LEFT: Authentic Louis Vuitton Multi-color Monogram Ursula is exclusively online at eLuxury
I recently heard of Yoogi's Closet, well because they are advertising with us now. I have to disclose that but I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed and after reading this, I am sure you will be too. It is a fantastic idea and from my experience working with them, the concept is not only well thought out but the company is extremely well run. They buy your used bags (either outright or on consignment) and then resell them. So of course being the cynic that I am, I asked about their authentication process and what I got was a extremely comprehensive lesson on spotting a fake. The following answer is quoted verbatim when I asked, "How do you make sure you are not buying a fake?". I imagine this is of extreme consequence to them as it is the crux of their business. If they end up buying a fake, their whole model breaks down. Read on...
Stampings. We examine the identifying stamps on leather or metal for consistency. Many fakes have stamps that appear to match the stamps for authentic items but may differ in typography or color. For example, Louis Vuitton stamps may appear black, but are actually dark grey.Many counterfeit LV items have black stampings.
Symmetry. Authentic handbags will have perfect symmetry in the way patterns (such as Louis Vuitton's Monogram pattern) are arranged. An asymmetrical pattern is often a dead-giveaway that an item is a counterfeit.
Stitching. Most manufacturers utilize characteristic stitching in the construction of their goods. For example, Louis Vuitton utilizes spiral stitching in their products, with each stitch segment being at even length.
Hardware. It's often difficult for counterfeits to exactly duplicate the hardware design of authentic items. For example, authentic Gucci Horsebit bags will have complete closed connecting rings while counterfeits will have a break in the rings.
Authenticity Stamps. While many counterfeit items have date codes, we verify them for consistency. Often counterfeits will have date codes that are inconsistent with other stampings on the item. For example, the date code may indicate that the counterfeit item was manufactured in Spain while the stamping indicates it was made in France.
Overall Workmanship and Materials. This requires close inspection and experience handling authentic articles. For example, fake Fendi Spybags will not drape as comfortable as authentic items and the leather will feel different.
Comparison to On-hand Reference Items. This is probably the quickest way to differentiate a counterfeit item from an authentic one. If you can see them side by side, it is easy for someone with a trained eye to tell the two apart.
Huh, was I right or what? That is pretty damn impressive! Now that answers the question of fakes but they also offer the service of unloading your regretful purchases so that you can now go and buy the bag you really want! If you are feeling the crunch lately or just good with money, you can continue to shop by getting cash for those unused bags in your closet. We all have them, now we just have to convince ourselves that we must part with them. Yoogi'sCloset.com
I might be out of subject here but still thought it's worth sharing.
A few years ago I 've read an article either on British Vogue or The Times cannot exactly recall that authentic Luis Vuiton bags never cut the monogram on the edge. In many fakes the mionogram is cut either where the stitching starts or as the piece of canvas ends. This never happens to authentic LVs.
Another point probably to consider?
Actually, Cat, that's not entirely true. Sometimes the pattern is going to get cut off, depending on the cut of the fabric for a particular style of bag. It is often unavoidable.
Also, I know of at least one person who was handed a brand-new wallet in a boutique where the LV was horribly cut off on the edge. The Sales Associate admitted that it happens sometimes...this lady refused that wallet and asked to purchase another.
Also, I'm confused about the "fake" vs. "real" photos in this article. If you examine the photos, including the placement of straps, shadows, etc., it appears to be the identical picture photoshopped with a different background and different words over the top. I'm sure it wasn't intentional but it looks...unfortunate.
I guess the point of showing the 2 very similar bags next to each other is to make the point that it is hard to tell, especially in a picture. I wanted to show something that was really close. The "real" I got from eluxury and the "fake" was from a fully disclosed seller of replica bags. I put the words on there just to drive the point home. The problem with some of these replica bag retailers is that they actually show pictures of the authentic bag, but what they sell you is a whole other story. Does that suck? Totally. If you must buy used though, you have to find a reputable reseller. And I agree with all of you, LV is not worth buying because the fakes are really good. And like Susan said, with Hermes and Bottega, you are paying for quality leather and workmanship. With LV you pay for the label on plastic.
Love, Kelly
Not sure about them...lol
How interesting
if u are a star with a fake bag,that will to be reported who( some star) take a fashion bag in what brand, what material and how much now instead of to say it is fake, on the contrary, even if one from lower class buy a dear real, perhaps, many think it is a fake.
Actually, there are super fakes coming out from China that look so similar to the real thing that even a LV SA could be fooled, those are the so-called "super A" knockoffs that cost more than the typical fake and actually do follow the symmetry, stiching, date stamp, so it's always safest to buy Vuitton's from their own stores. You never know if there are resellers out there who use these super fakes as the real thing and rip people off.
For higher end bags like Hermes, the leather quality is a lot harder to fake so it's not quite as tricky compared to Louis Vuitton.
Its extremely hard to distinguish the differences on fake bags. The annoying fake makers are perfecting it to a science. However, I can tell you one thing about Louis Vuitton is that there is always a date code. Consisting of numbers and letters. This is how the people of Louis Vuitton identify the fakes. I HATE THE FAKE MAKERS. It ruins the prestige and lux of the bag.
yay or nay?
Totally agree with you & Kaoru. Why? Because a dear friend shops quite always from Hong King for her fakes (don't get me started on our luxury debates) and actually took a fake LV to the Rodeo store, and got them to replace the straps on her bag for free. She passed a fake for real, and the $18/hour staff were no smarter than us. Reason enough not to buy LV for me, but yes, I have seen firsthand how the HK/China/Asia fakes are damn near perfect thanks to technology. Patina, patterns, and all.
the fact that lv is so easy to copy says a lot. i have 4 lv bags that i bought on my own and i loved the patina and quality of the bags, but i have colleagues that bought fakes ("expensive" fakes) that look EXACTLY the same, right down to the stitching and patina. i'm so tired of seeing lvs every where i go.
this is why bags like bottega veneta and hermes are the way to go- quality, handcrafted workmanship that is difficult to accurately copy.
its really disappointing these fake LV's i have friends who i really see everyday and on special occassions and they are loaded w/ the latest LV's and are all fake w/c they admit but it makes me feel bad seeing fake LV's around you and youre the only 1 w/ a real LV, and your buying it at a very high price coz you want to be sure of the authenticity so you go straight to the LV's stores and my friends got it everywhere and anywhere but the point here is the fakes really look the same... Its just the confidence in me that i know that mine is real thats all that matters!
I think it's funny that the writer of this post actually used the same picture for both images and just put "real" and "fake" over the top. I blew both of the images up on photoshop and compared them and they are the exact same (same angles, same positions, same reflections, same everything). It is the same shot with lighter background and and different words over the top. nice try.
who cares, that's obviousley not the point of the article the pictures were for demonstrative purposes Kelly already said that, you have too much time on your hands girl.
All I'm saying is that with a subject that has everything to do with honesty, integrity, and authenticity, it's just ironic that she starts out the article with the same trickery that the fakers do.
I actually wanted to discuss the whole Yoogi's closet portion of this blog. Confident that they were advertising (you only advertise legit websites) on your blog, I actually went ahead and took a look at their website and was pleased with the prices and products they had to offer. However, I would like to know if any of the bagsnobs would actually buy products from this website and if they too stand behind the authenticity of yoogi's merchandise? The reason I ask this is because I started looking through some of the Chanel bags and when I actually zoomed in to the clasps of these bags, I noticed that their double "C" logs had a weird signs on them. Now correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that a typical give away that they are fake? Any comments? Would a post of spotting fake Chanel's be coming up soon?
Just responding to the previous post: many vintage Chanel bags have a stamp on either the left or right hand corner of the CC turnlock closure. This stamp is always square, never circular. Newer Chanel bags do not have this stamp.
All these fakes are so lame.
I went to china a few years ago and they were seling these at every corner. I admit, i bought a bag and a wallet, by curiosity and for like not even 10 euros.
The wallet lasted like 3 month it was really CHEAP.
I gave the bag to my mother and about 3 month later she broke the ZIP. However people did think it was a real one, or better said, my mother usually have Longchamp purses, not Adidas if ou see what i mean, so it makes sense.
I regret buying these, because i gave money to people who ruin LV's image. Hate it because now everyone begins to wonder which on is fake or not, and then you get all kinds of people wearing fakes and making the brand look like a cheap brand you can find everywhere.
I went to the market in northen Paris on sunday and some african guys with a strong accent and traditionnal clothe (probably from Ivory Coast), were selling fakes again.
Then i saw a lot of girls or boys with their basebeall caps and XXXXL shirts trying to look cool with these, and realised imediately how all of these were fakes (the products and their style too ^^).
Come on, if you can't afford the real one, at least buy a real Nike or Reebok, not a fake. Even if you own the real deal, everyone would think it's a fake because, your clothes and style don't really match. Lacoste and Burberry's even want these people to STOP wearing and even buying their products because it causes damage to their image.
If the Chinese could start banning fakes, that would be a good start. It's not even illegal there, or at least it's tolerated.
I also saw on TV how the French police caught from Turkey HUGE rolls of LV monogram cloth worth 2M€ each.
But there's something i would like you to think about.
I know a lot of you people buy "Underground designer's bags" in reaction to LV becoming "too" popular and too many fakes popping out everywhere. But to me that's just another extreme.
These bags may be cool in 2008, but will they sill be cool next year ? And who knows about underground designers out of Manhattan or Milan ? How much will they be worth in 10 years ? Think about it people, only the classics and the basics stand the test of time. Luxury bags are not just fashion, they keep their value in time, so you spend 1000 but can get 800 back 5 years later. That not only means it has more value, it also means it's still cool even 5 years later.
While other bags may be worth... Peanuts in 5 years.
Think about it, LV will always be LV, you can ignore the brand but we will still be talking about it here in 10 years.
JB, 26, Male, Paris.
wow this is so useful!
I think fakes are very hard to hunt down, even if you ban it in China there will always be others eager to get into the fake market.
What LV can do is utilize methods to make the bags more difficult to fake. For example the miroir bags were made with unique methods that are hard to imitate so there weren't as many fake miroirs seen on the streets even though they were pretty popular when they launched the line. Even though the fakers keep evolving, LV can evolve even faster, after all they've got the capital and craftmenship to do it.
I like replica louis vuitton handbags ,one hand ,it's beautiful,on the other hand,it's cheaper than original one.
I like LV replica handbags ,it's fashionable and cheap!
i did some research on this. i looked a up some web sites that sell high quality replicas. i was basically drilling them for answers. i found out the sometimes left over material is what they actually make the bags out of and they also (bring in craftsmen) from those companies or people who no longer work for them. and they assemble the bags. that's kinda scary to me. i'm thinkin what else do they do when the whole world is not paying attention i also found out louis vuitton bags with the light straps after a while they change color from light to dark the have (replicas that do the same thing) kinda takes the value out the real thing. don't you think?