The moment finally happens.
You have come across a designer bag in the thrift store, but you don’t know how to authenticate it. Below I discuss some general things you should always look for when trying to quickly ID a designer bag as real or fake.
1. Feel
Feel the bag to see if it is made of high-quality leather or other materials. The leather won’t feel like stiff hard plastic of faux leather, it will be soft to the touch. Also, check the hardware like the zipper and any other detailing on the bag as well for a quality look.
Questions to ask:
- Is the piping off?
- Is the hardware on crooked
- Is the hardware, like the zippers or other metal accents chipping?
2. Origin
Where is the bag from? Most high-end designer bags hail from somewhere in Europe and will state that on the bag. If it says it it from China you may want to get a second opinion on the authenticity.
Questions to ask
- Where is this bag made?
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3. Check the logos
Make sure the logos actually say what they should say. Ensure that you aren’t really purchasing a ‘CUCCI OR GOACH’ Purse!
Questions to ask
- Is the logo on straight?
- Is the logo the correct name?
- Is the stitching on stratight?
4. Examine the stitching
Poor stitching is another sign of a fake bag. If the stitching is causing the leather on the bag to pucker or separate then it most like isn’t authentic. This also applies to the stitching on the inside of the bag as well.
Questions to ask
- Is the stitching neat?
- Is the stitching causing any part of the bag to pucker
5. Serial Numbers
While fake bags also carry serial numbers now, you should still check and make sure they are there. If it is a Gucci bag you can even look it up to check the bag’s validity.
If you have gone through all of these steps and are still having some doubts about the validity of a bag, then you may want to take it one step further and pay to have it professionally authenticated. One place that a lot of thrifters and sources go to is realauthentication.com
Another great option and one I use a lot myself if you don’t want to pay to have another pair of eyes on your find is to join a Facebook thrifting group like ours. You can easily post photos and get answers as to if you should purchase or not.
What other tips would you give someone trying to authenticate a bag?
I placed all of these tips and more in my 8-page quick-start guide for resellers, it also includes
- 9 Things every reseller should have on-hand
- 10 things every reseller should know
- A designer bag authentication tool
- Questions to ask yourself prior to sourcing an item
- Stain Chart
- Thrifting Essentials Checklist
You can download it here
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