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The Best Source on the Web for Designer Handbag Authenticity
(Click on a designer image above to go directly to the guide for that designer)
Featured Article in Fashion Style
by Dale Guiducci
Authenticity Guide
General Information
Are the items on eStyleSense.com authentic?
Without a doubt the biggest issue you face as a consumer is whether or not you are buying an authentic designer item. eStyleSense.com has spent countless hours searching for reputable suppliers that we can trust. We have developed relationships with exporters in Italy, Spain and the U.K., and suppliers/importers in the U.S. Each of these suppliers guarantees that their items are 100% authentic. Therefore we are to be able to guarantee the quality, workmanship and authenticity of all our handbags and accessories.
In addition, we have educated ourselves about products made by the designers we carry. We have visited the designers stores and seen the knock offs at boutiques and elsewhere. There is a distinct difference that can easily be noticed if one does their homework and knows what to look for.
But don't just read what we have to say. Visit our Rave Reviews page and hear what our customers are saying about the quality, workmanship and authenticity of our handbags and accessories.
How can we sell genuine items at these low prices?
There are many explanations for this so please read on.
We’re an online store
We are an online store and by definition have a lower overhead, have fewer employees, are open 24 hours a day, and have a worldwide customer base. It is quite different for brick and mortar retailers who rely on foot traffic, pay a high rent to do so, and incur large advertising costs. Therefore, we typically can offer our items at a much lower price.
Overstock
Retail overstock- The supply chain for designer goods worldwide is very complex. Orders are placed by top tier retailers far in advance (4 to 6 months) of the line being shipped and put on the shelves. For this reason, buyers for the top tier retailers can only estimate sales volume for each style. If those styles do not sell before the next seasons items come in, they are taken from the shelves. They are then typically sold to agents who have established relationships with wholesalers and companies like ours.
Evidence of the enormity and value of this stage of the supply chain is the recent announcement by Neiman Marcus that they will attempt to sell their own overstock merchandise. According to a report by InternetRetailer.com, the new site will sell the multi-channel retailer’s liquidated merchandise. "Through the creation of a separate web site, we will sell end-of-season and past season clearance merchandise as a way to more efficiently liquidate inventory", the company says in a recent SEC filing. "Rather than sell excess and unwanted inventory to an outside third party, Neiman Marcus, No. 37 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites, believes it can a do a better job internally", says Jim Okamura, senior partner at research firm J.C. Williams.
Another glimpse into the overstock process is this advertisement for Nordstrom overstock product-
Actual Advertisement
All new overstock handbags from major department store chains.
This is a mix of Shelf-Pulls as well as warehouse overstocks. All handbags are 100% new, all with original tags and labels. Brands include - Nine West, Guess, Fossil, Aurielle, Liz Clairborne, Valerie Stevens, Giani Bernini, Etienne Aigner, Stone Mountain, Fashion Express, SAK, Amanda Smith, Franco Sarto and more!
Approximately one third of each case lot will be made up of very high quality private label Nordstrom overstock.
Every retailer and every store owned by that retailer has overstock. The next time you are at a major retail store look at the quantity of items for sale even in the handbag section. Is it possible that every one of these bags will sell before next seasons line is ready to take its place? Think about where these unsold bags go, then remember what you just read above.
Pricing on Designer Items
Another point about retail overstock is that the prices the retailers pay for the product are considerably lower than what they sell them for, allowing for those famous sales. Recently, Bergdorf Goodman was advertising the Marc Jacobs Quilted Venetia for $600.00, the same as we offer it for. Do you suppose they had some overstock on that bag? Also, Neiman Marcus sold the Marc Jacobs Quilted Blake for $840.00, just $91.00 more than our price.
Here are some more examples of bags for which consumers were paying retail and above, and now are on sale for 40%-60% off retail from authorized resellers.
Chloe Large Patchwork Leather Tote- Retail $2125.00. On sale for less than $1100 (50% off)
Chloe Silverado Tote- Retail $2365.00. On sale for $1185.00 (50% off)
Chloe Edith Bowling Bag- Retail $1660.00. On sale for $995.00 (40% off)
Chloe Betty Tote- Retail $1800.00. On sale for $1080.00 (40% off)
Fendi Patent Leather B Bag- Retail $3130.00. On sale for $2190.00 (30% off)
Fendi Raffia Mini Tote- Retail $645.00. On sale for $322.00 (50% off)
Jimmy Choo Ramona Zebra Bag- Retail $2490.00. On sale for $1245.00 (50% off)
And the list goes on and on. If all these bags,that were once too hot to even get your hands on, don't sell at these prices they will still have to be moved from the shelves. They will become overstock.
