In larger cities like Toronto, Vancouver, London, Tokyo, LA or NYC its usually no problem to find a designer handbag for a fraction of the cost...but. Unfortunately, the rampant sale of fake or replica handbags is a popular money-maker for street vendors and flea-market merchants who really don't care who they have to trick in order to make an easy buck. If you purchased your designer Kate Spade handbag on a New York City street corner its 99% most likely not an original. Place of sale is the number one way to spot a real handbag. Here are three easy ways to pick out a replica or fake handbag:
If it doesn't look, feel and smell designer, chances are its NOT designer! - Designers like Coach and Chanel make the highest quality product on the market and it shows. That's why women are willing to dish out a months or more salary to get their hands on one. Therefore, an authentic designer handbag will appear perfect. The colors will be congruent (no fading or blending), the lining and the stitching will be free of flaws and an engraved or imprinted designer logo will appear somewhere on or inside the bag.
One thing you can always do if unsure is demand proof of authenticity - The most expensive designer handbags always come complete with an authenticity card or some kind. An authenticity card will feature the company logo with either a serial # or a magnetic bar code registered to the designer. Ask to see this before opening your wallet, or if you are buying online contact the seller (if it is an auction) or the website itself and ask them to scan and email you this authenticity.
The price is to good to be true - If Juicy Couture bags were cheap, every woman on the planet would own five and/or nine of them. Thats why if the price sounds too good to be true...it probably is.