I have a question! When do Louis Vuitton handbags get annoying? Answer… when you can’t afford them! Hehe. Well, I can actually, but I can’t afford to buy a lot of them, or at least as much as I want to. And ever since I bought one for my fiancee, I have never looked at handbags the same way again. Luxury branded items were never really my thing because they were so insanely expensive, but for some reason, I have started to slowly understand and appreciate why women love them.
I also never really ever noticed what kind of handbags women carry around with them. A bag is a bag, right? Obviously, not. As oblivious as I was back then (back then being fairly recently, around early this year), now I can’t help but instinctively look at what kind of bag a girl carries around every time I’m at the mall, or anywhere else for that matter. And in terms of handbags, Louis Vuitton is definitely one of the most popular brands here in the Philippines, and seemingly everywhere else in the world. And yeah, they really ARE that nice.
Because of that, I kind of noticed that almost everyone who goes to the mall totes an LV bag! So I started asking myself how that’s possible considering these handbags literally cost an arm and a leg to own. And these girls I see who own them really don’t seem to quite have the means to have one, if you know what I mean.
But since there is this place called Greenhills, the proliferation of these fake LV bags has boomed. So now anyone can own a “genuine-looking” Louis Vuitton handbag at a fraction of the actual price! Meaning if the real thing costs around Php 60,000 (or $1,200), you can get a fake one for a mere Php 4,000 (or $85!). And the greatest thing about it is that very few people can tell that it’s a fake! So for a sourgraper like me, who worked his ass off to be able to buy a REAL one for his fiancee, I want to spread the word on how YOU can TELL if the person you see in the mall is carrying a real one or not, and how YOU can TELL if the handbag you’re buying is the real McCoy! Here are four ways:
1. THE PRICE IS WRONG
Louis Vuitton monogram canvas bags run from $350 and up, with most selling for $1000. So if you’re buying one that costs less than $300, you’re NOT getting a deal… you’re getting a FAKE. Louis Vuitton does NOT discount. The first time I bought one, I was stupid enough to ask if there was one, shame on me! There is no such thing as a Louis Vuitton SALE in Greenhills or any tiangge, either. They just don’t do it, EVER!
2. IT’S IN THE DESIGN
The LV monogram handbags are made of canvas, but the handles and piping are natural cow-hide leather. The color of the leather should be a light tan with the edge dyed red and the stitching in yellow. After a few weeks of handling your bag, the leather handle will oxidize and fade to a darker brown. So if your leather handle doesn’t change color, then it’s a FAKE.
Also, the actual LV monogram is usually (with the exception of some vintage pieces) symmetrical from side to side in all monogram styles (traditional, Multicolore, Cerises, Mini mono, Vernis etc.) Louis Vuitton is also very careful with it’s stitching. Stitching should be even and regular. The same number of stitches will be found in similar locations on similar bags. For example, the leather tab that the handle attaches to any size monogram Speedy bag will always have 5 regular, even stitches across the top.
In terms of the LV tag, when you buy a Louis Vuitton handbag, it will come with a tag, but they are NEVER attached to the bag. LV tags are usually tucked into a pocket or included in an envelope that comes with your receipt. So if you see any dangling attached tag, it isn’t real.
Know the date code. Louis Vuitton uses a production code in its bags for its own internal purposes. It’s not unique so you might be able to find an identical number in a different handbags produced at the same place and time. Since the early 1990′s, this code has been represented by two letters followed by four numbers, eg. MI0060. Currently, with the latest authentic ones, it’s still two letters but the four numbers are now between them, eg. M5933J.
3. LOCATION
Louis Vuitton doesn’t have any street resellers, so if you bought yours from one, most likely it’s not the genuine article. Also be careful if you are buying your LV handbags online, sure you can find authentic ones, but there are a ton of fakes. One website that is authorized to sell authentic LV bags is www.eluxury.com.
