Authentic Louis Vuitton
 

Okay I am wondering how you can determine a real authentic Louis Vuitton bag from a fake. My friend was bidding on a few bags on ebay, but someone would always outbid her because she didnt want to pay too much. Well a seller noticed her, so she emailed her and told her she would sell her an authentic louis vuitton bag for only 150- my friend negotiated with her and got her to sell it for 110. She told me the bag came in yesterday, and she LOVES it. She said the lady told her she had a small bucket purse as well, which is what I want. I am considering buying it from this lady after I see my friend's.

So, my question is.... How can you determine the difference between a fake and a real Louis Vuitton. I just think that this purse MUST be fake because the bucket is selling for 150 when it retails for like 680!!!:eek:

I'm not sure how you can physically tell if a bag is real or not. One thing you can do is look at the seller's ebay ratings. Many of the handbag buyers can tell if the bag is fake. If the person has a lot of negative ratings because they sold fake Louis Vuitton bag under the pretenses that it was real, don't buy for them!
I'm not sure how these sellers get these bags for so cheap. I've heard varying stories. One of the most popular is that a department store (let's just say Bloomingdale's) was unable to sell the bag for some reason. They will sell it to the ebay person for a lower price which is how you can get these less expensive bags. It could be that a department store ordered too much inventory and sold off their extras to the ebay person. Or, it could be that it was taken off the back of the truck (five-finger merchandise :D ).

Hello,
I would check the inside of the purse for the label (Louis Vuitton) and also look at the material/fabric inside the purse which will sometimes have the signature name (at least Prada does). If you are still not sure take the purse to a Sak's Fifth Avenue or similiar store that sells the name brand purse so they can check it out and tell you if it's fake or not.
Good Luck!
~T~:)

Heh-Heh. I use to work in handbags at Bloomingdale's and, to tell you the truth, there are some fakes that are done so well that we can't even tell the difference.
One of our vendors for Fendi was telling us about how she was at a wedding one time. A woman at her table appeared to have a Fendi bag. The vendor checked it out and then said to the woman, "I see you have a Fendi. I'm actually a vendor for the company." The woman with the 'Fendi' laughed and said, "Actually, this is a cheap knock off that I bought for $15 from some guy on the corner in New York." So, many of the times the people that work for these companies can't even tell. You have to be a real handbag afficianado (sp?) to be able to tell.

Hey, bucutie02, are you getting one of the bags with the new rainbow-colored pattern?

If you like I say it doesn't matter. But keep in mind as Mom always said...if it looks too good to be true well then....

Just a thought, but shouldn't this have gone under the chit chat forum and not rush? Let's keep our threads in the right places!

But just so you know, if it happens to be one of the multicolored Louis's that you are ordering on ebay, then its fake. Every Louis Vuitton store across the world has these bags on severe back order with the waiting lists in the thousands. No department store has even been franchised to sell these bags yet, so I would say that 99.9% of those bags on ebay are fake. If you are referring to the older brown version though, you are looking at a much better chance of a real bag. Here are a few ways to tell a real from a fake in the brown monogram bags:
1. The leather should be very soft, and (obviously) real leather.
2. The inner lining should be a very soft almost velvety cream colored material with a louis vuitton label in it.
3. Look carefully at the strap. Between the two pieces of brown leather should be a small strip of red.
4. THe larger bags have small metal base stands that are gold and about a quarter of an inch in the corners.
5. It should come in a louis vuitton dustbag.

I bought a bag off the street in NY and everyone compliments me on it. They think it's a designer bag. I have no idea how to determine if a Louis Vuitton bag is fake or real.

I ran into the same predicament with Tiffany's jewelry. Some of the fakes out there are so exact, it's almost impossible to tell the difference. I've looked at Louis' on Ebay too, and I would guarantee almost all of them are fake. I say, if the price is too good to pass up, and no one will be able to tell, go for it!

I've got a knock-off Kate Spade handbag. I absolutely love it. While I know it's a knock-off, most people don't and you have to look closely to tell it's not the real thing. I say, if you like the bag, get it.
You're right, if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't. But at the same time, you aren't going to get a Louis Vuitton purse cheap, and if you like the look or style of the bag, you should get it, no one else will probably know it's not real.

