Conduct the Smell Test on Leather Bags

To make sure that the leather handbag you want to buy is authentic, you can conduct the smell test on it. You probably know how a brand new leather jacket smells, or a new car with leather seats; your bag should smell similar. If the handbag you're considering is made out of pleather or another synthetic leather, it won't have the fresh new leather smell. You should not be paying premium, designer prices for a bag that is made of fake leather. So, if your leather handbag doesn't have that new leather smell then it probably isn't authentic.

Authentic Gucci Handbags

There are many important things to look for when making sure the Gucci handbag you are purchasing is authentic. First of all, you should always purchase from a reputable seller so you can be sure the bag is authentic. But if you are purchasing from eBay or another website or seller, look closely at the bag before agreeing to purchase. You should pay special attention to the stitching around the edges of a purse. An authentic Gucci bag will have high quality, fine stitching around the bag while a fake one will probably have rough, uneven stitching. If you are unsure as to whether or not the Gucci bag you're buying is authentic or not, go to a reputable Gucci retailer, study the bag you want closely, and then take another look at the bag in question. Are all the labels in the same place? Is everything spelled correctly? You need to pay close attention to all these details to make sure your Gucci handbag is authentic.

Buy Your Handbag From The Source

You've probably seen many designer handbags for much cheaper than the usual retail price, whether on Ebay or through a private seller. While the low prices are extremely appealing, how will you know if the handbag is authentic or not? There are many things you can look at to determine that the handbag is authentic depending on the bag, but the only way to be 100% sure your bag is real is to buy the handbag from the source. If you're really dying for the latest Gucci purse, go to a Gucci store or by the bag from Gucci's website. You may have to spend a bit more, but at least you'll know your handbag is the real deal.

When Purchasing Handbags, Look For Extras

When you're purchasing a designer handbag off eBay or other websites, look for the extras they are giving you with the sale of the bag. For instance, does your designer handbag come with a dust bag? Does it come with a box, packaging, or authenticity card? If the bag doesn't come with these extras, chances are it's not real. Even if the bag does come with packaging and cards, you should still be careful as fakers are learning to reproduce even these extras. When buying on eBay, ask the seller for pictures of each of the extras and compare them to the real thing. If the extras all match up to the authentic extras and everything is spelled correctly, chances are that your handbag is authentic.

Post Pics of the Handbag in Question Online

If you've ever done a search for authentic handbags online, you have probably found that there is a huge community of people determined to outsmart the fakers and only buy authentic handbags. The great thing about this is that most people are willing to help their fellow handbag shoppers. There are many sites and member forums that allow you to post pictures of your potential new bag and allow others to comment on whether or not they think it's real and why. If you're considering purchasing a bag, it's probably a good idea for you to post its picture on one of these sites so you can hear other expert opinions. There are also slightly more entertaining sites such as The Bag Lady's Who Are They Kidding? forum where obvious fakes are posted and then commented on. Remember the handbag shopping community is extremely large and most people want to help their fellow shoppers out, so when in doubt about the authenticity of a bag, don't be afraid to ask.

Make Sure the Brand is Spelled Correctly

When purchasing an authentic designer handbag, make sure that the brand name is spelled correctly on the bag. Many sellers of fake bags will design a very similar bag to the original and then spell the brand name on the label incorrectly. For instance, on some fake Burberry bags instead of writing "Burberry" on the label, the fake bag will say "Burberrys" Or a fake "Gucci" will say "Gucce" The reason sellers of fake bags do this is because it is illegal to copy designer purses and pass them off as authentic. If they spell the name on the bag incorrectly, they can claim that they weren't trying to fool the buyer. As the buyer, you need to be smart and be able to tell if the seller is trying to fool you.