Japan's Used-Luxury Grading: How to Read S, SA, A, B, C (and Spot Authenticity Cues)

👜 Why everyone trusts Japan's secondhand luxury

Hi everyone! Sakura here 🌸

Walk into a Komehyo, Brand Off, or Daikokuya in Japan and you're in one of the world's most trusted secondhand luxury markets. Strict counterfeit laws plus Japan's obsessive care for items mean "used in Japan" is shorthand for "basically reliable."

The catch: the grading system is brutally honest by Western standards. A 'B' in Japan often looks better than what other countries label 'excellent'. Let me decode it.

📊 The grading scale

📖 What each grade actually means

Grade	Japanese	What it means in practice
N	新品しんぴん	Brand new, tags/box included
S	新品同様しんぴんどうよう	Like-new, display or try-on item
SA	極美品ごくびひん	Top-tier — only the most microscopic signs of use
A	美品びひん	Light wear, no noticeable damage
AB	良品りょうひん	Normal use marks, overall good condition
B	中古品ちゅうこひん	Visible scratches or stains, standard secondhand
C	難なんあり	Significant damage, may need repair
Junk	ジャンク	Broken or severely damaged

Sweet spot for value: AB and B. Japan's B is often better than other countries' 'excellent' rating, because Japanese graders are tougher.

🔍 The condition vocabulary sellers use

The grade is just a headline. The product description spells out specific issues — and you want to read it before buying.

📖 Condition descriptors

角擦かどすれ — corner wear (typical on bags' bottom corners)
型崩かたくずれ — loss of shape
ベタつき — stickiness (lining degraded from humidity)
剥はがれ — peeling (leather, coating)
小傷こきず — tiny scuffs from everyday use
変色へんしょく — discoloration / fading

⚠️ Be especially careful with ベタつき on vintage Louis Vuitton or Chanel — the lining stickiness costs more to repair than you'd save by buying it.

🛡️ Authenticity markers to look for

Japan polices counterfeits hard, but you should still verify. Here are the terms that signal authenticity:

📝 Authenticity-related vocabulary

正規品せいきひん — official, sold by authorized retailer
鑑定済かんていずみ — professionally authenticated
本物ほんもの保証ほしょう — authenticity guaranteed
付属品ふぞくひん完備かんび — complete with accessories (box, dust bag, card)

Reputable Japanese resellers stamp 鑑定済かんていずみ on every item. Brand Off and Komehyo are essentially trusted because of this practice.

🗣️ At the store

🗣️ Asking about authenticity

You: これは正規品せいきひんで鑑定済かんていずみですか？ — Is this an official authenticated item? Staff: はい、当店とうてんの鑑定士かんていしがチェック済ずみです。 — Yes, our in-house authenticators have verified it.

✨ Sakura's takeaway

Grade reset: Japan's B is most countries' A. Don't be put off by lower letters.
AB / B are the value zone.
Read the condition vocab for hidden issues, especially ベタつき.
Look for 鑑定済 + 正規品 — these signal trusted authentication.

With this vocabulary you can shop Mercari, Brand Off, Komehyo, or even small Tokyo Akihabara shops with confidence. 🌸