Can you spot fakes?

LemonDrop

LemonDrop

a Fendi bag and a bad attitude
O.G.
Jul 5, 2007
5,656
11,052
#1
I can't. Unless it is screaming FAKE ... Like it is a Balenciaga City bag covered in LV's or something. My only experience with most of these bags is seeing them on tPF. And regretfully, the women at my work find it a thrill to find the best fake at the cheapest price. So the majority of what I see irl is fake.

I was just hoping that I am not the only tPF'er with a big love of bags but a lack of knowledge to spot whats real. I cringe when I tell someone I love their bag and it turns out to be fake.
 
#2
The worst fakes are easy to spot once you really start to look. Many of the ones I've seen have very poor quality leather - not soft and supple at all- very stiff. Also if you look at the hardware, zipper pulls and neatness of stitching or pattern it is a dead giveaway.

Beyond that it is funny to see fakes where they have created something that was never really made. I've seen that a lot with Gucci, Prada, LV - wrong shapes, wrong colors etc.

I actually do this for entertainment when I'm in the mall or standing in line somewhere - try to spot the fakes. There are so many of them here where I live. (NYC metro area)
 
#7
I would say I can tell half of the time if it's the brands that I'm familiar with like LV, Gucci, Prada and Chanel, but it's kind of hard to tell when you're looking at it from a distance on someone else. In fact, I've seen VERY quality fakes (not the $10 or $20 ones, but $100 or $200 ones).
 
#8
If i can see one close up (especially the inside) I can usually tell. I wish I could tell from a few feet away. I saw this girl carrying a Gucci Pelham which I have wanted for so long !!! But from 15 feet away I couldn't really tell if it was real or fake. I wished I knew. I don't want to be longing and drooling over some fake bag! :rolleyes:
 
#10
I had my first "DAYUM THATS A HELLA FAKE" experience today in Berkeley! There was a girl walking across Telegraph with a GNARLY Black plastic Stam, and she looked to the right to see if any cars were coming and I caught a glimpse of the MARC JACOBS nameplate on the OUTSIDE of the bag! I just about died! It was so fake, I just about crapped my pants!

PS: These are never on the outside of real MJ bags! NEVER!:nuts:
nameplate.jpg
 
#11
Sometimes yes, I can spot on the internet if an LV is fake, or if I have a chance to examine it. If I catch a quick glance of a bag or see it from really far away then I can't tell, unless the shape is really off. If an LV has a really fake patina or just looks wrong (wrong colour/shape/style), then I can tell. Otherwise I can't, I wouldn't be able to recognize a good replica without close inspection.
 
#13
In recent times the only fakes I've spotted instantly were glaringly bad fake Chloe Paddingtons. When you think about it though, if somebody is carrying a brilliant fake how would you know? Most normal people are highly unlikely to walk up to somebody carrying a suspect bag, and examine it in detail. I they did, the owner of the fake bag would probably hit them with it! They'd be quite entitled to as well, for such a gross invasion of privacy.
 
#14
You should be able to spot vinyl from leather....and most fakes are vinyl. And the logos that are plastered all over the bags are either the wrong color, missing colors or not placed right. Zippers are a good give-away. That is just the beginning,
 
#15
Since joining the pf my bag authenticating skills have gone through the roof (along with my collection). I would not be sure about spotting a fake if it was a brand that I was not familiar with but I can spot a fake Bal city from a mile away now it seems.
 
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