It’s happened to the best of us.
We’re at a thrift store, garage sale, flea market—you name it—and you spot it: the perfect designer bag. And what do you know, it’s super affordable! So affordable you begin to question the authenticity of the bag.
Determining if a handbag is indeed real can take a good eye.
You have to know the brand you are looking at. As with any big purchase, you must do your research. Since some fake purses look so real, it all comes down to small details like the stitching.“I think there a few things that really stand out when somebody is looking to find an authentic bag, and usually it comes down to materials being used, including the hardware, the leather, the stitching, and what goes into the construction of the bag,” PurseBlog’s Meaghan Mahoney Dusil told InStyle magazine. “One of the things that a lot of people spend a lot of time talking about is stitching. When it comes to fakes, even if they get the overall look of the bag done well, they’re not spending as much time on the construction and the stitching can be really off.”
If possible, when shopping for a designer handbag, it’s important to see the bag in person. Online, the photos of the purse can be easily manipulated. By seeing the bag in person, you will not only be able to determine the kind of shape the purse is in, but you also can look at the telltale signs of a fake purse, such as the stitching or the hardware.
If it’s hard for you to determine if the stitching is correct, the hardware is of good quality or if the material is luxurious, one thing you can do is check for an authenticity card.
Most designer purses come with a card that states the handbag is real. If the person you are buying from does not have the authenticity card in their possession, your next bet is visiting sites with purse experts and asking them to authenticate the purse.This process is just as much for the seller as it is for the buyer. If you’re selling a purse, you’ll want to make sure you have authenticated the purse. Trying to pass off a fake purse as a real one when selling a bag can have serious consequences. According to Consumer-law.lawyers.com, penalties for violating counterfeit laws may include: Up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and the loss of any other counterfeit goods, as well as money made through sales of said products. As a buyer, it’s important to know if the buyer is selling a legitimate purse as you don’t want to contribute to the world of knockoff handbags.
If you don’t know of an authenticator in your area, visit PurseForum. The experts at the blog will be able to help you to make sure the purse you are planning on buying is indeed authentic. Simply set up an account and create a post on the forum under the correct brand. The experts at the forum will get back to you and let you know if they think the bag in question is real.
Determining if a designer bag is real depends on the brand at hand. Learn the brand inside and out—literally. A lot of brands have specific things to look for. Here are five things to look out for when shopping for a designer purse:
Materials: A lot of designer purses are made with real leather. Make sure this is the case with the bag you are looking at. Not all bags are made with leather, however, so make sure the correct material is being used. The hardware also should be solid, not hollow. If it should be imprinted with the designer’s logo or name, double check that it is.
Workmanship: We said it before and we’ll say it again, stitching is key. There are usually a certain number of stitches per inch, and those stitches are impeccably straight on a real designer handbag. Pay close attention to this detail.
Inside: When counterfeiters are making knockoff purses, they’re typically going from pictures, which makes it difficult to see what the inside of the purse will look like. Notice the color of the lining, as well as details on the inside of a real purse, such as pockets. By visiting the designer’s store, you will have an advantage as you can compare models to see if the purse you are looking into buying has the correct details on the inside.
Made In Tags: Many times brands have a specific place where the handbags are manufactured. If the label on the purse states the incorrect place, it’s likely the purse is fake.
Misspellings: It’s a common practice of counterfeiters to misspell brand names or simply leave letters out. Make sure the brand name, as well as tags, such as genuine leather, are spelled correctly.
“You have to look for special touches that each brand uses to see if that’s there. For example, Chanel bags always have a hologram serial number, Louis Vuitton hardware always bears the brand’s logos, and Hermes purses always include two craftsman stamps,” Mahoney Dusil said. “A lot of times it’s as simple as looking at the logo and making sure it’s symmetrical.”
Feature Photo via We Heart It