It is not always easy to find genuine designer handbags on Ebay, as unfortunately so many of those that are available at online auction sites are cheap imitations. There are numerous Ebay sellers that have no qualms about passing off the cheap imitations as designer handbags.

Here are some tips to help you find genuine designer handbags on Ebay.

• The first thing to look for when you are searching for a designer handbag on Ebay is how many feedbacks the buyer has, as well as what their rating is. The danger of getting a fake is much higher if the seller is new, with relatively few feedbacks from customers. If the seller does have some feedbacks, make sure that you read through the feedback to see if anyone has complained about getting a fake.

• Pay careful attention to the wording in the product description. Although it’s true that it is illegal to sell fake designer handbags, it is not illegal to sell designer inspired handbags. If the product description indicates that it is a designer inspired handbag, then it will not be genuine. Often these handbags will not have a logo or the brand name on the handbag itself, though they may slip it into the product description to catch buyers unaware.

• Before deciding to buy a genuine designer handbag on Ebay, you will want to do some research into the brand name that you are interested in. If you are familiar with the brand, you will be in a much better position to spot a fake. Another advantage to researching the brand name is that you will be acquainted with how the bags vary from season to season, though they tend to stay relatively close to their original design.

• The price of the handbag will be a major indicator of its authenticity. Genuine designer handbags are very expensive, and it is unlikely that you are going to find a £1000 handbag for £100, even on Ebay. Not that it’s impossible to get a good deal on the real thing, but you are not likely to find it at 90% off.

• Once you do find a handbag that you are interested in, ask the seller to send you pictures of the inside of the handbag; if you have done your research on the brand, you should be able to tell quite a bit by examining pictures of the interior of the bag. The stitching should be neat and tight, and similar to what you have seen in pictures from genuine designer handbags.

• The bag should have paperwork that comes with it, so this is a very important question that you should ask the Ebay seller before committing to buy the item. All genuine designer handbags comes with what is known as the chain of title; this verifies that the bag is authentic, and will also have the style number, as well as the brand name on it.

If you know what to look for before you start shopping for a genuine designer bag on Ebay, you should have no problem finding a great deal for the real thing.

Hermes is a brand well known to anyone with an eye for labels and even the more fashionably apathetic people of the world have most likely heard the name once or twice. Any fan of “Sex and the City” will remember the bitter fight between Samantha and Lucy Liu over who had rightful claim to the highly coveted red Hermes Birkin handbag. As that episode so astutely pointed out there is at least a two year waiting list for someone to get their pretty little hands on a Birkin handbag. As the episode also demonstrates, if you know the right people your name can “magically” move its way up.

The Hermes Birkin handbag can be regarded as somewhat of a mythical creature due to its rarity and difficulty to obtain. In addition to the lengthy waiting list, the price, supply, and delivery dates of these delicate beauties intentionally keep them elusive and enticing. The average price of a Birkin handbag runs at the pretty penny of $7,500. This price tag is the general going rate, not including specially ordered handbags or those constructed of more rare, fine materials. While some people might scoff at the price, there are plenty of people out there with fancy sports cars that cost a tremendous amount more and rarely make it out of the driveway.

These beautifully crafted handbags are a way of celebrating personal success as well as applauding the fine designing ability of the Hermes experts. Each handbag is hand made, with at least forty-eight actual work hours going into each purse. The typical Birkin handbag is composed of beautiful leather and is lined with goat skin that is the same color as the exterior. The metallic decorations that adore these bags come in the form of buckle hardware, lock, keys, and feet studs made of precious metals such as gold and palladium. Once a special relationship has been formed between Hermes and a particular individual they can place special orders for more rare materials and décor for their handbag.

The most expensive material to use for a Hermes Birkin handbag is saltwater crocodile skin, with the price growing larger as the scales get smaller. The handbag can be further upgraded by adding precious stones such as diamonds to the outer hardware of the purse. With totally done up, special order Birkin handbags the price range is going to be more in the tens of thousands of dollars. For a true handbag aficionado this can be considered tantamount to a fine piece of artwork.

This particular style of handbag is named after the British singer and actress Jane Birkin who served as inspiration for the creation of this elaborately stylish purse. The actress has even admitted herself that the fame of the Birkin handbag greatly exceeds her own. Maintaining the status of this kind of handbag as very difficult to attain is where a large part of its appeal resides. They are only sold in Hermes boutiques around the world and the supply of handbags in each of these little stores is very limited. The massive waiting list is a pretty good indicator to the availability of these handbags, making the owner of one a heavily envied figure.

The elusiveness and elevated status of the bag translates to the status of the individual who possesses it. The association Hermes Birkin bags carry with them is that only the wealthy and important individuals in society can possess them. This appealing aspect of the handbag has lead to numerous attempts and recreating knock off imitations of the Birkin handbag, but there are telltale qualities that distinguish a true Birkin from an imposter. The bag must be carefully examined but a true Birkin should have even stitching, an interior leather zipper tag that is parallel to the zipper hardware, the crafstman’s initials and the year it was manufactured stamped in a square located under the right of the belt, and a stamp in the front that says “Hermes Paris, Made in France”.

While these may not be the most obvious of distinguishing marks, it is important that any handbag claiming to be a Birkin has all of them. The fine leather craftsmanship is not easy to replicate and this unique, highly skilled handiwork is exactly what makes Hermes Birkin handbags such desirable and cherished items. Vintage Birkin bags are passed down in families fortunate enough to have them, going from generation to generation.

The Hermes Birkin handbag has achieved a state of permanence at the top of the fashion world that all designers hope to achieve. The timelessness of the purses make them all the more desirable because they are not simply a flash in the pan trend, they are a concrete status symbol. Owning a Hermes Birkin bad sends the clear message that an individual has money as well as taste.  A hot young starlet can sport her beautiful crocodile skin Birkin handbag well into her twilight years and while her movies might fall out of style, her purse never will.

