“Best thing to do is go off of the reputation and knowledge of the dealer and the information provided on a piece. Find the designer name and look up information about the piece on Google or eBay.” –S. Pierre Paret, Acme Mid-Century + Modern
“Inspect, inspect, inspect. If it’s old it will probably have holes these pieces have a life. Mend and repair pieces. Holes that are visible and stains that are visible, you can’t fix that; don’t get it. Only [purchase items where the] holes and stains that can be hidden. Take something to the cleaners to try to fix stains. Over an inch of a rip or tear on the seam, it’s OK. Over or not on seams, then it’s a no-go. Also a no-go if there are stains on suede or leather.” –Grant Harris, Image Granted
“If you’re not sure that a store has strict authentication procedures in place, the hallmarks of an obvious replica handbag include: stitching that is not absolutely perfect in all areas of the bag (including zipper pulls); missing date codes or serial numbers (don’t be afraid to ask the associates where they are if you don’t see them right away, sometimes they are hard to find); any leather or materials that are not very, very soft and luxurious; zippers, hardware and metal rivets that are not stamped with the brand name (depends on brand); cheap-looking interior lining; cheap-looking dust covers; and any logos, text and /or identifying marks associated with the brand that are crooked, not embossed when they should be or slightly “off.” For example, on a Chanel handbag, the CCs on replica Chanels usually do not cross over each other the correct way, or sometimes at all … on a real handbag the right “C” crosses the left “C” at the top of the emblem, and the left “C” crosses the right “C” at the bottom.” –Toni H. Lange, Mint Condition
