With the cost of designer handbags rising every season, many women who desire the look of high fashion without the high price tag turn to fake designer handbags. Unfortunately, fake bags are not only poorly constructed and less durable than the true items, they are also illegal.
Savvy consumers can easily spot fake designer handbags even if they’ve never seen a true designer bag. The quality of workmanship and other factors stand out on fake bags, and when designers are highly renowned for the exquisite work of their products, fakes are easy to notice.
One of the biggest indicators of fake bags is the price. True designer bags can be discounted, but they are never marked down to rock bottom clearance prices. Any seller that claims to have designer bags at too-good-to-be-true prices is telling the truth in one respect: the prices are too good to be true because, after all, they’re not prices for true bags. If you see a Louis Vuitton Bag, for example, being sold for $40, you can bet your money it’s a fake, since the prices for a real bag from this designer usually start at around $800.
The bags themselves are always the biggest source of verification about whether they’re authentic or counterfeit. When examining a bag that may be fake, check different features, including:
- Fabric and Materials
Fake bags use lower quality materials; leather may feel like plastic instead of being soft and supple or the dye job of the fabric is uneven and blotchy.
- Stitching
Authentic designer bags have tight, even stitches, while knockoff bags may have loose, shoddy workmanship, uneven stitches, or even missing stitches where fabric (especially on the interior) is glued rather than sewn.
- Labels
Interior labels of designer bags will say made in Italy (or other authentic location), and while some fake designer handbags do as well, others will stipulate made in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, or other manufacturing nations.
- Designer Logo
Most designers affix signature logo plates to their bags. Those plates should be crisply printed, while fake plates may be blurry or slightly inaccurate. A common trick is to misspell the designer’s name: Prada becomes Proda, for example. Also look for logos printed on interior linings – fake bags often lack this detail.
- Authenticity Documentation
Designer bags often come with certificates of authenticity to prove their origins. Fake bags will be missing this paperwork, though sellers may claim it will be mailed or was simply lost.
- Incorrect Styling
Counterfeits may be offered in colors or styles that authentic bags are not. Don’t believe sellers who try to claim that the unusual design is simply rare and therefore a better deal.
- Misaligned Details
Bags that use rivets or crystals, such as Juicy Couture handbags, should have straight lines and symmetrical spacing; fake bags are less carefully assembled and may have poorly aligned accents.
- Initial Damage
Designer bags are carefully wrapped (typically in paper or tissue) for protection until they reach the consumer. Any bag that exhibits damage when it is supposedly “new” is likely a fake item – look for scratches, scuffs, small tears, and other seemingly minor imperfections. The fashion handbag industry prides itself on superior quality, and such scratch-and-dent items would never be permitted to be sold.