process (1963-2012) producing colour prints with exceptional saturation and archival permanence. Common for 1980s-90s art photography. Discontinued, which has driven up prices for vintage prints.
Fine-art inkjet print on cotton-rag paper. Pigment inks rather than dye, archival rated 75-100 years. Lower in the print hierarchy than lithograph or serigraph but higher than open-edition digital print.
Art that moves, mechanically or with air currents. Alexander Calder's mobiles, George Rickey's stainless-steel pieces, Jean Tinguely's machines. Provenance and original wiring matter more than for static art.
Site-specific works made from earth, stone or natural materials. Robert Smithson, Walter De Maria. Mostly outside the secondhand market; preparatory drawings and photographs do trade.
Print produced in a stated, finite run. The numbering '7/50' means the seventh print of fifty. Lower numbers are not inherently more valuable, but the artist's signature is. AP (artist's proof) editions often trade at a premium.
Print made from a flat stone or metal plate. Original lithographs are drawn by the artist on the matrix; offset lithographs are mechanical reproductions. The two trade at very different prices — confirm which you're looking at.
Intaglio printing technique that produces rich tonal gradations. 17th-century invention, mostly used for portrait prints. Increasingly rare in contemporary practice.
Print produced as a one-of-a-kind from a reusable matrix — the matrix stays, the print is unique. Different from a monotype (matrix used only once).
The standard medium for fine-art painting since the 15th century. Linseed-oil binder, ground pigments, linen or cotton canvas on a wooden stretcher. Look for craquelure (network of cracks) as an age signal — too clean a surface on a supposedly 80-year-old painting is suspicious.
Optical art movement of the 1960s — geometric patterns that produce visual vibration. Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely are the names. Many of the era's best Op Art editions appear on Whoppah's print listings.
Fine-art silkscreen print. Different from a commercial silkscreen poster in quality of paper, hand-mixing of inks, and signature. Andy Warhol's Marilyns are the most famous serigraphs.
On a print, indicates the artist personally signed it (lower-right pencil) and assigned an edition number. Both increase value over an unsigned, unnumbered impression. Watch out for plate-signed prints — those carry the signature as part of the image, not in the artist's hand.
Chanel's original quilted shoulder bag, named for its February 1955 debut. Identified by the rectangular Mademoiselle clasp, an all-metal chain and a burgundy interior. Chanel reissued it in 2005 as a deliberately vintage-looking version, which is what most bags listed as a 2.55 on the secondary market actually are.
In depth: Chanel 2.55 guide
Single-pin buckle found on Hermès belts and bag straps. Distinguishes Hermès straps from generic alternatives. Hardware engraving (HERMES PARIS) must be crisp and even.
Fendi shoulder bag launched in 1997 and designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi, named for the way it tucks under the arm like a loaf of bread. Short strap, rectangular body, broad flap, decorative clasp. Widely credited with starting the It bag era, and reissued repeatedly since 2019.
In depth: Fendi and Valentino guide
Hermès calfskin tanned with natural vegetable extracts and left largely unsealed, so it absorbs oils from the hands. It starts matte and deepens into a glossy, uneven patina with use, and light scratches usually buff out with a soft cloth. Originally a saddle leather, which is why collectors read marks as character rather than damage.
In depth: Hermès buying guide
The small metal feet on the underside of a bag that lift it clear of the floor. They wear before anything else, so flattened, deeply scratched or missing studs are the quickest read on how a bag has been set down and stored. Replacements are available but are visible on close inspection.
Hermès handbag designed in 1984 for Jane Birkin. Each Birkin is hand-made by a single craftsperson over 18-25 hours. Authenticity depends on stitching pattern, hardware engraving, leather quality and the blind stamp on the inside strap.
The date stamp Hermès presses into the leather without ink, so it reads as an impression rather than a printed mark. A letter gives the year of manufacture, alongside a craftsperson's mark identifying the artisan who made the bag. Older production framed the letter in a circle or a square; recent production leaves it unframed, a detail counterfeiters routinely get wrong.
