IS IT A REAL DEAL?
Our products are a result of extensive research, resulting in unique vintage and pre-owned finds. All of our items are handpicked and thoroughly inspected and we guarantee that all of the items we sell are 100% authentic. To put your mind at ease we offer a full refund if any of our items are deemed not to be genuine but that is just not going to happen :)
We operate a zero tolerance policy towards the illegal activity of buying and selling counterfeit goods. As luxury resellers, we follow strict authentication guidelines for all goods presented to our customers.
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 colour. For example, Louis Vuitton stamps may appear black but are actually dark grey. Many counterfeit LV items have black stampings.
- 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.
- Most manufacturers utilise characteristic stitching in the construction of their goods. For example, Louis Vuitton utilises 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.
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. It is easy for someone with a trained eye to tell the two apart if you can see them side by side.
With authentic Chanel, the right-sided C within the logo design will always run over the top of the left-sided C, but only at the upper junction of the two letters. Also, Chanel only ever uses flat ‘slot’ type screws to fasten its logos to its bags.
- The Chanel logo is stitched into the leather on the inside flap of each handbag. The C-shapes should be sprung with a slightly raised profile.
- Counterfeit items usually display inferior workmanship, particularly in the stitching.
- Fakes tend to have incorrect detailing on the back pockets, including misaligned stitching on the quilting, or imperfections in the cut of the leather pocket patch.