Food for thought- If a retailer can reduce the price of a bag by 50% and still make money, how much do you think they paid for the bag? Therefore, if it doesn't sell at the sale price, how much do you think overstock agents can buy it for once the fervor for that style has died down? The answer is sometimes pennies on the dollar. Does the designer get hurt by this? Not directly. They made their money when they sold the bag to the retailer. The retailer is at risk to move that bag. The designer may feel some indirect effect when people can now by their famous 'IT' bag for 40% of the original retail price, however.
Factory overstock- A common belief is that the designers have their own factories and thus make their own bags and accessories, and can pinpoint exactly how many bags to make for their resellers. This is not the case for most designers. The other common myth is that all factories (manufacturers) are located in Italy and France. Again, not true. (Note- TOD's is one of the few exceptions to both points made above). Designer items are made by factories located all over the world, typically in countries where labor costs are lower. Even if a bag is identified as ‘Made in Italy’, chances are that much of the bag was made elsewhere and then shipped to Italy for the finishing touches, and then shipped to market. Therefore, if a manufacturer (the factory) has over produced a style of a handbag, they too are going to find ways to move that inventory. Factories work on low margins and can’t afford to have wasted inventory. Especially high priced, designer inventory.
Think about a designer placing an order to a factory for a certain number of a specific handbag style. If the bag is to be released as a Spring item, that bag is most likely being produced in the Fall of the previous year. What if that style doesn't sell as well as they thought in the Spring? They would most likely ask the factory to stop or slow production as the bag is reaching the shelves of the retailers. What if more bags were produced than there is room for on the shelves because the sales estimates were wrong? Would the factory perhaps get stuck with these bags? Would they then need to sell these bags to overstock agents? This is a fact of factory production. It happens with all types of consumer goods, even designer handbags.
Facts about buying overstock- If you've ever looked at the expensive designer handbags at a top-tier retailer such as Nordstrom or Saks, you will notice just how well the bags are displayed. All the shipping tags and protective wrapping are removed, the bags are filled perfectly to make them sit up just so, and they are placed on eye catching display shelves. There is an art to retailing and these companies have mastered it.
What we want you to realize is that when you are buying overstock merchandise you are buying handbags that were manufactured a year or two ago. These handbags have traveled great distances from production factory to finishing factory to retailer to overstock agent to importer to online retailer or boutique. These bags are no longer in production. Even if the style is still be produced, the specific bag you are buying was made a year or two ago. That is the nature of our business and why you can buy these bags at a discount.
Another point is that occasionally some of these bags have defects which is why they became retail overstock. We strive to eliminate the possibility that you will receive a bag with a defect by closely inspecting each item when it comes in. That is one of the reasons we have a very liberal return policy and we only buy from suppliers that will take items back from us. But it's important that you inspect the bag when you receive it as well.
Lastly, we want to mention that we may only have one of the bags in stock that you want. If our suppliers have no more left, and someone buys it ten minutes before you do (especially during non-business hours) we may have to contact you and let you know that we can't fulfill your order. This happens rarely but it can occur.
This is how we get an opportunity to buy overstock items at deeply discounted prices and pass this opportunity on to our customers. The U.S. is still the biggest consumer market in the world so these agents look to the U.S. to sell their overstock product.
Designer and factory overstock are not a new phenomenon, and are not unique to the handbag industry. For decades, and thus before the advent of the internet, U.S. consumers have shopped at stores that sell overstock merchandise. Stores like Burlington Coat Factory, Ross, Marshalls, The Men’s Warehouse and many others have become extremely successful taking advantage of the supply chain process described above. George Zimmer has become famous selling Italian-made designer suits like Donna Karan for less than half of what they would sell for at Neiman’s or Saks. Now companies like Overstock.com sell all types of merchandise using a similar process.
We sell previous seasons styles
The handbags and accessories you see at eStyleSense.com are not from the current season. Even if the bag is still being made by the designer (such as the Marc Jacobs classic collection or the Fendi Spy Bag) the bags we have in stock were not made this year. They have gone through the entire supply chain process described above. And one important note to mention is that a bag being reproduced for this season typically is not exactly like the style made in previous seasons. There are subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, differences. You can read more on this below.
We search for good value
Once a previous seasons handbag becomes available, many importers and suppliers in the U.S. offer it for sale to companies like ours. They are also offered to ‘wholesalers’ that build in their own profit and try to sell it to us and other retailers as well, thus creating another layer of cost. The key is to eliminate all the potential middle men in the chain. We do our homework and buy at the lowest price possible.
Differences in style design
Sometimes you will notice that a designer style offered at eStyleSense.com is not exactly the same as the current model on the shelf at a retailer. There are two main reasons for this.
Designers sell different models of items in different countries around the world. Our suppliers may have procured items from a designer agent in Italy or elsewhere in Europe. These specific items may differ from the model originally offered in the U.S., or it may have not been previously offered in the U.S. at all.