Ebay also sells LV handbags, but the question of authenticity is always raised even if the site has made it a point to ensure that the ones being offered are genuine. How the heck would you be able to check anyway, right? It’s either you trust all the user feedback on that seller, or you do away with buying from Ebay and just use eluxury above. Better yet, buy from an authetic LV store in your country, there really should be just one flagship store.
4. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
If you feel funny about where or how much you’re paying, walk away. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and always expect an answer. 
If you don’t get one, move on. If you have a bad feeling about things, keep moving on. If the seller is evasive and anything but straight-forward, consider that your answer.
But seriously, in a world where fakes look practically real, you’ll just go crazy trying to figure out if someone out there is toting a real one. So the best you can do is ensure that when you DO buy your own, and I assume you want to buy a real one, just save yourself the trouble and go to the official LV store in your country and buy the Louis Vuitton handbag that you want from there. God knows, it’s going to be expensive, but at least, somehow it’s going to be worth it (choke!)
Just one last bit. Thanks to Tina for sharing the wonderfully expensive world of Louis Vuitton to me 
And to Rupert, for making fun of the people who were toting fake handbags in Shangrila last Saturday. That inspired me to write this blog that I hope made some sense!
Related Links:
Louis Vuitton Website
LV Tribute Patchwork Bag: Those $45,000 bags are a sellout!
Exclusive Status: It’s in the Bag
September 29th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
That’s interesting. I knew a lot of that already but I never knew that the color of the handle changes!!!! Thats….kinda weird….haha. Oh well…I think it’s sad that there are soooo many fakes out there because it doesnt even make me wanna buy a real one. But I’m more of a Chanel girl anyways
If you ever feel like blogging about how to spot a fake Chanel bag I would love you forever 
hehe….have a nice day!!!!
September 30th, 2008 at 9:19 am
hey nadine! i was hoping you would be able to also give some tips on how people could tell being the “fashionista” that you are
thanks for putting a link back to the site, appreciate it 
October 1st, 2008 at 10:41 pm
so much to remember for a bag!
you actually know more about LV bags na than most girls, don’t know if that is something i have to be worried about as your fiance 
loving my epi!
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:51 am
yeah, because of you and tina, i know so much about LV’s now
it’s nothing to be worried about, it’s good nga eh i can actually get you one without asking you! glad you like your birthday epi buvs 
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 am
This is a good article especially for those who really want to own an LV bag or two…and more and more.I may add also that the hardware is not too shiny and never tarnish for the original. The fakes have a very shiny hardware and changes color after several uses.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:06 am
hi sachi-girl! yeah my wife actually loves LV bags and since I got her 2 as gifts in the past years, i sort of got into learning what makes a fake LV bag. Not that i’d buy any from greenhills or those places where fake LV bags abound, but more on curiosity. hope the article helped you a bit
April 16th, 2009 at 12:44 am
This is quite a up-to-date info. I’ll share it on Digg.
April 18th, 2009 at 8:49 am
thanks really appreciate that
May 29th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Fakes are so sad! Children are making these things!
June 6th, 2009 at 5:13 am
Gone were the days that you heard of people going to GREENHILLS and the immediate thought about them was they are amongst the affluent and wealthy people around the city. Now, if you heard of anyone going to that place, the immediate thought you will have in mind is that they are the ones who can NOT afford to have realLY valuable and expensive stuffs (ie. LV bags)and the very reason why they do shopping in GREENHILLS, to buy stuffs that are nearly identical to those ones they can never buy themselves.
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Fucking HYPOCRITES!! Pretenders! Who d hell r u to mock at people who cant afford d real thing? R u really that rich!?? Faggots!! Ur livin in a 3rd world country wake up! most people here dnt hav d means to afford those luxuries dats y they settle for knock-offs jst to hav a feel. Fuck you RUPERT for making fun of my fellow filipinos! BUYING A GENUINE LV (WITHOUT A MILLION IN UR BANK ACCOUNT OR “PAMBILI NG ULAM BUKAS” BWAHAHA!!) DOESNT MAKE U BETTER THAN US.. IT JUST SHOWS HOW SOCIAL CLIMBER U ARE! ALL OUR SHIT SMELLS THE SAME THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US IS “MAS MAYABANG KA LNG!!!” WAKE UP!! STUPID!
