Having toured counterfeit markets across Asia and the US, I have seen some of the most incredibly detailed replica products that are available on the market. From my experience,I have compiled a guide to authenticating Louis Vuitton bags. Here are some of the basic steps to differentiate an authentic LV bag from a counterfeit replica. Although this authentication guide is specific to the LV Keepall Monogram Canvas, many of the principles apply to different bags.
INVEST IN A JEWELERS LOUPE
If you are serious about your purchases, order a loupe online and use it to inspect the details of your newly purchased luxury goods. The magnification is necessary for skilled authentication of luxury bags. The more practice and experience you accumulate, the more easily you will recognize the substantial differences between counterfeit and authentic products.
For example, I recognize the authenticity of LV leather by look at the patterns of the pores of the animal hide. I look at the keepall damier or monogram print to see if the tiny patterns of dots are the same as the real bags. Especially once you start purchasing investment grade handbags like Chanel 2.55 or Hermes Birkin/Kelly, you need to have this simple tool to assist you in observing the minute details.
PRODUCTION CODE
Skilled LV resellers learn how to date the bag by reading the production code, as bags from different years have slightly different designs.
The two letters of the code give the location of the factory where the bag was made. The 3–4 numbers give you the date. There are plenty of guides on how to decipher this online.
NOTE: I call it a production code rather than a serial number. The term serial number is inaccurate, as multiple bags of the same design will have the same production code. In contrast, a serial number is specific to the individual piece and only . The LV datestamp is a production code because it refers to the location and time period of the pieces manufacture. Some of the bespoke pieces custom ordered from LV will have serial numbers, such as trunks and presidential briefcases. Most of the products with serial numbers are the ones made in the workshop in the Paris suburbs. Moreover, the absence of a production code does not mean the item is fake, as most LV from before the 1980’s did not have any alphanumeric markings.
STITCHING
This is one of the easy methods to identify an authentic vintage keepall. The stitching used by the real Louis Vuitton Keepall is a linen thread that is dyed yellow with beeswax. Many places on the bag will have the same number of stitches on every single product. The speedy bag, for example, will have the same number of stitches on each side of the vachetta leather tab that connects the handle to the canvas/leather of the bag’s body. Bring your bag into the store and compare in key areas with the real thing; HOWEVER, just because you bag is not the exact same design does not mean that it is counterfeit, as the products are changed slightly throughout the years. The stitching should be slightly diagonal (overlain upon itself slightly with each new stitch). This is a product of the hand-stitching technique employed by Vuitton artisans.
Does the bag have hint of a plastic-like, factory smell similar to a brand new toys-R-us product? If so, it’s probably a counterfeit. A vintage bag should smell vintage. It should have the hints of usage, or even the musty smell of sitting in someone’s closet for twenty years. This might be the easiest way to identify a real bag, yet many people don’t realize the importance of smell in authentication.
RECEIPTS & BOXES
A receipt does not mean the product is authentic. A box does notmean the product is authentic. Many of the counterfeits available in China come with forged receipts that cleverly imitate the details of a real Louis Vuitton receipt. The only indicator that a product is authentic is the product itself, not the accessories. Nevertheless, the inclusion of an authentic box, bag, or receipt will increase the resale price of a vintage bag.
HANDLE
The LV Keepall has a handle constructed from a single piece of cow leather (called torino leather). This leather should acquire a honey-brownish patina over time from weathering and contact with the hand. A fake bag will not exhibit this characteristic change over time, nor beautifully crease with age.
SOURCING
If you are buying it outside of the Louis Vuitton store, you need to realize that around 90% of LV logo bags in circulation are counterfeit. Ebay, Poshmark, Etsy, and other sites are not safe places to buy unless you REALLY know what you are doing. Buying from the original store is the ONLY way to be 100% certain that what you are getting is authentic; however, working with a skilled gray-market dealer can save you 50% to 90% of retail prices. With this in mind, it is important to buy from trusted people who have a history of dealing with luxury goods.
MONOGRAM/DAMIER PATTERN
With experience this step becomes second nature, but for a first time buyer, understanding the proper color, texture, sizing, and placement for the monogram logo is important. LV speedy/keepall bags will have the monogram wrap around in one-piece, with one side purposefully upside down from this design. Some bags are cut with pattern blocks that allow both sides to be facing upwards (Alma and Bucket are some examples).
PAY FOR AUTHENTICATION
Hire the service www.Authenticatefirst.com or a similar company. You can even have them authenticate before you purchase by sending the pictures the seller provides.
MISCELLANEOUS
There are countless other aspects to look at that have not previously been mentioned. The corners and bottom of the bag should have appropriate wear for the age. Special collaborations like the Stephen Sprouse X LV Graffiti design should have production codes that match the year of the collaboration release. For most off-the-shelf bags, the production code should correlate to about 6 months before the person says they bought it (the standard time it takes from factory to shelf). The hardware should patina with use, and occasionally the outer layer of coating will rub off. The O of the Louis Vuitton stamp should be a perfect circle. The letters of the Louis Vuitton stamp should not intersect (except sometimes caused by wear).
BRING THE BAG TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR
Store Employees are not trained to authenticate their bags. I have had this talk with a number of salespeople at different luxury goods brands including Gucci and Versace. They are directly told NOT to authenticate items for customers. This is out of the scope of the store employees breadth of knowledge. Salespeople with a handful of years at a luxury brand cannot possibly know the entire 100+ year catalogue of products, let alone be able to visually ascertain the differences between authentic and counterfeit. Louis Vuitton has made towels, boxing gloves, soccer balls, snowglobes, punching bags, and all sorts of random products throughout the years.
There is a small workaround to this. If you bring in a product to be sent in for repair and it is counterfeit, they will send you a letter telling you that “it was not fit to be repaired.” If the bag is counterfeit, it will be confiscated and destroyed in the process. Another method I have heard is to use the free monogramming service. They will not monogram a counterfeit product, and will instead return the product to you.