Ralph Lauren: how to spot the value

Ralph Lauren covers a huge range, from cheap outlet polos to serious tailoring and heritage workwear, so the first job is always working out which Ralph Lauren you are holding. The brand is always Ralph Lauren. The line is what sets the value.

Work out which line it is first

Read the inner label. Purple Label is the top tier tailoring, RRL (Double RL) is the premium heritage and workwear line, and both trade well above the rest. Polo Ralph Lauren is the familiar mainline. Polo Sport and vintage sporting pieces have their own following. Lauren and Chaps sit at the bottom. Getting the line right is most of the work.

How to spot the good one

• The label and era. The wording and style of the inner label dates a piece and tells you the line. Older labels on the right piece can mean vintage value.
• The pony. The small embroidered polo player is standard. A large pony, a crest, or a bold sporting graphic points to specific lines and eras that buyers seek out.
• Vintage sporting and stadium pieces. Sought after nineties Polo sporting, sailing and outdoors graphics carry real interest, and are also the most copied, so read them carefully.
• The staples. Oxford shirts, rugby shirts, chunky knits and the polo shirt itself sell steadily when the line, colour and size are right.

The line on the inner label is what sets the value. The pony and the era confirm what you are holding.

Condition: what helps, what hurts

Check knitwear for pilling and moth nips, polos and shirts for collar and cuff wear and staining, and make sure the embroidery is clean and intact. Honest, wearable condition in a good colour and size is what buyers want.

What drives the value

The line first, then vintage and rarity, then condition, then colour and size. A Purple Label or RRL piece, or a genuine sought after vintage graphic, sits at the top. A common outlet polo in an awkward size sits at the bottom.

A quick authenticity check

Vintage Polo, especially the desirable nineties sporting pieces, is widely bootlegged, so check the label era, the quality and stitching of the pony and any graphic, and whether the inner tags agree with the age the piece claims. Treat anything that does not line up as a reason to pause, not proof either way. The spotting fakes guide goes further.

Deteqt it

Before you buy or list, deteqt the exact piece. Your Valuation gives the most to pay, a target sell price built on real market data, your profit after fees, and where it sells best, so the line question is settled by the number, not a guess.