Elle Tipton Designer Handbags

If you are shopping for a deal (and who does not these days) you may be looking on an auction site for your next designer purse. Okay, that is good but you have to be careful for you do not send your cash to a thief. I classify a thief as a seller who either sends you nothing or one that sends you a counterfeit when you are paying for an authentic handbag.

Let us start with the basics about Coach handbags.

Some websites do nothing at all to police the products being sold and I do not know if I can name those sites here so I will not. At least one site (eBay) does a pretty good job although it is not perfect either and some fakes make it through the cracks.

Okay, I said the basics so let us get started.

1. Study the photos very carefully. Are these photos taken by the seller or were they stolen from another website? Now you are asking me how to tell. If a seller has many listings and the photos are the same format thru out their listings it is the first sign that they are theirs. Maybe they stole the photos from a website so check the manufacturers website and see if the pictures came from there.

2. Okay now assume the photos were taken by the seller. Next look at the construction of the bag. The stitching should be straight and even. Check the hardware and compare to known hardware for the brand. Materials should be consistent with the control group (authentic items).

3. Just because a seller includes a dust bag does not make the purse authentic anymore than the lack of a dust bag proves it is fake. Now fake dust bags ARE a dead give away.

4. Does the seller actually state the item is authentic? Well, if they do not there is a really good chance it is not. The reverse does not hold true. I love the seller who says they got it as a gift or they were told it was authentic.

5. Let us not forget the explanation that the bag is a factory second so the stitching may not be perfect or it might be slightly faded or material may be irregular. Since we specialize in Coach we can tell you they do NOT sell seconds. This is just another way for a seller to try to pass off a knockoff.

6. Lastly remember what your mother told you when you were little: if it looks too good to be true it most certainly is not.

With each authentic item made by a manufacturer there are specific details you can look for to prove the authenticity. If you need help when shopping for a new Coach handbag please check our eBay store and feel free to use our photos as reference tools or ask us for specific help.