Gucci Accessory Collection Reference Guide & Authentication Tips

Gucci history is rich and diverse. You may have come across very different items.

The Gucci Accessory Collection idea was conceived in the late 1970s. The collection was launched in 1979 by Gucci's Perfume division managed by Aldo Gucci. Unlike Gucci's main business focused on travel canvas luggage and a small range of handbags, Gucci's Perfume was established with an idea to sell accessories, perfume, and other lifestyle products via third-parties and at concessions, including airport duty-free and department stores.

As to handbags, at first, this division was supposed to cover key-rings and cosmetic bags exclusively. However, a lot of coated canvas handbags were also produced by Gucci's Perfume.

As the collection was cheaper than regular Gucci handbags, it gained its popularity and turned out to be profitable. Time after time the line was extended again, sometimes in the annoyance of 'old school' customers, who were buying a premium brand, not available to the general public.

In the meantime, the regular Gucci lines continued to be sold at Gucci stores.

Despite the fact that Gucci Accessories Bags were in production until the mid-1980s, they could've been found at airports and department stores until the 1990s. Additionally, there were some further canvas bags for export to Japan only in the 1990s.

As Tom Ford became Gucci's creative director in the beginning of the 1990s, Gucci focused on their strategy to emphasize their premium brand. They decided to limit the number of SKUs that were available, and as a result, Gucci Accessory Collection was reined in.

Gucci Accessory Collection FAQ

Here are some of the most popular questions related to GAC, answered.

When was Gucci Accessory Collection introduced?

Gucci Accessory Collection was introduced in 1979. The production continued all the way until the mid-1980s, although the items were available at selected stores of Gucci partners until the early 1990s. 

Is Gucci Accessory Collection vintage?

Technically, an item had to be at least 20 years old to be considered vintage. As Gucci Accessory collection was in production from 1979 to about the 1990s, it's vintage.

Is Gucci Accessory Collection real Gucci?

Yes. Unlike Gucci Plus, Gucci recognizes this collection as an authentic brand's production. In terms of hardware, some zipper pullers and gold GG monograms were produced specifically for this collection and, thus, were different from the other Gucci hardware.

Gucci Accessories Collection Styles

Gucci Accessories Collection items were immediately recognizable as most of them used GG canvas and green-and-red Web stripe details.

It's worth noting that at that time Gucci purses rarely had specific names. 

How to Authenticate Vintage Gucci Accessory Collection

There are a few tips that will help you to authenticate Gucci Accessory Collection.

Late 1970s-Early 1980s

In the late 1970s-early 1980s Gucci used a larger font on their newly released GAC items.

Early 1980s

Early 80s bags had a leather tag 'GUCCI Accessories made in italy' tag, a serial number on its back, accompanied by a larger colorful tag, representing a certificate. On its back, there was a certificate number and the following text on Italian:

Certificiamo con il presento che questo prodotto Gucci proviene originariamenta dai titolari del marchio registrato Gucci. Questo certificato deve sempre essere accluso all'oggetto.

Here's the translation:

We hereby certify that this Gucci product originates from the owners of the Gucci registered trademark. This certificate must always be attached to the subject.

However, in a few years Gucci discontinued the use of such certificates. The reason is unknown, but probably it was due to their fragility. As the certificate was printed on paper, many of them fell off soon.

Mid-1980s

Gucci Accessory Collection Serial Numbers

In general, GAC serial numbers were similar to the vintage Gucci serial numbers. They may have a different number of characters too.

Some people assume that vintage Gucci bags are not counterfeited, when, in fact, it was during the 80s when counterfeiting fully unfolded. Be sure to check your Gucci item from the Accessory Collection before purchasing to ensure you're dealing with an authentic Gucci piece.

Need To Authenticate a Gucci Bag?

If you're purchasing a Gucci Bamboo bag preloved, it's important to check if it's real or fake.

At Bagaholic, we've had over 10 years of hands-on experience with authentic  Gucci items. Our mission is to protect buyers of secondhand designer bags, as we understand how close counterfeiters are getting to copying real Gucci bags.

To order Gucci authentication services, select one of the services below: