Spotting a Fake Handbag

Designer handbags can cost several thousands of dollars each. That is why many people look for clearance sales and unofficial discount opportunities. Unfortunately, there are also people out there who are manufacturing knockoff designer bags and trying to pass them off as the real thing.

If you are in the market for a designer bag and you don’t want to get ripped off, then you need to know how to spot a fake handbag.

1. Know What You Are Looking For

Your first line of defense against being sold a knockoff designer bag is to know the designer that you are interested in. Research what materials and colors the designer uses for their handbags, and become familiar with small details that the designer adds to their handbags to make the bags special. For example look for beadwork, hand stitching, and logo designs.

2. Know What the Designer Bag is Worth

While there are legitimate opportunities for great discounts on designer handbags, if a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is. In most cases a legitimate sale price for a designer bag is not going to go under 60 percent of the actual retail price. To know when a price is too low to be true you need to learn what the bag that you are interested in normally retails for.

3. Look for Irregularities

Designer handbags use high quality materials. The leather is not going to peel. Patent leather is going to be shiny. And the color used in the handbag is usually going to be consistent from bag to bag. When you come upon a discount opportunity look for small irregularities between what you know the designer bag should look like and what is in front of you. Compare the shininess of the leather, the brightness of the color, and the quality of the material.

4. Size Matters

One quick way to spot a fake hand bag is to take its dimensions and compare it to those of an actual designer handbag. Many knockoff artists will alter the dimensions of the bag slightly. Places to measure include the width of the bag, the depth of the bag, and the height of the bag.

5. Check the Lining

Another place where many knockoff artists skimp is the lining of the bag. Most designer bags are going to use high quality materials for their bags’ liners, and these liners are going to be securely attached to the bag's frame. Knockoffs will have liners made from cheaper materials and the lining will not be attached to the frame as securely. The fabric design and color can also be used as evidence of a knockoff. Try to see what the designer liner should look like, and then compare that against the bag that you are offered.