January 15th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Hmm, easy there Real one, you don’t have to get all riled up
The article merely speaks of how you can tell a knock-off from the real thing. It is by no means targeting people who can’t afford them.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:44 pm
So what if people go to GH? That doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t afford to buy expensive stuff! I agree with Real one, so many people here are hypocrites! I don’t know why it matters to some whether a person’s bag is fake or not! When I see women carrying fake LV bags, I don’t judge them. To each his own! Does carrying a fake bag make them less of a human being? I don’t think so. It’s such a shame that some peole are more concerned with material things than with spiritual values.
February 21st, 2010 at 10:59 am
hi cheeky bitch, i agree with what you said, but we aren’t judging people who carry fake LV bags and say they’re losers. no one said that. the purpose of the article is to point out how you can figure out if a an LV bag is genuine or not.
March 27th, 2010 at 6:22 am
lol, it sounds like Real One and Cheeky Bitch caught some feelings. The original article didn’t target anyone. Maybe YOU guys are exactly what you have accused others of being – SOCIAL CLIMBERS. I do not condone fakes in anyway or form. I believe that if you cannot afford an LV bag then you should not buy one. Personally i believe that buying a fake is in itself trying to “social climb” because you are pretending to buy into a life style or certain perceived image that you cannot afford. I do not look down on people who buy fakes but i find it very hypocritical when people such as Real One have an opinion like this.
April 24th, 2010 at 10:22 am
haha!! Cheeky Bitch, i knw ur ryt, but i also believe in MADONNA.She said: we’re living in a material world..and im a material girl.”
I wasnt always materialistic..bt then my friends and relatives always compares their branded stuff & rubs it to each other’s faces and it was really a big deal for them. It also make them more important and regal.So i started buying Guess bags,aerosole, naturalizer shoes..then liz claireborne,sta monica polo, lacoste bag, gucci 14k watch..then an authentic Valentino back pack..Then,i purchsed a chanel bag.Everybody at d mall wasnt even looking at me, they were looking at my bag..And im not used to it, couz im really pretty and a good dresser, bt they were staring at my chanel bag.even the guys..(Melancholiac, are u sure ur not Gay? Ur so in too Bags and its even a female bag..Come out to the closet, while u still can)hahaha…
So, my point is yes..the luxury items fake or not gives us the boost..for smbody hus not pretty and sexy like me, its gives them the plus factor. try to understand.People like MELANCHOLIAC must be rily poor in looks, that’s why he COMPENSATE buying his wife LUXURIOUS stuff for her to stay with him…
hahaha!!!
April 24th, 2010 at 11:25 am
MELANCHOLIAC SAYS:
“hi cheeky bitch, i agree with what you said, but we aren’t judging people who carry fake LV bags and say they’re losers. no one said that. the purpose of the article is to point out how you can figure out if a an LV bag is genuine or not.”
-But at the end of his article, MELANCHOLIAC says:
“But Just one last bit. Thanks to Tina for sharing the wonderfully expensive world of Louis Vuitton to me And to Rupert, for making fun of the people who were toting fake handbags in Shangrila last Saturday. That inspired me to write this blog that I hope made some sense!”
So MELANCHOLIAC and RUPERT were making fun people wearing fake handbags..hmm.. Hypocrite is the word to describe u people.Everybody BUYS FAKE ITEMS once in a while, but Melancholiac and Rupert are FAKE PEOPLE. Melancholiac pretending to be a good writer (an unbiased writer i should add) and RUPERT pretending to be a girl but his really not. Even if u buy the whole catalogue, of louis vuitton rupert, every GIRL in the world is better than you because they are a GIRL so they are a million times more ahead than you. As Ms. Streep said in the DEVIL WEARS PRADA…”that’s all.”
