There tends to be a lot of misconceptions about knock-off bags, which leads many people down a rabbit hole of letdown. Surely enough, that was the case for me. Before finding out I had purchased a replica bag, I was under the impression that these knock-offs could never actually be that distinguishable from the real thing. Boy, was I wrong.
When I first started perusing the market of knock-off bags on the internet, I found myself enthralled by the pleasant prices. I thought, “This can’t be too good to be true!” Despite the doubts I had about its authenticity, I ignored the warning signs and still ordered the bag. After looking back, I can clearly remember the feeling of pure joy I got when I saw the pictures that showed the “brand-new” bag I bought.
However, my bliss didn’t last for long. It wasn’t long before the bag arrived in the mail that I started finding out some odd things. It was then that I found out those “leather-feel” straps were actually made of plastic. That was when I also noticed that the “genuine leather” portion of the bag was actually made of vinyl. Of course, I was mortified by the realization that I had been duped. Buying a low-quality replica bags had left me feeling foolish.
Though I had tried to figure out if the bag was a knock-off ahead of time, I just didn’t know enough yet. I wish someone had told me to compare the measurements, weight, and texture of the real and replica bags. If I had known about those details, I could have prevented myself from the embarrassment of being duped out of my hard-earned money.
But despite all the disappointment I had experienced, in order for me to prevent this from happening again, I also had to learn a bit more about spotting a replica bags. After doing my research, I noticed that many designer bags come with various logos placed in a certain location on each side. I had to become familiar with where those logos were usually placed. In addition, basic don’ts such as not buying a replica bags from a flea market should be followed as well.
I also came to acknowledge how important it is to pay attention to the craftsmanship of a bag. Although the replica bag may look exactly like the designer’s creation, there will be imperfections that cannot be hidden. For instance, when running my finger across the stitching of the bag, I had to feel for smoothness. Visually examining the lining, straps, hardware and seams of the bag were also imperative. Keeping an eye out for spelling mistakes on the tags was also a tell-tale sign that the bag in question was not authentic.
