Zeko’s Latest Blogpost on Japanese Vintage Chanel Market - Thoughts?

[hikarupanda]

I came across this blog post by Zeko Authentication yesterday:

https://zekosauthentication.com/blo...recy-of-japan-s-chanel-vintage-market-1000027

I felt uneasy after reading it because I do have two vintage Chanel I got 3-4 years ago, one from Amore and one from Qoo (both are famous and big). Looks like at least one of the suspects Zeko was talking about is Amore…

I did get both bags authenticated. The camera bag I got from Qoo was authenticated by Etinceler, and the cross body half moon flap from Amore was authenticated by Authenticate4U.

Should I be worried as now I’m like do I also need Zeko to do a second authentication?

 

[Love Of My Life]

Etinceler & A4U are both well regarded authenticators although Etinceler is no longer
authenticating Chanel as they have closed down their business I believe
If it will put your mind at ease, by all means do so, but don't think it is necessary but
they are your bags & at the end of the day it is your call.. JMO

 

[hikarupanda]

Etinceler & A4U are both well regarded authenticators although Etinceler is no longer
authenticating Chanel as they have closed down their business I believe
If it will put your mind at ease, by all means do so, but don't think it is necessary but
they are your bags & at the end of the day it is your call.. JMO

Yea, I know they are both reputable, I was sad when Etinceler closed down.

 

[papertiger]

I came across this blog post by Zeko Authentication yesterday:

https://zekosauthentication.com/blo...recy-of-japan-s-chanel-vintage-market-1000027

I felt uneasy after reading it because I do have two vintage Chanel I got 3-4 years ago, one from Amore and one from Qoo (both are famous and big). Looks like at least one of the suspects Zeko was talking about is Amore…

I did get both bags authenticated. The camera bag I got from Qoo was authenticated by Etinceler, and the cross body half moon flap from Amore was authenticated by Authenticate4U.

Should I be worried as now I’m like do I also need Zeko to do a second authentication?

Zero seems not to be talking about just a simple case of authenticity. It's more about tampering with authentic bags to make them sell for better prices by presenting features which they never had or being dishonest within descriptions.

 

[hikarupanda]

Zero seems not to be talking about just a simple case of authenticity. It's more about tampering with authentic bags to make them sell for better prices by presenting features which they never had or being dishonest within descriptions.

That’s true, which also sounds worrisome because I don’t know if an authenticator, even the reputable ones, can really tell all the signs of any tampering simply by looking at photos…

 

[papertiger]

That’s true, which also sounds worrisome because I don’t know if an authenticator, even the reputable ones, can really tell all the signs of any tampering simply by looking at photos…

If they know their history they can!

 

[pursekitten]

I came across this blog post by Zeko Authentication yesterday:

https://zekosauthentication.com/blo...recy-of-japan-s-chanel-vintage-market-1000027

I felt uneasy after reading it because I do have two vintage Chanel I got 3-4 years ago, one from Amore and one from Qoo (both are famous and big). Looks like at least one of the suspects Zeko was talking about is Amore…

I did get both bags authenticated. The camera bag I got from Qoo was authenticated by Etinceler, and the cross body half moon flap from Amore was authenticated by Authenticate4U.

Should I be worried as now I’m like do I also need Zeko to do a second authentication?

Thank you so much for the share!

I have a vintage 3-series lambskin CF with GHW from Brand Off Ginza, so I got a little worried while reading this article.

My bag was authenticated with Etinceler (back when they were still authenticating) and again by a local vintage shop via Entropy for insurance appraisal, and the bag came back as authentic both times.

I trust Brand Off implicitly after such a great experience, but now everything is sus.

This is just sad.

 

[elaineiwhite]

I have always felt that something was off with the vintage Chanel bags from Japan. There are too many classic flaps in really nice condition for their age.

 

[rosecats]

I have seen listings where the serial stickers are scratched, some obviously do not match the date of make of bag, which I thought was odd, but again assuming it is all legit. Perhaps there are very old damaged bags, and they reuse/recycle hardware and serial stickers from those to other bags with just the damaged hardware parts/missing stickers/cards to make them sellable .

 

[zekos_Authentication]

My role as an authenticator goes beyond merely examining bag details like stamps, maker's mark, and logos. While such features are easily identifiable by most authentication services, especially for vintage items, there is much more details that are usually overlooked. I pay close attention to stitches, specific angles highlighting authenticity details, interior colors under various lighting conditions, and hardware reflections with or without a flashlight.

One such nuanced detail is the hologram sticker. If you know how to interpret it, it reveals a lot. For specific bags, I expect certain digits that correlate with the details I mentioned. If they align, I proceed to a deeper inspection of the hologram, checking for tampering signs. Having been in this field for 18 years, spotting irregularities is second nature to me.

