To authenticate or not to authenticate, that is the question

[fashion16]

I am in the market for a birkin after getting lucky with an authentic Kelly in great condition authenticated by bababebi.

I am now looking for a B30 or B35 and it got me thinking.

Do you authenticate no matter what? What if the seller was someone reputable like Docride or SandiaExchange? Is this one of those things that you authenticate no matter what?

Hermes bought on Fashionphile, a random seller on eBay or TRR, I totally get it but what if the seller is known as a top notch Hermes seller? Do you bother?

 

[QuelleFromage]

I am usually 95% comfortable to authenticate a bag myself... but still usually authenticate higher-priced bags with bababebi unless I purchased from the boutique. There are a few reasons for this:

1) It reinforces not just authenticity but other details of the bag, as even excellent resellers get colors and leathers wrong, and honestly this is not that rare (I am thinking of a couple bags at large auction houses right now)
2) It gives me a certificate should I ever wish to sell or donate a bag, and helps with insurance
3) At this point, I have reviewed many, many counterfeit bags, and I am sorry to say that a few have been "good" enough to fool just about anyone. I have seen Hermès SAs fawn over fake bags. The more opinions, then, the better.
4) Bags that one would think would not be faked (vintage Box for instance) absolutely are.

Given the price of these bags, it is a small cost. JMO.

 

[textilegirl]

I am usually 95% comfortable to authenticate a bag myself... but still usually authenticate higher-priced bags with bababebi unless I purchased from the boutique. There are a few reasons for this:

1) It reinforces not just authenticity but other details of the bag, as even excellent resellers get colors and leathers wrong, and honestly this is not that rare (I am thinking of a couple bags at large auction houses right now)
2) It gives me a certificate should I ever wish to sell or donate a bag, and helps with insurance
3) At this point, I have reviewed many, many counterfeit bags, and I am sorry to say that a few have been "good" enough to fool just about anyone. I have seen Hermès SAs fawn over fake bags. The more opinions, then, the better.
4) Bags that one would think would not be faked (vintage Box for instance) absolutely are.

Given the price of these bags, it is a small cost. JMO.

ITA, period. For me, the peace of mind is well worth the price on such an expensive item, especially since, as you may have gathered from my comments on your thread, I sometimes ’wing it’

 

[Love Of My Life]

Since the onset of "AAA" fakes that are circulating in the marketplace, would consider authenticating
the bag without question.
Any reputable seller/dealer would want that for their client or should want that for their client
in an expensive transaction as well as for themselves.
At the end of the day, peace of mind has no price tag when one is dealing with a handbag in that
price point, JMO

 

[tlilrascal]

I usually get my bags authenticated by bababebi. Although Fashionphile is reputable and has a good return policy, they do get things incorrect. I recently bought a bag from Fashionphile which is authentic. However, Fashionphile had the color and leather and even the year of manufacture listed incorrectly. Doesn't hurt to get a little extra reinsurance when you're paying that much for a bag.

 

[Midge Maisel]

I cannot imagine spending what it costs to buy a secondhand B or K and not getting it authenticated.