Lacoste Caps Resale Value

Lacoste caps: price by condition

Seller-declared grades, sterling with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). What each grade means.

What holds its value across Lacoste

• The L1212 pique polo, which has been in production essentially unchanged for decades and is the item buyers search for
• Vintage pieces made in France under the Devanlay licence, printed on the care label, which carry a clear premium over later production
• Older garments labelled Chemise Lacoste, which is the original naming and dates a piece to the earlier era
• Collaboration pieces and the Lacoste Live sub-line, which were made in much smaller runs than the mainline

What pulls Lacoste resale value down

• A frayed, lifted or partly detached crocodile, which is the identifying feature and the first thing anyone looks at
• Stretched or greyed collars on the polos, the normal failure and the reason most used ones sell cheaply
• Faded colours on the brighter polos, which is common and very visible
• Current mainline basics in common sizes, which compete directly with a new one on sale

Identifying and dating yours

1. Lacoste sizes are numbered 2 to 8 rather than lettered, so state the UK equivalent and the flat chest measurement — this is the commonest cause of a return on the label
2. The crocodile should be tightly and evenly embroidered with defined teeth and eye; buyers compare it against reference photographs
3. The care label gives the country of manufacture, and Made in France places a garment in the earlier, more valuable period

What lifts any cap, whatever the label

Caps are collected at the branded end, and the brim and crown shape matter more than general condition.

• Recognised sportswear and streetwear labels
• Vintage caps with period logos
• Unbent brims where the style intends it
• Clean sweatbands with no staining

And what pulls one down

• Sweat staining on the band and crown
• Cracked or peeling printed logos
• Misshapen crowns
• Promotional and unbranded caps

Working out what yours is worth

1. Check the sweatband for staining
2. Photograph the front logo close up
3. Note whether the fit is fitted, snapback or adjustable

What to state in the listing

• Brand, style and any model code
• Fitted size or closure type: snapback, strapback, fitted
• Brim shape: flat or curved, and whether the sticker is still on
• Sweatband condition and any staining or fraying

Brand, style and size: “New Era 59Fifty Fitted Cap, 7 1/4, Navy”. Style codes and fitted sizes are searched exactly. Say whether it is fitted, snapback or strapback, since those are separate searches.

Preparing and photographing it

1. Check the brim for creasing or cracking, and the sweatband for staining.
2. Clean the sweatband and the front panel, which is where caps get grubby.
3. Note the closure type and the size or fitted measurement.

1. The cap from the front, showing the logo
2. The side profile, showing brim shape
3. Inside, showing the sweatband condition
4. The closure and size tag, plus any stain or fray

When it sells best, and handing it over

Steady with a summer lift. Collectable and team caps sell year round; generic caps sell slowly.

Small but must not be crushed. Stuff the crown with paper and use a box, not a bag, or it arrives flattened.

What buyers ask

What size is a Lacoste 5?

Lacoste uses its own 2 to 8 numbering rather than S to XL, and a 5 is roughly a UK medium to large depending on the cut. Always give the flat chest measurement as well, because this numbering causes more returns than anything else on the label.

Are old Lacoste polos worth more?

Pieces made in France under the Devanlay licence, and older ones labelled Chemise Lacoste, carry a real premium. The care label is what tells you which you have.

How much is a Lacoste cap worth?

Roughly £7 to £38 depending on condition, against £6 to £35 for caps generally. The identification points above are what move a listing to the top of that range.

What the fees would take elsewhere

At the mid-range £22 for a Lacoste cap, against what the commission marketplaces would deduct:

Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026, percentages only — the per-order and processing charges those platforms add are excluded, so the real gap is wider.

Listing is free and there is no commission — read how to sell a cap for the title, handover and timing, or the general cap value guide if yours is not a Lacoste.

See also: all Lacoste value guides · value guides by brand · buying a cap · Clothing · condition grades.