Smooth, semi-rigid calfskin leather used on Hermès Kelly and Birkin bags. Polished to a high shine. Scratches show easily but most can be conditioned out.
Chanel flap bag introduced in 2011 under Karl Lagerfeld and named after Boy Capel. Boxier and more angular than the Classic Flap, with a wide chain-and-leather strap and a large rectangular push lock. It reads more casual, and the quilting varies between diamond, chevron and plain panels.
In depth: Chanel buying guide
Dior's quilting pattern, named after the caned Napoleon III chairs used to seat guests at the house's early shows. Worked as raised squares in lambskin, patent calfskin or embroidered canvas. The Lady Dior is the model most associated with it, and even, unpuckered quilting across the flap is a basic quality check.
In depth: Lady Dior guide
Bottega Veneta shoulder bag introduced under Daniel Lee in 2019, built as a compact rectangle from oversized, padded intrecciato weave. The chunky strips and the puffy finish are the identifiers. Check the padded sections for permanent creasing and for colour transfer, which the pale versions pick up easily.
In depth: Bottega Veneta guide
Chanel's grained calfskin, named for its small-pebble texture. More durable than the brand's smooth-leather lambskin, which is why most flap bags are made in caviar today.
Goatskin used by Hermès, recognisable by a fine ridged grain and a natural sheen. Very light for its strength and more scratch-resistant than calfskin, which is why it lines many Kelly and Birkin interiors and turns up on smaller models. It holds bright, saturated colour better than most leathers.
In depth: Hermès buying guide
V-shaped quilting pattern on Chanel flap bags. Distinct from the more common diamond-quilted variant. Chevron tends to command a slight premium on secondary market resale.
The export and import document required under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for bags in crocodile, alligator, python or lizard. Without it an exotic bag cannot legally cross most borders, and replacing lost paperwork is slow. Confirm the permit exists before buying an exotic skin that has to travel.
Chanel's best-known bag: the 1983 Lagerfeld reworking of the 2.55, with an interlocking-CC turn lock and leather threaded through the chain. Sold from mini to maxi, with the medium treated as the resale benchmark. Caviar examples survive daily use noticeably better than lambskin ones.
In depth: Chanel Classic Flap guide
Hermès taurillon with a soft, matte grain slightly larger and flatter than Togo. Heavier and more relaxed, so bags made in it slouch rather than stand upright. A common choice on the Birkin for buyers who want a lived-in look, and a poor one for anyone who wants crisp, square corners.
In depth: Hermès Birkin guide
Small leather bell-shaped pouch containing the lock keys, hanging from the strap on Hermès Birkin and Kelly bags. A missing clochette materially affects resale value.
A handle-free bag carried in the hand or under the arm, sized for an evening rather than a working day. Frame, envelope and pouch shapes dominate. Because it is held constantly, the corners, the frame hinge and the painted edges say more about its history than the body panels do.
Cotton canvas printed and sealed with a plastic film, used by Louis Vuitton, Goyard and others for bag bodies. Much lighter and more water-resistant than leather, and it survives daily carrying. The weak points are the corners, the painted edges and the untreated leather trim, not the canvas surface itself.
In depth: Louis Vuitton buying guide
Hermès shoulder bag from 1959, recognisable by the large H-shaped clasp and a slim strap that can be worn long or doubled short. Produced in far smaller numbers than the Kelly or the Birkin, so supply on the secondary market is thin and asking prices stay firm.
In depth: Hermès buying guide
Abrasion at the four bottom corners, where a bag meets tables and floors. On coated canvas the coating rubs through to the cotton weave underneath; on leather the dye goes first, then the grain. Corners can be rebuilt by a specialist, but the repair is visible and buyers price it in.
In depth: Leather care guide
Any bag worn on a long strap across the body, leaving both hands free. Not a model but a way of carrying, so Evelynes, small flaps and Marmonts all qualify. The strap rings and the punched strap holes carry the load, and both are worth checking on a heavily used example.
