Whenever I see these little video guides- I just think to myself, why didn’t they get someone on there who knows what they are talking about. This is Molly Wood for CNet- Spotting Designer Knockoffs Online. “How To Tell Phonies From The Real McCoy!“  CBS’s put it on their morning show.  It was in response to the $61 million Louis Vuitton v eBay decision.  For example, here is the first hint on their website:

“… Louis Vuitton bags have five stitches across the top, the snaps all say Louis Vuitton, the color is specific. What should the zipper look like? Look for lots of clear, detailed photos with the listings. “     

(Which is partly true…. SOME Louis Vuitton bags have only five stitches across the top of the leather tab– the traditional monogram Speedys for example.  This is NOT true of all bags.  Some vintage bags do NOT have Louis Vuitton on the hardware.  Yes, look at the zipper and make sure it’s the right style for that bag.  And I agree, make sure there are good, detailed pictures.)

Hey, at least it isn’t as bad as my favorite worst video guide of all time.  Check it out if you haven’t.  It’s HILARIOUS!!! 

And, Molly… if you need a hand with one of those videos- give me a ring! You know I’d be happy to help you out.

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The Louis Vuitton v. eBay decision that is.  It should be here on the 30th- tomorrow that is.

Are you ready?

After that amazing Candadian decision- $1 million for a fairly small fashion store (with only a couple locations)… and the $30,000 eBay had to pay Hermes last month after a decision against them in a French court for allowing 3 (yes, three) fake Hermes on the site…  I’m DYING to hear what the French Courts are going to say in the Louis Vuitton lawsuit against eBay Inc.

Louis Vuitton, et al, is seeking 51 million Euro ($80 MILLION) in damages for negligence and the illicit sales of counterfeit bags on their site.

(As an aside- as someone who’s been on eBay since 1999, I will say that eBay has done a pretty good job in the last couple years at getting, I’d estimate 95% LESS fake Louis Vuitton listed on the site than they did years ago…

There was a day when the vast, vast majority of the Louis Vuitton bags listed on the site were fake.  Now, the opposite is true.)

This is the part that scares me…

Part of the decision will answer perfume brands Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy and Kenzo who have an issue with eBay even when they allow AUTHENTIC goods to be listed.  They claim that even this is illegal because these companies hold tight control on their distribution chains and ONLY permit specialist, authorized dealers to sell their goods.

I can’t wait…

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We’ve been asked about this before, so I thought you might want a good close-up.

Notice the subtle differences. The authentic Louis Vuitton Judy Blame Limited Edition Denim Cabas Raye Pleaty patch pictured above has:

1. really rounded, even embossed font- the o’s, a’s and e’s are circular, not oval in shape
2. even and regular stitching
3. the same stitch count on every bag: thirteen stitches across the top and bottom and eight stitches down each side
4. tall “d” in the word “Edition”- it’s slightly taller than the capital E
5. tall “l” in the word “Blame- it’s slightly taller than the capital B
6. notice that in this font, the letter “u” has no tail

Compare these features to the patch in a replica Judy Blame Cabas Raye Pleaty:

It differs from the authentic patch in that:

1. the font is too large on a patch that is too small for the bag
2. the o’s, a’s and e’s are too oval in shape- should be circular
3. the stitch count is off… ten stitches by seven instead of thirteen by eight
4. the “itt” in Vuitton should be closer together
5. the spacing is off, and uneven- see “Louis”- the “Lou” are spaced wider than the “uis”, the “P” in “Paris” is too far from the “aris”
6. the “u”s should have no tail- the font in this patch has a tail on the u
7. the R in ® should be larger in relation to the circle

Another fake embossing patch:

 Although this patch has picked up on the circular o’s, a’s and e’s… it’s off in many ways:

1. the lowercase letters are too big in relation to the capital letters- notice the “a” in Paris next to the “P”
2. the red coating on the outside edge of the patch is too red
3. the stitch count is off
4. the spacing is irregular and off
5. notice the little half stitch- stitching is irregular
6. font is wrong

Hope this is helpful… if you’d like any other side by sides- or more detailed explanations, be sure to request them.

The replicas are getting more and more accurate- be careful buying online.

Check my guides for more authenticity help.  We not only want you to buy from us- but we want you to be able to avoid fakes wherever you might be buying…

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This is hilarious.  I don’t usually critique people’s guides- because the people who write them are usually just trying to help people out.

Expert Village, on the other hand is obviously just trying to make some money (and who isn’t) but how hard would it have been to get some real information (and maybe even a real expert) in the video.

My three favorite lines?  (There are more- this video is a classic!) 

1.  After explaining the registration card in a Prada bag, she says,

    “So if someone asks you, ‘hey, is this bag real or fake’ you can say, ‘oh, I watched this “how to” video, and yeah, it is real because I have my card!”

2.  After explaining that fake Coach bags have “circles” all over them (not “C’s”)… she shows a simple Coach leather wallet- that is not in the signature (monogram C) style, and says, 

    “For example, this bag is Coach, but it doesn’t say (sic), have the C’s all the way around it.  So most likely, a boutique (?) is not going to try to imitate this, because they want to try to sell the most fashionable thing.”

3.  In closing, after sharing those two tips (if it has a registration card, it’s real- and any bag that isn’t signature/monogram is real), she says:

    ”Pretty much, that’s how you tell a real bag from a fake.” 

****  Just in clarification:

1.  The paper work that comes with a bag (receipts, tags, registration cards, etc.) is often faked better than the fake bag itself.  I’ve seen receipts with watermarks, and other very close copies. Don’t rely on these items alone for authentication

2.  Counterfeiters don’t discriminate in what they fake.  The rip-off cosmetic bags, wallets, limited edition pieces in monogram, all leather, canvas- you name it. 

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