Spotting a Faux

General Tips for Ensuring Authenticity
What to Expect from a Designer Handbag
What is the Harm in Purchasing Fake Handbags?
Spotting a Fake Balenciaga Bag
Spotting a Fake Coach Handbag
Spotting a Fake Chanel
Spotting a Fake Kate Spade
Spotting a Fake Louis Vuitton


General Tips for Ensuring Authenticity

1. Do research on celebrities and the bags they are carrying, as they are most likely authentic
2. Carefully consider the price you are paying and the value you are receiving
3. Authentic bags are not sold on on-line auctions or at home parties

What to Expect from a Designer Handbag

In addition to paying for the high quality materials and stature of the brand, here are more details about what is considered when pricing a handbag:

• Fabrics- Authentic Designer Bags only include the finest fabrics
• Stitching- Authentic bags will have accurate stitching with small stitches and even seam allowances
• Authentic bags will also usually have tone-on-tone stitching, as opposed to contrast stitching.
• Patterns- Authentic designer bags have hours of work put into them and are perfect down to every last detail. A great example of this is with prints; an authentic designer’s prints will be flawless throughout the entire bag, and patterns will not be broken between sections.

Here are additional pieces of information that will help you ensure the bag you are buying is authentic:

• Lining- Most authentic bags will have the designer logo or brand name on the lining
• Serial Numbers- Many authentic hand bag manufacturers use a serial number located in the interior of the bag.

A great start to finding authentic bags is knowing which design houses allow their bags to be sold through third parties or in factory stores. A few labels maintain an exclusive policy and only sell their label through their own fashion house.

What is the harm in purchasing fake handbags?

Selling fake handbags is illegal, but buying fake handbags is not. So what's the harm in purchasing a fake bag? As denoted in the list below, fake handbags pose more of a threat than many realize.

• The fake hand bag industry is a tax-free business. Honest tax payers foot the bill on taxes not paid by fake merchandisers.
  
• Often times fake hand bag businesses are part of organized crime.
  
• Fake handbags take money away from the original design house, increasing the cost of authentic handbags.

Spotting a Fake Balenciaga Bag

The criteria listed below are indicators of a fake Balenciaga bag but should not be used singly. A combination of attributes should be examined when trying to determine the authenticity of a Balenciaga bag.

Leather

• An authentic Balenciaga bag uses only the finest quality leather. The leather is usually very thin and distressed, yet very durable.
  
• A fake Balenciaga bag uses leather that is stiff and shiny. Instead of looking distressed, the leather appears to be cracked.
  
• An authentic Balenciaga bag will lose shape as items are removed where as a fake will keep its shape.

Hardware

• The hardware on an authentic Balenciaga bag is always brass or dirty silver in color. Shiny hardware is a sign of a fake bag.

Zippers

• An authentic Balenciaga bag always uses LAMPO zippers. The name LAMPO should be written in italics and underlined all the way from the L to the TM sign.
  
• Fake bags usually will use counterfeit LAMPO zippers. As a precaution, there are some fake bags that feature authentic LAMPO zippers. This fact stresses the importance of examining multiple attributes of a bag before purchasing.

Number Identification

• With an authentic Balenciaga bag, the number on the silver Balenciaga name plate should match the number that is on the backside of the leather tag.

Accessories

• Accessories, such as mirrors, do not come wrapped in plastic with an authentic bag. The only accessory that could come wrapped with an authentic bag is extra tassels.

	Example of a Fake Balenciaga
	Shiny leather, wrapped handles and dull color give this fake Balenciaga away

Spotting a Fake Coach Handbag

Signature Fabric

• The most important thing to remember when looking for an authentic Coach bag is that all Coach products feature perfectly centered C’s and aligned seams. Look down the center seam on both sides of the bag.  It should look like one continuous piece of fabric with the center dividing the bag like a mirror image.

Dust Bags

• The dust bags are brown with red trim.  Or, if purchased from an Outlet, dust bags are white with red trim.  The white dust bags are usually used for smaller items, not handbags. 

Metal

• The leather Coach hangtag is in the same color as the leather used on the bag (metal is rarely used). 

Handles

• Fake Coach bags will often have plastic wrapped handles - authentic Coach handbags will never have handles wrapped in plastic.

Durability

• Authentic Coach hardware will not peel, chip or flake as it is made of solid brass or nickel.  Be aware that not all buckles, clips, grommets and rings are imprinted with the Coach name.

Craftsmanship

• Quality craftsmanship goes into each Coach handbag. The threads used are heavy, the seams are double stitched and the stitching is tight.  Each individual stitch is spaced evenly and of the same length as the stitch before it. The lining should be securely sewn and should not pucker from the bag.

Lining

• Signature bags will never have a signature lining. The lining of a Coach signature bag will always be solid.

Example of a Fake Coach Bag
You can easily tell this Coach bag is a fake by looking at the uneven signature "C" print and the wrapped handles. The signature script on an authentic bag will always line and the handles will never be wrapped.

Spotting a Fake Chanel

The only way to ensure a Chanel bag is authentic is to buy directly from a Chanel boutique or an authorized Chanel retailer, such as Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Buying from these authorized dealers will ensure that the best craftsmanship and materials were used in the production of the bag.