Louis Vuitton's chequerboard coated canvas, first shown in 1888 and reintroduced in 1996. It comes in Ébène, a dark brown and black weave, and Azur, a pale blue and cream version. Quieter than the printed monogram, so it suits buyers who want the construction without the signal.
In depth: Louis Vuitton buying guide
Letter-and-number stamp inside Louis Vuitton bags indicating manufacturing factory and date. Format changed multiple times (2000s used four-character codes; 2021 onward uses a microchip instead).
Louis Vuitton's textured leather, introduced in 1985 and embossed with fine parallel wave lines. It is dyed through rather than surface-printed, so scuffs show less than on smooth calfskin, and it copes well with rain. Sold in strong solid colours and carries no printed pattern at all.
In depth: Louis Vuitton buying guide
Embossed, lightweight Hermès calfskin that holds its shape well. Scratch-resistant, lower-maintenance than boxcalf, which makes Epsom Birkins and Kellys popular for daily use.
Hermès shoulder bag designed in 1978, originally to carry grooming brushes, with a perforated H on the front panel and an open top. Unlined and light, usually in Clémence or Epsom. One of the easier Hermès bags to buy at retail, and the perforated panel is where wear appears first.
In depth: Hermès buying guide
Skins from crocodile, alligator, python, lizard or ostrich, priced well above calfskin and graded on scale size, symmetry and evenness of colour. Hermès stamps a small symbol beside the craftsperson's mark to identify the skin. Dried, lifting or cracked scales are the main condition risk and are expensive to correct.
A bag assembled from parts of several bags, or a counterfeit body fitted with genuine hardware and stamps. The tells are leather panels of visibly different ages, hardware that has not worn together, and a stamp or serial that does not match the construction era. Common at the top end of the fake market.
In depth: Handbag authentication guide
A bag sold with everything it originally shipped with: dust bag, box, authenticity card or receipt, clochette and keys, spare strap and care booklet. A full set adds a modest premium and, more usefully, signals a careful owner. Missing keys or a missing clochette on a Kelly or Birkin cost real money.
Gucci shoulder bag from 2016 in chevron-quilted matelassé leather, with an antiqued gold-tone double-G plaque and a chain-and-leather strap. Made in high volume, which keeps secondary prices accessible. Look at how the chevron lines meet across the flap and at the plating on the plaque.
In depth: Gucci Marmont guide
The painted, sealed finish applied to raw leather edges, also called edge paint. It cracks, flakes and darkens with age, and it fails on the handles and piping long before the panels show wear. Reglazing is routine work for a leather specialist and does not hurt value when it is done well.
In depth: Leather care guide
Decorative engraving with intricate repetitive patterns, often on watch dials and hardware. Found on vintage Cartier and high-end luxury bag clasps.
The side panel that joins the front and back of a bag and gives it depth, either fixed or folding. On a structured bag the gusset corners take the most stress; on an open tote, side lacing lets the gusset cinch in. Cracking along the fold is structural damage, not cosmetic wear.
The metal finish on locks, feet, chains and zip pulls, typically gold-tone, palladium or ruthenium over a brass core. Plating wears through at contact points and cannot be topped up without replating the whole piece. Even, unrubbed hardware is one of the strongest condition signals on a resale bag.
Branding pressed into leather with a heated die rather than printed on. Louis Vuitton places it on an interior leather tab; Dior and Gucci put it on a lining patch. Depth, letter spacing and font consistency are standard authentication checks, because counterfeits routinely stamp too deep or unevenly.
In depth: Louis Vuitton authentication guide
Slouchy, unstructured shoulder bag with a crescent shape that sags in the middle when it is set down. Gucci's Jackie and the Fendi Spy are the reference points. With no internal frame, condition rests on the leather itself, and deep set-in creases or a stretched strap are hard to reverse.
In depth: Gucci Jackie guide
Bottega Veneta's woven leather technique, in use since the 1970s: thin strips of nappa are cut and interlaced by hand over a backing, so the bag needs no visible branding to be recognised. Repair is specialist work, and a stretched, dry or broken strip is the condition problem to look for.
