{
  "dataset_version": "2026.10.1",
  "topic_id": "category_weighting",
  "question": "Which purchase categories do collectors mention most often?",
  "asked_as": [
    "What counts toward Hermès pre-spend?"
  ],
  "status": "active_with_caveat",
  "lead_answer": "No Hermès list of what counts toward pre-spend appears in the materials MyQuotaBag reviewed, so the answer comes from collector reports, which disagree on leather goods and online orders.",
  "short_answer": "Ready-to-Wear, fine jewelry, watches and home are the categories collectors mention most often; no formula has been verified.",
  "detailed_answer": "Specialist and community sources most often mention Ready-to-Wear, fine jewelry, watches, home and sometimes shoes. Some collectors believe leather-heavy profiles weigh less; that is a community perception, not a verified rule.",
  "confidence": "medium_high",
  "sample_strength": "moderate",
  "geography": "Global",
  "period": {
    "from": "2024-01",
    "to": "2026-09"
  },
  "last_reviewed": "2026-09-30",
  "observations": [
    {
      "research_pack_id": "MQB-RP001-QUOTA-RATIO-2026-09",
      "observation_id": "MQB-OBS-009",
      "topic_id": "category_signals",
      "statement": "Ready-to-Wear, fine jewelry, watches and home are the categories collectors mention most often; no formula has been verified.",
      "evidence_layers": [
        "RP001-A",
        "RP001-B",
        "RP001-C"
      ],
      "frequency": "frequently_observed",
      "confidence": "medium_high",
      "sample_strength": "moderate",
      "causal_strength": "unproven",
      "status": "active"
    },
    {
      "research_pack_id": "MQB-RP001-QUOTA-RATIO-2026-09",
      "observation_id": "MQB-OBS-010",
      "topic_id": "leather_heavy_profile",
      "statement": "Some collectors describe leather-heavy purchasing as weighing less than other categories; this is a community perception, not a verified rule.",
      "evidence_layers": [
        "RP001-A",
        "RP001-B",
        "RP001-C"
      ],
      "frequency": "commonly_observed",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "sample_strength": "limited",
      "causal_strength": "unproven",
      "status": "active"
    },
    {
      "research_pack_id": "MQB-RP001-QUOTA-RATIO-2026-09",
      "observation_id": "MQB-OBS-014",
      "topic_id": "online_spend",
      "statement": "Reports conflict on whether online spend is treated like an in-boutique purchase; global purchase history and local attribution may be separate.",
      "evidence_layers": [
        "RP001-A",
        "RP001-B",
        "RP001-C"
      ],
      "frequency": "conflicting",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "sample_strength": "limited",
      "causal_strength": "unknown",
      "status": "active"
    }
  ],
  "benchmarks": [],
  "observed_ranges": [],
  "exceptions": [],
  "contradictions": [
    {
      "research_pack_id": "MQB-RP001-QUOTA-RATIO-2026-09",
      "contradiction_id": "MQB-CONF-005",
      "topic_id": "category_weighting",
      "position_a": "Sources rank FJ/RTW/watch/home strongly.",
      "position_b": "No official numerical weighting formula found.",
      "status": "observed_unproven_weight",
      "possible_explanation": "Informal advocacy preference rather than formal formula.",
      "confidence_in_explanation": "medium"
    }
  ],
  "research_gaps": [],
  "official_position": {
    "research_pack_id": "MQB-RP001-QUOTA-RATIO-2026-09",
    "observation_id": "MQB-OBS-001",
    "topic_id": "official_numeric_ratio_threshold",
    "statement": "No public Hermès numeric pre-spend threshold or formula was identified in the reviewed materials.",
    "evidence_layers": [
      "RP001-A",
      "RP001-B",
      "RP001-C"
    ],
    "frequency": null,
    "confidence": "high",
    "sample_strength": "not_applicable",
    "causal_strength": "not_applicable",
    "status": "active",
    "note": "Based on the materials reviewed."
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "canonical_source_id": "CANON-SRC-000001",
      "normalized_url": "surgeofstyle.com/hermes-pre-spend",
      "url": "https://www.surgeofstyle.com/hermes-pre-spend/",
      "platform": "specialist_blog",
      "title": "Hermes Prespend Guide: What Actually Counts (2026)",
      "publication_date": "2026-07-15",
      "source_quality": "B",
      "geography": "unknown",
      "access": "full",
      "evidence_type": "first_person_report",
      "discovery_passes": [
        "RP001-A-STRICT-WEB"
      ],
      "pass_source_ids": [
        "RP001-A-SRC-001"
      ],
      "independent_discovery_count": 1
    },
    {
      "canonical_source_id": "CANON-SRC-000003",
      "normalized_url": "thebigbagblog.com/hermes-prespend-quota-bags-guide",
      "url": "https://thebigbagblog.com/hermes-prespend-quota-bags-guide/",
      "platform": "seo_blog",
      "title": "Hermes Prespend, Quota Bags and How to Actually Get One (2026)",
      "publication_date": "2026-05-17",
      "source_quality": "D",
      "geography": "global",
      "access": "snippet_only",
      "evidence_type": "aggregated_community_observation",
      "discovery_passes": [
        "RP001-A-STRICT-WEB",
        "RP034-A-BLOGS"
      ],
      "pass_source_ids": [
        "RP001-A-SRC-003",
        "RP034-A-SRC-003"
      ],
      "independent_discovery_count": 2
    },
    {
      "canonical_source_id": "CANON-SRC-000005",
      "normalized_url": "baguseek.com/hermes-quota-bag-system-guide",
      "url": "https://baguseek.com/hermes-quota-bag-system-guide",
      "platform": "specialist_blog",
      "title": "Hermes Quota Bag System Explained (2026)",
      "publication_date": "2026-08-02",
      "source_quality": "B",
      "geography": "US, Japan, France",
      "access": "snippet_only",
      "evidence_type": "specialist_reporting",
      "discovery_passes": [
        "RP001-A-STRICT-WEB"
      ],
      "pass_source_ids": [
        "RP001-A-SRC-005"
      ],
      "independent_discovery_count": 1
    }
  ],
  "html_url": "https://myquotabag.com/myquotabag-data/what-counts/"
}