Material
Chanel bags are made with only the finest components. The following includes the majority of materials that are used to construct a Chanel bag:

-Calfskin
-Canvas
-Caviar Leather
-Denim
-Exotic Skins
-Fabric (wool jersey and jacquard)
-Fur
-Goatskin
-Lambskin
-Patent Leather
-Vinyl/Plastic

Interior

• Authentic Chanel handbags have very distinctive interiors. Most bags will possess one of the following interiors: Chanel logo stamped or embossed into the interior leather
  
• Often times the Chanel logo will be embossed in the interior of the bag. Interiors that are not embossed will have a gold stamp (if the hardware is gold) and a silver stamp (if the hardware is silver). Whether stamped or embossed, the logo is either located infront of the interior open pocket, above the interior open pocket, or in the lower portion of the interior flap.
  The MADE IN FRANCE or MADE IN ITALY stamp is either gold or silver (its color should corospond with hardware) and is either directly under the Chanel logo or at the opposite side of the Chanel logo.  
  
• Chanel makes leather labels that are neither embossed or stamped. If this is the case, contrast stitching is a red flag. A brown or black leather label should not be stitched with white thread.
  

Sticker/Serial Number

• A sticker with a serial number will be found on all authentic Chanel bags. Chanel bags manufactured before 2005 will have a 7-digit serial number. For bags manufactured after 2005, the serial number is 8 digits. The 7-digit or 8-digit serial number on the sticker must match the serial number on the authenticity card.  
  
  
• The 7-digit serial number sticker is usually located inside the bag at the lower left hand corner on the opposite side of the Chanel stamp or label.  Other places where the sticker can be found include:  inside the interior zipper pocket, inside the exterior open pocket, or on a small leather patch located on the left hand corner on the opposite side of the Chanel label.  The serial number must face upward.
  
  

Zipper Pull

• The zipper pull hardware must match the chain strap or CC logo. The zipper pull is engraved with "CHANEL" on one side and interlocking "CC" on the other side. In some bags, the zipper pull of the interior zipper pocket is leather.  In other bags, the zipper pull is a round gold with a raised CC on one side and a textured gold CC on the other side.  
  

CC Hardware

• The CC hardware is shiny gold, matte gold, shiny silver, matte silver, resin, tortoise or clear plastic, depending on the style line. Hardware must match the chain strap and zipper pull. The CC hardware is either turn-knob closure or interlocking CC-snap closure. Chanel uses diagonal screws, not traditional Phillips-type screws, on all hardware.

CC Logo

• The CC logo is sometimes quilt stitched on the front the bag. Whether the CC logo is gold, silver, stitched or another material, the top portion of the right C must overlap the top portion of the left C.  The bottom portion of the left C must overlap the bottom portion of the right C.  
  

Strap

• The chain on the strap must match the CC hardware, as mentioned above.  For lambskin bags, the leather on the strap is lambskin. The leather strap should be a long single continuous piece of leather folded together on either the side or in the middle.

Diamond/Square Quilting

• Chanel quilting is either diamond or square with all four sides being equal in length. The quilting is aligned throughout the front, top and back of the handbag. The sides and bottom may vary, depending on the style line. 

Example of a Fake Chanel Bag
A closer look at this Chanel reveals its fake status. The seams should line up on all designer bags. If they don't, the bag is a fake.	This bag also contains seams that don't line up, although, the flaw is not as prominent as with the bag on the right. If you look at the logo, you'll notice it's slightly crocked -- a sure sign of a fake.

Spotting a Fake Kate Spade
With her clean and simple handbags, Kate Spade has attracted a worldwide fan base. Unfortunately, her simple designs are very easy to replicate. When contemplating a Kate Spade purchase, here are some things to consider.

• Authentic Kate Spade bags do not offer a fabric label on a leather bag
  
• The label placement of Kate Spade is usually centered towards the top of the bag; a label that is placed too low is a great indicator of a fake
  
• Most eclectic prints with a Kate Spade logo are fake
  
• Kate Spade does not offer a two-tone micro-fiber or nylon bag, only wool and canvas

Example of a Fake Kate Spade
The overall lack of quality easily gives this fake away.

Spotting a Fake Louis Vuitton

 When it comes to high-fashion, Louis Vuitton is the ultimate victim of counterfeit. Some estimate that only 1 percent of all Louis Vuitton purses on the market are authentic. Caution is strongly encouraged when purchasing a Louis Vuitton handbag from an unauthorized dealer (such as eBay).

When examining the bag, there are a few Louis Vuitton specifics than can identify a fake bag.

• A Louis Vuitton that comes with a bright yellow tag is an obvious red flag. Authorized Louis Vuitton retail stores do not provide these tags.
  
• The dust bag that comes with a Louis Vuitton bag are always pressed and either contain the Monogram or the name.
  
• A fake bag will be wrinkled, have a harder handle. It will also contain a stamp with the name, Monogram, and country of origin.
  
• A great amount of detail goes in to the infamous Monogram print. If the print is disrupted, the bag is likely a fake. Also, the LV Monogram is perfectly spaced. Be skeptical of any bag that has inconsistent spacing.

Example of a Fake Louis Vuitton
You can tell this bag is a fake because it has red scripting. No authentic Speedy bag has any red on it.	A LV bag will always be vibrantly colored. This washed-out bag is obviously a fake.