In depth: Bottega Veneta guide
Gucci hobo from 1961, named after Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was photographed carrying it repeatedly. Crescent body, short strap, sliding piston clasp. Reissued several times, most recently as the Jackie 1961, so listings mix genuine vintage examples with modern reissues that look similar in photographs.
In depth: Gucci Jackie guide
Hermès trapezoidal bag named after Grace Kelly in 1956. Predates the Birkin by 28 years. Single top handle, single-piece flap, signature turn-lock closure with a small padlock.
Dior top-handle bag launched in 1995 and renamed the following year for Diana, Princess of Wales, who carried it constantly. Structured rectangular body in cannage-quilted lambskin, two upright handles, hanging letter charms. Confirm every charm is present and the quilting is even, since missing charms cost real money.
In depth: Lady Dior guide
Soft, smooth sheepskin with a matte, buttery surface, used by Chanel, Dior and others on quilted bags. It looks and feels richer than grained leather but scuffs, scratches and darkens at the corners far more readily. Check the corners and the underside of the flap before committing to a used one.
In depth: Chanel buying guide
An RFID chip sewn into the lining. Louis Vuitton replaced its printed date codes with microchips from 2021, so newer bags carry no visible code at all. A buyer cannot read the chip at home, which makes construction, stitching and hardware checks more important on recent bags, not less.
In depth: Louis Vuitton authentication guide
Louis Vuitton's signature coated-canvas pattern, in use since 1896. The pattern alignment across seams, the spacing between the LV monogram and the four-petal motif, and the leather-trim quality are the primary authentication signals.
Louis Vuitton tote introduced in 2007, with long flat handles, side lacing that cinches the silhouette and no closure beyond a clasp. Extremely common, which makes it a favourite counterfeit target. Vachetta handle colour, corner wear and the presence of the removable pouch separate a good example from an average one.
In depth: Neverfull guide
Leather finished with a high-gloss lacquer coating. It wipes clean and shrugs off rain, but it scratches, and it can pick up colour from dark fabrics pressed against it, so store it with space around it. Creases in the coating are permanent and cannot be conditioned out.
In depth: Leather care guide
Leather with a textured, rounded surface — looks like pebbles. Can be naturally grained (full-grain) or embossed. More forgiving of scratches than smooth leather.
The cord-filled strip of leather sewn along a bag's seams to protect them and hold the silhouette. It abrades before the panels do, so worn, split or faded piping at the corners is normal on a carried bag. A leather specialist can replace it, and good listings photograph it rather than hiding it.
Woven palm fibre used as a body material in summer bags from Loewe, Prada and Chanel. Hand-woven, vulnerable to humidity, prized for its texture.
Describes a bag whose interior lining has been replaced, usually because the original was stained, torn or sticky with degraded coating. Structurally a positive, but it is no longer original: a relined vintage bag sells below an untouched one, and the work should be stated plainly in the listing.
Hermès construction in which the bag is stitched inside out and then turned, hiding the seam allowance and giving softer edges and a rounder silhouette. The relaxed counterpart to sellier. Most Birkins are built this way, and a retourné Kelly reads noticeably more casual than the rigid version.
In depth: Hermès Birkin guide
Dior shoulder bag designed by John Galliano in 1999, shaped like an equestrian saddle with a curved flap and an asymmetric strap. Discontinued in the late 2000s and revived in 2018. Galliano-era pieces and the modern reissue differ in hardware and strap, so establish which one a listing is showing.
In depth: Dior Saddle guide
Hand stitching worked with two needles and a single waxed thread passing through each hole from both directions, so one broken stitch does not unravel the seam. The slightly angled, faintly irregular line it leaves is a hallmark of Hermès work. Machine-perfect stitching on a bag that should be hand-sewn is a warning sign.
In depth: Hermès authentication guide
Crosshatch-patterned, wax-treated leather invented by Prada. Extremely scratch- and water-resistant. The standard Prada finish for structured bags.