While I personally wouldn't fuss over a tampered sticker as a buyer—perhaps even removing it—my clients deserve full transparency. If they were to send a bag with a tampered sticker to Chanel for servicing and the sticker doesn't match their records, Chanel would reject it. And faced with a conflict, would the customer trust me or Chanel? Therefore, I always flag any known tampering.

Recently, I've observed a surge in such issues in Japan. While not selling outright counterfeits, some tampering instances are so severe that the bag can't be considered genuine. For a deeper look into this topic, I recommend reading my blog, "What's Inside Your Red Bordeaux.”

I'd like to clarify that my article focuses exclusively on the counterfeiting of vintage items in Japan. While some have attempted to divert the topic elsewhere, I hold immense respect for Japan and its people. My intention was only to highlight an observed issue within their luxury market, one of many topics that I always investigate and shed light upon.

 

[maria.h]

I would suggest to do Zeko authentication detailed analysis check for Chanel Vintage bags especially those sourced from Japanese market, as well as bring your Vintage bag to local Chanel boutique for after-service.
I found a Chanel vintage bag from Amore Vintage Japan with serial that has been tampered (i.e. evidence of Chanel boutique video evidence, Zeko analysis, original product of serial stamp which is a wallet). Despite the facts and claims presented to Amore Vintage Japan, this particular company still refused to refund for undisclosed bag tampering. This company asserted that Chanel serial number database to register item does not exist.. and also blatantly stated incorrect argument that 00P code as 2000 spring collection.
Apparently, many Chanel bags that currently listed for sale in Amore Vintage Japan website have been proven with false serial stamp (i.e. serial stamp that actually belongs to small leather goods/SLGs).
By tampering SLG sticker and move it to beautiful vintage condition bags with damaged serial stickers, they can inflate the resale value of these tampered authentic bags. There are many people, willing to pay high for top notch condition Chanel vintage bags. This practice is definitely unethical.
I believe the misconduct, at least on the serial tampering, has been going on for a while. The bag in this claim was purchased in 2022, indicating that this malpractice has already happened at least in the recent years. It is likely that there are a vast number of Chanel vintage bags out there with serial tampering that may have been bought by uninformed individuals.
Zeko's blog and this post in this thread is to raise this awareness about this misconduct

 

[YEANETT]

I came across this blog post by Zeko Authentication yesterday:

https://zekosauthentication.com/blo...recy-of-japan-s-chanel-vintage-market-1000027

I felt uneasy after reading it because I do have two vintage Chanel I got 3-4 years ago, one from Amore and one from Qoo (both are famous and big). Looks like at least one of the suspects Zeko was talking about is Amore…

I did get both bags authenticated. The camera bag I got from Qoo was authenticated by Etinceler, and the cross body half moon flap from Amore was authenticated by Authenticate4U.

Should I be worried as now I’m like do I also need Zeko to do a second authentication?

Personally I would! You already had that unease feeling, my advice is always listen to your instinct. These are luxury items, they are worth an extra source of authentication and your piece of mind.

 

[hikarupanda]

Personally I would! You already had that unease feeling, my advice is always listen to your instinct. These are luxury items, they are worth an extra source of authentication and your piece of mind.

Regarding sticker tampering that won’t apply to my bag from Qoo since the sticker of that bag is actually lost due to the bag’s age (the sticker came off). It’s the one from Amore I’m more concerned with given this recent story about Amore’s bags… but it sounds like for now, the buyer and Zeko still couldn’t get a refund from Amore. I wonder how that will be resolved…

 

[Tatownz]

I few years ago (I believe in 2018) I bought a vintage chanel make up case from a well known Japanese consignment store on ebay. The case they advertised was different to the one that was sent to me (the serial number received was different to the listing) but the 'authenticity card' number matched the one I received. However something was just off, it didnt feel vintage, it was in extremely near new condition for a vintage case, the caviar was still very puffy, corners are perfect and the smell of the leather smelt off. I requested a return but the seller refused due to outside the return period. I ended up contacting my credit card requesting a charge back and submitted all the information to my bank. Not long after, the seller contacted me and approved the return for a refund. I no longer browse Japanese consignment stores online since as I don't want to question the authenticity of an item.

 

[SohoChic]

I just purchased a 2000 - 2001 Chanel black medium double flap. Full set including box from Amore YESTERDAY. I wish I first read this thread. My sister is traveling there and I wanted a vintage good quality double flap with full set. Did a lot of research and had them pull 6 bags for me. I then went through each via Facetime with my sister and choose the one I got. How can I tell fi the serial was tampered with ? It has the serial and card as well.