Buying wholesale handbags and purses can often give you access to the latest handbag and purse designs, getting designer handbag options at prices well below retail averages. But since knockoffs abound, how can you be sure the fashion handbags you’re getting are authentic? Here are a few tips to help you weed out fakes:
- Double-Check Spellings
Our brains rearrange letters in misspelled words, allowing us to read them. But when you’re buying what you think is a designer bag, slow down and truly read letter by letter. Often, two similar letters will be switched in the middle of word, and most people wouldn’t even notice.
- Do a Smell Test
Take a good whiff. Does the bag smell like leather, or like chemicals and glue? If the latter is true, you’ve probably got a fake on your hands.
- Quality-Test Hardware
Zippers and clasps should open and close smoothly, with almost no effort. Any metal pieces should match, be secured with something other than glue and hold up to a scratch test with a fingernail.
- Scrutinize Stitching
Stitching on real bags should be regular (meaning all stiches are the same size) and straight. No seams should have visible glue.
- Look at Linings
A high-quality bag will be lined in a material that’s just as luxurious as the outer material. If you rub the lining together and it sounds like paper or a plastic tablecloth, that’s a bad sign.
- Check Serial Numbers
Not all designer bags have serial numbers, but many do. Research whether a certain bag is supposed to have a serial number on the inside tag.
- Ask the Seller
Some sellers will be honest about selling fakes (since some people don’t mind knockoffs). If a seller tells you a bag is real and you later find out otherwise, you should notify authorities; designer knockoffs are actually a thriving industry within the black market.
If your bag passes all these tests, then congrats! You’ve probably just gotten a great bargain.
Do you have any other tips on recognizing fake wholesale handbags and purses? Share your thoughts in the comments.