Hermès construction in which the panels are stitched with the seams turned outward, then trimmed and painted, producing a rigid bag with sharp corners that stands on its own. The formal counterpart to retourné. A sellier Kelly holds its shape better but shows edge-paint wear sooner.
In depth: Hermès Kelly guide
Unique identifier stamped or embossed on luxury bag interiors. Chanel uses a sticker plus an authenticity card; Hermès uses a blind stamp combining a letter (year) and a craftsperson's mark. Missing or replaced serial stamps are red flags.
The adhesive label inside older Chanel bags carrying a serial number that should match the authenticity card. Used from the mid-1980s until Chanel moved to an embedded chip around 2021. A peeling or clearly reglued sticker is a common counterfeit tell, though genuine stickers do wear away with age.
In depth: Chanel authentication guide
The in-house refurbishment service Hermès offers on its own bags, covering cleaning, restitching, hardware replacement and refinishing. Turnaround runs to months and the house can decline heavily altered pieces. A recent spa receipt is strong evidence of both authenticity and condition, and sellers should include it.
In depth: Hermès price and value guide
Louis Vuitton's barrel-shaped bag, descended from the 1930 Keepall and made in the smaller 25 size at Audrey Hepburn's request. Two rolled handles, a zip running across the top, no shoulder strap on the classic version. Handle patina and the four base corners drive most of the price difference between examples.
In depth: Speedy guide
Trade shorthand for a counterfeit good enough that stitching, hardware weight and stamps survive a quick inspection. Superfakes defeat photo-based checks, which is why serious authentication needs the bag in hand, a close look at construction, and documented provenance rather than a certificate alone.
In depth: Handbag authentication guide
Soft, fine-grained Hermès calfskin that takes saturated colours beautifully. Marks more easily than Epsom but feels luxurious in the hand.
Assessment by an independent specialist rather than the brand, since most houses will not authenticate their own bags for the public. Good services pair trained human review with a reference database of construction details and issue a written opinion. Treat any single certificate as evidence, not as proof.
In depth: Handbag authentication guide
Hermès calfskin with a slightly pebbled grain — Hermès' most popular leather for Birkins because it balances durability with the soft feel buyers expect.
A bag carried by one or two short handles at the top rather than on the shoulder. The Kelly, the Lady Dior and the Birkin are the archetypes. The handles take the entire load, so inspect the stitching where they meet the body and any sagging or darkening where the hand rests.
Large open-top bag with two parallel handles, built for volume rather than security. Coated canvas and grained leather cope with tote duty far better than lambskin. The handle attachments and the base corners carry the weight, and they are exactly where a well-used tote gives out first.
In depth: Designer handbag buying guide
A closure in which a bar, plate or clasp rotates to hold a flap shut. Hermès uses one with a padlock on the Kelly and the Birkin; Gucci's Jackie uses a sliding piston version. Play in the mechanism, a loose base plate or missing keys all reduce what a bag is worth.
Untreated cowhide used as handles and trim on Louis Vuitton monogram bags. Starts pale, develops a rich honey patina over years of use. Water staining is permanent — Louis Vuitton handles should never be machine-cleaned.
The tab that opens a zip, and one of the details counterfeiters get wrong. Italian houses have long used Lampo and Riri hardware, while older Louis Vuitton and Hermès bags used Éclair. The maker's name sits on the underside of the pull, and the action should run smoothly without forcing.
Card issued by some luxury brands (Chanel, older Louis Vuitton) confirming the bag's serial number and date. Helpful but not definitive — high-quality fakes ship with fake cards. Whoppah's curation team relies on the bag, not the card.
Document issued by an artist, manufacturer or third-party authenticator confirming an item is genuine. Carries weight when issued by the original maker (Cassina re-edition certificates) or by a recognised authentication service.
Whoppah's pre-publication review process. Every listing is checked for brand attribution, condition accuracy, photo quality and authenticity signals before going live. Items that don't meet the standard are rejected with feedback.
