There are important tricks to spotting a true designer handbag versus a fake. Buying a fresh-off-the-runway designer bag is many women’s dream. But discovering that all your hard earned money went to a fake is devastating. These are the secrets I use for choosing the handbags offered on my consignment site and how you can spot a fake handbag when shopping.
Price
Inquire about the purchase of the item, the purchase price, how the item was purchased, and any proof of purchase. Red flags include gifts, inheritance, second and third-hand buyers.
Model
Know the model and design of the items you want to buy, as some fakes have their own “style.” Logos, wording and stamping – always check fonts, embossing, prints, and places where those details are located. Logos always have specific fonts, spacing, and strategic placement. Hint: The letter “O” is always a good measure.
Stitching
Symmetrical, aligned, and even stitching should be checked. The length of stitches per inch, angle of the stitches, and hand vs. machine stitching is taken into consideration.
Hardware
All hardware is checked for material and logos. Typically, hardware should be stamped, embossed or pressed. Parts should be composed of metals, work smoothly and correctly. Red flags include plastic hardware, peeling, zippers that get stuck, and pulls that fall apart.
Authenticity Cards
Not all brands manufacture these; so if an item comes with an authenticity card, even though the company does not issue them, that is a clear sign of a fake. (Yes, we’ve seen many of those.)
Tags and Leather Swatches
No authentic bag comes with a string and a leather swatch attached to is for a color sample. Red flag!
Lining
Linings follow certain patterns and models, so we check that the linings come in the right material and colors.
Material
We check that the item is made of the appropriate materials. High quality leather, canvas, etc.
Serial Number
This is a very tricky item for the non-expert. We do check those and follow our guide for numbers and codes. It’s hard to follow, but we have already narrowed down some serial numbers that are being used to manufacture fake purses – all, archived in our special “black book.”
Lorena Shiff