And, as mentioned above, the designer may have purposely changed some characteristics of the bag. In the case of the Marc Jacobs Quilted Blake, that bag has been made with a suede lining one year, a canvas lining another year, and even a different color canvas lining another year.
When purchasing online or from a boutique
You should always make sure ANY store will refund your money if you are not completely satisfied with the quality, workmanship and authenticity. If they force you to get an authenticity certification before refunding your money, beware. They figure you won’t spend the time, money and effort to do so. And never purchase from an online store whose return policy isn't clearly stated along with their address and other contact information.
How hard is it to spot a fake?
Most of what’s written about knock-off and fake designer merchandise includes a statement claiming that it’s very difficult to distinguish a fake from the real thing. However, if one takes just a few minutes to discriminately look at an item, it becomes quite clear that it’s either a knock off or the real thing.
Close inspection is the only way to tell a fake from an authentic bag. Comparing your handbag to one online won’t give you enough detail. Different browsers (Internet Explorer, FireFox, etc) show colors and images differently. Even if you are able to view multiple pictures of a bag you cannot be sure that these are pictures of the exact bag you are buying. For this reason we caution people from buying expensive designer items from eBay or other online auction sites.
Online purse blogs can be a helpful resource. However, we've seen conflicting opinions on certain style bags from bloggers that don’t follow the style changes from year to year. And as mentioned above, it is extremely difficult to determine authenticity soley from photographs unless the bag is a very bad replica.
Understanding some general facts about designer items and some specific characteristics about each designer is very helpful in determining if a bag is authentic. Each designer has characteristics built into their items to help prevent fakes and forgeries. We have provided some of these features below for the designers we carry.
What should I be looking for on any designer bag?
Stitching
Inconsistent stitching and sloppy construction in less visible areas, such as the underside of the bag or inside the pockets, are details to look for immediately. Authentic designer bags are more expensive due to carefully crafted construction. They cost more because they are built more complexly. Counterfeit products usually do not have the care of construction that the real item has. If the construction looks simplistic, it's likely to be a phony.
Material
Many fakes are made of reasonably good leather. However, they are seldom as good as the materials used by manufacturers of the real designer labels. Fake purses tend to be stiff, and can smell like the chemicals used to treat the leather. The leather should smell like leather. If you open a Marc Jacobs™ bag for instance, and put your nose inside, you should smell the unmistakable aroma of calf skin leather.
Details
The intricacy of threads, leathers, fabrics, metals and stamping make a luxury bag what it is and should be...expensive. The zippers, zipper pulls, handles, buckles and other trimmings are often what expose a fake.
Designers are trying to make it difficult for people to duplicate their product. For example, Marc Jacobs™ has imprinted the company name on the zipper pulls. Make sure the imprint of the company name on the zipper pull or other hardware is clear, not smudged. If the zippers themselves don’t seem sturdy or work easily, send or bring the bag back to where you bought it.
Make sure the handles are of equal length, the logo is straight and firmly fastened. There should be no remnants of glue around the nameplate.
Labels and Authenticity Cards
Believe it or not, there is typically some type of misspelling on the label, care card, authenticity card, etc, of many fakes. Look for any kind of misspelling on labels and tags. Fake labels are generally cheaply made, unclear in impression, and have lesser quality stitching.
Authenticity Guide
Choose Your Designer
(Click on a designer name below to be brought to the guide for that designer)
Has this been helpful?
If this information was helpful and informative, or you have something you’d like to add, we’d love to hear from you. Please click on the ‘Send Feedback’ button at the bottom of the page to send us an email.
™ will not be imprinted with the designer name on their items. ™ is used here solely to honor the designer's name.
eStyleSense.com is proud to be an authorized ecommerce retailer of Tucker Paisley™.
eStyleSense.com is not an authorized agent or representative of Gucci™, Fendi™, Dior™, Prada™, Tods™, Balenciaga™, Marc Jacobs™ Chloe™, Dolce & Gabbana™or other designers whose products may be offered on this site. We are also not endorsed or affiliated with the above designer brands or any other designer brands with the exception of Tucker Paisley™. The use of all other designer brand names in our site is strictly for informational purposes to describe the specific items for sale.
Returns
In the unlikely event you are not 100% convinced of the quality, workmanship, and authenticity of an item purchased through eStyleSense.com please notify us and we will provide you with a full refund. See our Return Policy. Other online retailers will require that you bring the item directly to a designers store to have the item authenticated before they accept a return based on authenticity. That’s an inconvenience even if you live in New York, Los Angeles or other major city. However, we don’t require you to take this step. We want you to be happy and satisfied. If you are not, please contact us to return the item.
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