Maker's mark indicating when a piece was produced. On furniture, often a foundry stamp, factory mark or paper label inside a drawer. On Hermès leather goods, the year letter inside a square or circle.
Whoppah grading: visible wear, possible minor repairs, but structurally sound and presentable. Honest description matters more than the label — every listing should have photos of any flaw mentioned.
Stamp on a bronze sculpture indicating where it was cast. Susse Frères and Valsuani are two of the most respected European foundries. A clear, well-placed foundry mark is a strong authentication signal.
Whoppah grading: light wear consistent with age and use, no major defects. The default for most vintage listings on the platform.
Official mark stamped on silver, gold or platinum confirming the metal's purity and (often) the maker and year of production. A 925 stamp indicates sterling silver. Hallmarks are jurisdictional — UK, French, Dutch and Italian systems all differ.
Stamp, label, brand or signature identifying who made the piece. Cassina pieces carry a metal plate inside a sofa frame; Eames chairs have a Herman Miller decal. Replaced or removed maker's marks dramatically reduce value.
Whoppah grading: as-new, no visible wear. Very rare for vintage pieces. When a 1950s chair is described as 'mint', expect it to have been comprehensively refurbished — confirm what was redone before buying.
Documented chain of ownership. For art, provenance can quadruple value. For furniture, provenance from a notable collection (an architect's estate, a museum deaccession) adds a substantial premium.
Indicates work has been done to bring the piece closer to its original state — refinishing, reupholstery, replaced hardware. Honest restoration is positive; over-restoration that erases patina is value-destroying.
Whoppah grading: minor signs of age and use only, no significant flaws. The most common grade for curated mid-century pieces on the platform.
Sales mechanism where the highest bidder wins. On Whoppah, auction-style listings let buyers place bids that the seller can accept, counter or decline. Distinct from a fixed-price 'buy now' listing.
The negotiation feature on Whoppah listings that allow bids. Buyers propose a price below the listed amount; sellers respond. Most successful bids land at 80-95% of the asking price.
Whoppah holds the buyer's payment until the item is received and confirmed in described condition. Buyers have a 48-hour window after delivery to flag any discrepancy with the listing.
The CO2-equivalent emissions avoided by buying a secondhand piece instead of new. For a wooden sofa frame, typical savings range from 80-150 kg CO2e. The figure varies by category and lifecycle assumptions.
Economic model that keeps materials in use as long as possible through reuse, repair and resale. Whoppah's existence sits in the 'reuse' layer — every listing represents one item that doesn't need to be newly manufactured.
Selling arrangement where the owner gives the item to a marketplace to sell, with the marketplace taking a percentage on sale. Whoppah's seller-direct model is closer to a managed marketplace than a traditional consignment shop.
A marketplace where every listing is reviewed before publication, as opposed to an open marketplace where any listing can go live immediately. Whoppah is curated; Marktplaats is open.
Unsold new inventory from a retailer or manufacturer — never used, often in original packaging. Treated similarly to vintage on Whoppah when it concerns discontinued models.
Whoppah holds the buyer's payment in a neutral account until the buyer confirms receipt and condition. Funds are then released to the seller. The mechanism that makes anonymous secondhand trading safe at scale.
Shipping that includes insurance against damage and loss in transit. Whoppah's partner couriers (Brenger primarily) carry insurance suited to large or fragile design pieces — important for art and oversized furniture.
Polite synonym for 'used'. Common in the luxury handbag and watch markets. Whoppah uses 'secondhand' and 'pre-owned' interchangeably.
Process of verifying that an item's chain of ownership is plausible and documented. For high-value art and bags on Whoppah, provenance is part of the curation review.
The secondary market for goods originally sold new. The resale value of designer furniture varies enormously by brand: a Cassina Maralunga holds 60-80% of new retail; an unbranded sofa from the same era retains 10-20%.
Furniture that's been on display in a retailer's showroom but never sold to an end customer. Technically unused, often substantially discounted. Whoppah has a dedicated 'Showroommodellen' section following the 2024 acquisition.