A bit more tangible than the Loch Ness Monster, and much more attractive, the Hermes Birkin handbag has an infamy all its own that will greatly outlast the fame and fortune of many of its owners, the few that there are. The scarcity in supply, fine craftsmanship, high price tag, and long waiting list are all elements in what keeps the Birkin bag so tempting and sought after. Along with a long list of musicians, actresses, and socialites, even politicians like Argentine president Cristina Kirchner are the proud owners of multiple Hermes Birkin handbags.

While they are still very difficult to attain and are pricey, Hermes needs to be careful that the Birkin bag retains its elusive appeal if it wants to stay at the top. With imitations getting better and better and with the young and fashionable getting richer and richer it seems that Birkin bags are becoming easier and easier to spot on the skinny little arms of the world’s popular culture elite. Hopefully this is just because the paparazzi are becoming more and more of a nuisance, whatever the cause, the Birkin handbag’s place at the top appears quite secure for the time being.

One of the problems plaguing the designer handbag industry is the alarming proliferation of fakes. It’s really a huge problem. Many women would kill for a designer handbag. They’re a luxury item. They signify status and class and all that jazz. And there’s a pretty hefty price to pay to get it. Designer handbags can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. One bag alone could cost more than your car; more than two cars even. You could probably even pay off your mortgage with a high end luxury handbag.  So it’s really not surprising that so many people opt for the much cheaper counterfeit bags. While some fakes are very, very obvious, others are not so. Counterfeit artists have gotten extremely good at what they do. It’s a whole cottage industry. The fact remains though, counterfeiting is illegal. It robs the economy of a significant amount of money each year. Whilst regular citizens have to pay taxes, these guys pocket everything. A lot of crime syndicates, gangs and even terrorists sell counterfeit products as a way to fund their activities. Some evidence indicates that the bombing of the World Trade center in 1993 was in fact funded by illegal and counterfeit bag sales.

Even though you may feel like you got a steal when buying a counterfeit, you are actually doing a disservice to your country and to those who put hard work into making legitimate products. And were you ever to want to purchase the real deal, think about what a shame it would be if the bag you paid a small fortune for ended up being a fake.  While there are people who have the means to buy handbags whenever the desire strikes them, there are still others who have saved up money for months or years even, to own a real luxury handbag; they don’t want to waste their money on a mere counterfeit.

So, how do spot a real bag from a counterfeit one? One big tipoff is where you purchased the bag. Knockoffs are easily had by the dozen on street corners and the internet. Authorized dealers for LV, Chanel, Fendi et al do not sell their wares out of a car truck, nor do they hawk bags from inside an old duffel bag. These are usually of significant poor quality and they are appreciably cheaper than what you’d pay for the real deal. For instance, if you pick up a bag on Canal Street in New York for $100, you’ve just been had. Real luxury bags are going to cost you a pretty penny; they aren’t going to be made from pleather with metal that chips and falls apart when you touch it. Also, consider the tag—if it says Made in Bangladesh or Made in China, it’s not real.

Inspect the bag carefully. One clue to a knockoff is poor stitching. There should be no loose or missing stitches; all stitches should be evenly spaced and perfectly aligned. The color of the thread should match the color of the bag. Real leather designer handbags should have the logo engraved and not simply printed in them. Many counterfeit bags have labels hanging from the handle rather than stitched inside the bag. Check the zippers too. They should glide easily along the zipper track, unzipping and zipping effortlessly.

Check for misspelled words. Make sure the bag isn’t flimsy and doesn’t bend in odd ways.

Look inside the bag. The lining shouldn’t be made out of cheap, flimsy material. Usually, the lining will be composed of satin or some other shiny fabric; most designer bags will have their logo imprinted on the lining as well.

Many bags have serial numbers on a tab or sticker inside the purse. In Fendi bags, the serial number is printed on the inside pocket. Gucci bags come with a small leather tag attached to the zipper seam of the bag which contains the number. Louis Vuitton tags never come attached to the handbags themselves. The serial number is usually also included in the authenticity card, which comes especially encased in a dark envelope. Authenticity cards are a whole other issue on their own. Many counterfeiters have become extremely adept at forging these cards. Usually, these consist of a little card with the logo embossed on the front and there should be a magnetic strip or barcode with the serial number below it. The serial number on the card should match with the serial number within the purse.  Usually, you should be able to enter the serial number online to find out if it is real or not.

Another way to find out if a designer bag is real or not is to look at the packaging. Most bags come with specially designed dust bags, which have the logo printed on them. It is easy to fake these, but you can look online to find out where the logo should be positioned and also if the drawstrings should actually tie at the top or not. Most designer bags are packed with packing material that includes tissue paper. If it comes in a box, make sure the box actually fits properly. The box should be of the same brand as the bag itself, obviously.

If you’re buying online, you have to be extra cautious. Remember that many high end brands do not do wholesale. They also have legitimate, authorized online dealers.

Many counterfeiters will pepper their product descriptions with words like authentic, genuine and real; if you find that the occurrence of these words is quite frequent, than it’s probably a fake. No real dealer with have to entice you with such ample descriptions. Also look for wording such as inspired by…this means that they are simply copying a design.

If you do decide to purchase online, do so with a major credit card. Document all transactions and keep receipts, and copies of auction listings as well as any emails from the seller. Don’t buy from a seller with low feedback. If you find something that is too good to be true, than it is too good to be true—do not buy it. 

If you do end up with a fake, report it. Remember, your best bet is to buy from an authorized dealer and avoid shady websites or back alleys. You get what you pay for.