Spotting Counterfeit Designer Handbags

Handbag Tips. If you are new to Christian Dior Designer handbags you may suffer from sticker shock at first. It's not uncommon for these handbags to cost several hundred and up over $1,000 per bag! Take the Gaucho denim and leather medium saddlebag for instance as it retails for right about $1,200! This may seem ridiculous to some, but many find that once they have one Christian Dior bag they need to have more.

You may try to save a few bucks by buying a designer handbag replica, but there are several reasons why it makes sense to buy the real thing:

1. Although replicas may look like the real thing, the workmanship and quality can't be compared to the original.

2. Counterfeiters avoid paying taxes since their businesses are generally operated on a cash basis. Citizens like you and I still have to pay.

3. The sale of counterfeit designer goods has been linked to terrorist and gang activity as well as organized crime. Drugs are often smuggled inside counterfeit handbags.

Spotting a fake

There was a time when it was easy to spot a fake: misspelled logos, cheap leather and shoddy hardware. Now, fakes are starting to look rather good and it's hard to tell the difference. Here's how to tell what's real and what's not:

Handbag Tips. We know the best designer handbags and leather goods are made in Italy and France. No need to drop names here, we all know the top sellers.

1. Authentic handbags are purchased from authorized registered dealers. Authentic designer handbags are not sold by street vendors, at home parties, at flea markets, in New York's Chinatown, in Los Angeles' Santee Alley, or at mall kiosks.

2. If you're considering a Coach handbag, the company's website provides a list of authorized dealers. Both Coach and Kate Spade give detailed information on spotting replicas of their products.

3. The price. A new Prada handbag will not sell for $50.

4. Country of Origin Labels. The country of origin for Fendi handbags is Italy. If the handbag has a label that says "Made in Taiwan", it is not the real thing.

Buying designer handbags online

If you're shopping online and find a designer handbag at a price that's hard to pass up, there's a way to tell if you're getting an authentic product:

Handbag Tips. There are a few things one must keep in mind when purchasing discount designer handbags. Be clear about what you want and what you are willing to pay for it.

Read the product description carefully. Some online merchants will lure you into their sites by describing their products as original, authentic or genuine. After reading descriptions, you may find such phrases as "inspired by" a particular designer. This product isn't authentic and the phrase is used to protect the merchant from trademark infringement.

Handbag Tips. Christian Dior Designer handbags products standout because they are a step above the rest.

Want to know for sure it's real?

Buy designer goods from authorized registered dealers only. That's the only way to be sure that you are purchasing an authentic designer product.

Sharon Owens is the editor of Luxewise.com which helps its visitors become more savvy shoppers of luxury goods.

Handbag Tips. Replica designer handbags can range from exact copies all the way to very poor, laughable copies. Some replica bags claim to be 99% exact - which is scary if you are a purse buyer or seller who cares about having the real thing! The closer to exact the replica is, the higher the price - even in to the hundreds of dollars.

There's a new kid on the block in the wonderful, wacky world of designer handbags. In case you haven't heard, World According to Jess is taking the fashion accessories industry by storm. But don't let the amateurish name fool you, this design house is taking no prisoners! In a relatively short period of time, this company has achieved immense respect and credibility in the industry. Jessica Alpert-Goldman, namesake and owner of World According to Jess, has firmly entrenched herself in an industry that is not always kind to outsiders.

The designs are bold, quirky, and cute%u2026much like Jess herself. With an impressive catalogue of designs, and the support of her ever-growing legion of fans, 2006 may just be the year of Jess. Without a doubt, she is off to a smashing start. Her bags have already been photographed with famous fashionistas like Beyonce Knowles, Sarah Jessica-Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lindsey Lohan.

Just recently, Jess had her remarkable designs included in the celebrity grab-bag backstage at the Oscars. This is, by all means, no small feat. Every major company in every significant niche wants their product included in the Oscar gift bag. The mere act of having your product photographed with major Hollywood stars is a guarantee for overnight success but Jess is already well ahead of the game, in that regard.

Jess contributed 250 of her favorite purses to the Oscar cause, and she hasn't looked back. In her own words, "I worked hard to let the world know that World According to Jess was the only bag designer included in the official Oscar gift bag." For her efforts, she received countless press accolades and ended up with placements on some of the biggest television programs in America, including The Today Show.

World According to Jess has fun, funky handbags in countless shapes and sizes. Evening bags, cosmetic bags, wallets, diaper bags, travel bags%u2026it appears that Jess has covered all of the bases. Some of my personal favorites include the smashing Arthack and the oh-so-hot Scandalous designs. If these designs are any indication of things to come, World According to Jess is going to be more like world domination. Ciao, Darlings!

Handbag Tips. The designer handbags Calvin Klein is offering this year seem to be primarily made of calfskin and they are more beautiful than one could imagine, you really have to see it to believe it. The suede calfskin handbag has been very popular thus far and is so soft looking that it does not look like calfskin at all! The suede calfskin handbag will run about $450 but it is worth every single penny because it really is a beautiful piece.

Cathy Feldman is a self-confessed designer handbag junky. When she is not craving yet another fashion fix, she writes for designerhandbags101.com - a super awesome website dedicated to the most amazing handbag designers in the world, with information about Pratesi, Matt & Nat, Juicy Couture and more.