April 25th, 2010 at 9:12 am
Was hoping you also had a newsletter sign up, count me in.
April 25th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
hi van makey! thanks for visiting the site, there is a signup on the mainpage for any updates on the blog, all you have to do is put in your email address
April 25th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
hahaha, you have just got to love comments like this by mitchy calling herself really pretty and a good dresser! self-professed pa, lakas ng self-confidence, and you think they were staring at your chanel bag for that reason eh? haha sige
obviously you like making assumptions without knowing any facts but that’s alright. if you actually read the article i wrote, the last paragraph was written in jest at my two friends while the entire article was me sour-graping that i could barely afford to buy my wife one. and you’re right, i must be really poor in looks and i need to buy my wife expensive stuff for her to stay with me. hahahaha! unlike you kasi super hot ka and pretty lol. too funny!
April 25th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
ay may kasunod pa pala. para lang maexplain ko ng maayos, since it doesn’t seem like you know how to read an article in jest or know how to read between the lines. as i said in the comment above, the last paragraph was written in jest because my 2 friends introduced me to this expensive line. the inspiration to write the blog was for me to be able to distinguish for myself what a genuine LV bag is compared to a fake one. simple.
so if your summary of the article was me making fun of people wearing fake handbags, you’re dead wrong. too bad you put so much time writing your comment when you barely understood the point of the article. meron ka pang hypocrite nalalaman haha mahiya ka nga anna michelle. sus. and rupert isn’t a girl, so that’s another assumption of yours down the drain, and neither am i gay. haha! thanks for the hearty laugh after reading your comments. twas a pleasure
April 25th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Good info here Melancholiac, I’ve been dying to buy an LV bag since forever. I almost bought one from one of those people selling in Multiply and thank goodness I didn’t. After reading this article people who want to buy the genuine LV’s need to look closer for the investment they’re making. Thank you for this.
April 25th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
hey colangelo. yeah, that’s one of the scary ways to get duped these days. all these multiply sites showcasing selling cheaper bags/jewelry/dresses and the like, you really should be careful. it would suck if you actually shelled out a good amount of cash thinking you were buying the real thing only to realize that you were fooled. bad trip yon.
glad the article helped. at least you understood it, geez. some people are so riled up thinking the article is directed at bashing people who can’t afford genuine bags when the purpose was to let everyone know what to look for if they WANTED to buy the real thing.
May 29th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
grabe haba ng discussion. the article just told us how to spot fake bags! dun sa iba naman, if u cant afford to buy genuine LV bags, DONT BUY FAKE ONE kc nga mapagkakamalang social climbers kayo, ibang brand nalang, maraming kilala jan and sikat na may kalidad, ORIGINAL PA!
May 31st, 2010 at 10:56 am
Hi, this is a nice article to read. Very informative, just enough details to spot the real deal. Good thing i did not take a second look in buying it in ebay or multiply. Nasa wishlist ko na lang muna ang LV bag, until i can afford it. My mom i think got a fake, this is the main reason why i came across your blog. Im taking the LV 101 course.
May 31st, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Hey Jana, haha funny, same here, I took that same LV 101 course too
Glad the blog helped you as much as it also helped me when I was researching 
Goodluck on your first buy!
July 24th, 2010 at 1:06 am
I have a question for ya melancholiac:
If I purchase a LV top handle hand bag (has the thick handle like the speedy), will the handle still change color after a while?
July 24th, 2010 at 7:33 am
hi alyssa, thanks for visiting the blog. i actually was asking that same question and i even asked the main store itself how you can tell and they said the handle should change color if it’s a genuine one. have you visited the new store in gbelt for LV?