Courtney

You don't think the fake bag manufacturers aren't savvy enough to make the fake look enough like a real one? Especially with a classic design like the Louis Monogram Canvas...they've had decades to perfect that one! When I lived in Rome, there was very little way to distinguish between what you could buy in the Gucci shop and what the Senegalese peddlers at the Pantheon were selling. Why, just yesterday I passed by a counterfeit bag seller with the Louis--and they were all in dustbags. I can't imagine that all of those bags were hot...

I saw a girl carrying a LV "Murakami" (the multicolored ones) the other day. I had to laugh because I'm 99.9999% sure its a fake. Even Oprah can't get one of those bags!

There is a great website that Steeltrap posted a while ago that helps to determine fakes...I cannot for the life of me find it. Anybody have the link?

I'm not an expert by any means, but my best friend who is a big fan has told me that on the brown monogram bags, the LV monogram will never be cut. Like it will never be on the corner of the bag so they have to cut the monogram in order to sew it together. Of course, she doesn't have a real one either ;) so she may not know what she's talking about!

Honestly why pretend you're something you're not?

I respect girls who don't wear fake purses, cheap items from tiffany with the tags, and don't call their 3 class BMW the "Bimmer".

-Rudey

I always thought it was funny how the "Tiffany and Co." tag jewelry--by far the most ostentatious jewelry in the entire store--was also the cheapest. People get played all the time and don't even realize it.

This is true on monogrammed items.

I agree. Having an LV doesn't make you a better person, so unless you can afford the real thing why bother? I think fakes are tacky.

Another thing about real LV monogram handbags -- the leather strap gets darker over time, and fake ones don't. I can spot most fakes a mile away. My favorite lately are the fake Coach logo shoes and handbags where the C almost looks like a G. It's like the people couldn't tell if they wanted fake Coach or Gucci, so they compromised. :rolleyes:

It can also be easy to spot fake Kate Spades. There is a website somewhere (I will post if I can find it again) that shows patterns that are always fake, and there are tons of them -- if your Kate Spade has people (I think there's one exception) or fruit it is fake -- stuff like that. It's an interesting site, so I'll look for it. It's also pretty easy to tell from the lettering on the "Kate Spade New York" label and stitching.

i feel bad, but i have to laugh at the people that buy the fake coach ones. they are so easy to tell that they are fake, since they do look like a G.

Actually, Gucci did come out with their own signature bag with G's on it which is similar to the Coach signature with the C's. I think Gucci had the original concept so the bags with the G's are somewhat older. Can someone correct me if I'm wrong?

www.ihatecounterfeitbags.info. That's the KS authentication site, which was a great tool for me.

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!! That's it! :)

I went on a retreat this past weekend, and a girl there had LV luggage.....it was very, very pretty!

On another note, wow! When I see a girl carrying a fake handbag, it really shakes up my world :rolleyes:

that site is pretty hilarious, people try to pass of some heinously UGLY bags that look like they have cheap wal-mart fabric on them as Kate Spades!! although I did think the one fake ribbon tie bag was kinda cute.:p

edited to add: I buy all my bags from TJ Maxx, so I don't know much about what's authentic or not.

Oh, they're TERRIBLE! I wonder who they think they're fooling!

I've never bought a fake bag, but I see them all over the place. Some imitations are better than others, but all are still pretty cheesy.

You're welcome. And here are a couple of Hermes sites. Not that any of us are rolling in Hermes caiche, but still, if that Birkin on eBay is cheap, it's prolly too good to be true:

http://www.geocities.com/nepherisis/fakehermes1.html
http://www.geocities.com/nepherisis/realhermes.html

About a two years ago, those Tiffany and Co. necklaces and bracelets were a sorority girl staple here on campus. Every girl had them.

Go to www.mypoupette.com It's website on fake Louis Vuitton purses.

But to be honest, usually when a deal is too good to be true, it usually is. That bucket style that you're looking at retails for around $540. I can't tell because LV keeps raising their prices.

Also, I own an authentic Murakami LV Bag. I have the Cherry Blossom Papillon, and I got mine in March. I guess I got on the waiting list early. The fakes are rampant here in DC though.

OK, so I'm with you on the first two, but why can't the 3-class be a Bimmer? It's not fake...

Hey, don't make fun--I have one of those! :p My cousin picked it up for me in New York. I really like it--it matches everything! I'm glad to tell people it's fake, though...I'd rather they think I like fake handbags than have them think I'd drop $500+ on a damn purse.

I agree with Achtungbaby, if you like the style and know it's a fake, what's the problem? There are a lot of designer styles I like, but there's no way I can pay hundreds of dollars on a purse that's going to be out of fashion in a few months. Besides, people around here probably wouldn't know the difference anyway. There's not a Louis Vuitton store for 300+ miles.

