| The ever-dreaded fake designer handbag, more nicely | | | | “C” all over it, you will know it is not genuine if |
| referred to as a ‘replica’, is often a purse that | | | | the “C’s” are misaligned, or if the pattern of |
| many women do not want to be caught carrying. On | | | | the “C’s” do not match up where there are |
| the other hand, many of us can not afford designer | | | | pockets or folds. You should not have paid into the |
| handbags, and are perfectly content to own one that | | | | hundreds for your Coach purse if the patterns are |
| is similar to the real deal. However, even the women | | | | crooked and the stitching is wrong. This is not only |
| who proudly tote the replica Louis Vuitton or Marc | | | | true for Coach bags, but all designer handbags. If the |
| Jacobs hand bag do not want onlookers to be able to | | | | stitching and the seams are sloppy then you can bet |
| tell if it is real or fake! Below are a few tricks to be | | | | that the handiwork on this bag is not real. |
| able to spot if a hand bag is real or fake. | | | | Certain handbags, especially the more pricey ones, will |
| One of the easiest ways to tell if a handbag is real or | | | | have a serial number attached inside. If you have |
| fake is by the price. You will be very hard pressed to | | | | purchased your handbag from a particular designer in |
| find a genuine Louis Vuitton handbag for one hundred | | | | the past and you know it to always carry a serial |
| and fifty dollars. Designer hand bags by such | | | | number, then you should look for that every time you |
| designers such Prada, Gucci, or Vuitton, you should | | | | purchase a bag from that label. Other indicates are the |
| expect to pay at least four hundred dollars or more. | | | | ‘painting’ or printing of the label instead of |
| Certain bags made by these designers cost into the | | | | stamping. Many bags will have their names stamped |
| thousands. | | | | into the leather, or the body of the handbag, or |
| Another good indicator of a real or fake designer | | | | sometimes stamped into the metal hardware of the |
| handbag is the packaging. Counterfeit purses are | | | | handbag as well. Often times, replicas will merely print |
| often purchased without those protective bags, tissues, | | | | the name onto the material. If you look closely |
| or boxes surrounding them. True designer bags are | | | | enough and actually feel the name, you should be able |
| generally sold in gorgeous wrapping. Also, many | | | | to determine whether it is stamped into the material or |
| designers will set their special bags in a plastic cover | | | | just sits on its surface. Knock-off bag companies do |
| that is not to be removed until the bag is ready to be | | | | not spend the extra money required to stamp each |
| worn. If your bag does not come with such a cover, | | | | name into the replicas. |
| be wary of its actuality. Both of these tactics will be | | | | Another way to tell a replica from a designer bag is by |
| hard to do if the bag is not yours, and you have no | | | | looking at the hardware itself. Check to see if the |
| way of seeing how much was spent on it or if it came | | | | bag matches. In other words, check if your purse has |
| beautifully packaged. If you are trying to spot fake | | | | a brass handle and an off-gold-tone closure. Your |
| purses on other people, there are other clues we can | | | | hardware should also be in pristine condition, and free |
| look for. | | | | from any scratches, dents or scrapes. If you bought |
| Checking to see what kind of label the bag has is a | | | | the bag yourself, chances are you know from whom |
| good way to be able to tell if it is a fraud. True | | | | you purchased the bag from, and if they were a |
| designer leather bags generally have the designer label | | | | reputable dealer. If it was a gift, however, and you |
| on the inside. Right along with the label is the tag | | | | have no way of knowing where the bag was sold, be |
| indicating where it was made. Most designer bags are | | | | sure to inspect the hardware for signs of wear and |
| made in Italy or France. If you see a “made in | | | | tear. |
| China” label you can bet that Gucci handbag is not | | | | Sometimes, designers will include an authenticity card in |
| the real deal. | | | | with their bag. It will generally be found inside the |
| Another way to tell if your designer purse is a fake is | | | | handbag itself when first opened from the package. |
| by looking at the purse for anything different. For | | | | Most often, it is found in a zipper enclosure inside the |
| example, if any of the letters, monograms, or numbers | | | | bag. Inquire from the designer’s representative |
| emblazoned on the bag are slightly different at all, then | | | | whether that bag is to have an authenticity card, and if |
| you can bet it is a replica. For example, if you are | | | | so, make sure yours is included. |
| looking at a Coach bag that bears the signature | | | | |