I prefer to go for the "inspired by" look than an out and out fake. I guess a fake LV classic is one thing, because they're so abundant, but the Murakami bags are so rare, most of the time anyone in the know is going to think "who is she kidding"

I guess my problem with it is just that I think it's tacky. To me, it's one of those things like pantyhoes with open toed shoes or a cash bar at a wedding -- it's just not done.

Yup, they're selling them at Payless too for $19.99. I think the fake ones some people call Manonos.

Right on! :D To me, fakes aren't tacky...if they're good ones, that is! Mine has "Louis Vuitton" on the inside and it came in an LV dustbag and everything. If I'm going to spend big bucks, I'll spend it on something that lasts a little longer, like jewelry. ;)

I agree with this but think there's more. I also think that it's ridiculous when people say they like the design. So you like having a bag with L's and V's splattered all over it? Why those two letters?? Or you like simple black bags with a little tag that say Kate Spade? Let me guess...you like how "Kate Spade" looks. Hell you're naming your kid Kate Spade because you think her birth certificate will look even nicer.

I'm betting people with these fakes like portraying a certain image. At the end of the day, if someone asks about the bag they will let them know it's fake because they don't want to be found out as a liar as well.

-Rudey

HA!

I'm not against fake bags, but I don't use them myself. Not because I'm a snob or anything, but I don't really see the point? People can tell fake bags... and to me, I'd rather not "pretend" to be or have something thats not me. And some are just plain TACKY! Some are damn good, though. But, the really GOOD fakes I see are still REALLY expensive! The best fakes I've seen have been like $300. Why not just buy the REAL bag if you're willing to spend that much? But, the really bad fakes... why bother at all?

My favorite bag in the world is my Gucci tan/brown Jackie O bag that I bought last summer with some of my waitress money. I WANTED that bag and loved the idea of having a real "grown up" bag that I'd have forever. Plus, I felt good about spending MY own money to buy it. I wear it almost every day and it goes with almost everything and it's just a timeless purse. Amazing quality, great style, classy, elegant and it will never go out of style.

I had been on a waitlist since January for a Murakami bag. I was on the list in DC, Beverly Hills, Scottsdale and San Fran. As soon as they were released (April-ish), I got a call from the San Fran store. I had wanted the white pochette with the colored monogram. But, they confused the order and sent me the pochette with the pink cherry blossoms and the ADORABLE bow. I LOVE it so much more than the super trendy white ones. I feel like a white purse is so seasonal too. Don't get me wrong, they're super cute! But I'll get much more use out of my bag. It's the natural LV color with the pink blossom painted on. So, it's the classic pochette with a little something to spice it up. It's not as common as the white one either. I paid for half of it and my parents paid for the rest as a late birthday present. I don't know, I guess when I buy it with my own money, I don't feel as guilty about shelling out more money. I EARNED that bag... I deserve it. :)

To me, I'd rather spend my own money on a real bag that I'll have forever than buy a fake one of lower quality that might only last me through summer. I'm willing to spend more on a great bag because I know it'll last me as long as I need it to. Same with sunglasses. And if anything happens? I take it to the store and the repairs are great!

I guess there's just something about owning a status piece that makes me feel good. :)

My senior year of high school, I saved up the money I earned working at Wendy's to buy a Gucci purse. I loved that purse so much and carried it for a good ten years. Sure, I didn't need a $120.00 bag, and maybe some people thought I was a sucker for buying one, but it made me happy and it wasn't hurting anyone so why not?

IHeartAXO, your LV sounds so pretty!!!

PS: One more thing as long as I have you all here :D Bags like the Gucci Tibi stole (j/k, Tibi :) ) from her mom, the brown LV monograms, the Hermes Kelly or some of the more understated Coaches; to me they are beautiful and well made bags that transcend fashion. Ten years from now, when you see a KS Sam or Fendi baguette you will automatically think, "2001". But there are some bags that will remain classics. Just my two cents! :)

Maybe it's all in how your carry it off....an example from yesterday.

I was at the mall and see this busted looking woman - mullet, Loony Toons t-shirt, spandex shorts, the whole nine yards carrying an "LV." Now come on! Like it's real? And if it was by some chance, the money would have been better spent on a haircut. Mullets are cheap imitations of long hair, which is far, far worse than any fake purse.