Louis Vuitton Speedy is one of the most popular and desired Louis Vuitton bags. Availiable in different sizes, with its simple yet sophisticated design, Speedy is really versatile which allows you to combine the bag with every outfit you have!
Today Louis Vuitton bags are sold everywhere – from boutiques to Ebay – and if you want to buy a pre-loved Speedy bag, you need to be able to distinguish an authentic one from a counterfeit.
Fakes are getting better and better every day. And if a few years ago we could easily tell Chinese fakes from original bags, today it would be much more difficult.
Here are 7 sure ways to spot a fake Louis Vuitton Speedy for you to never waste your money!
1. Exterior
The exterior is what we first pay attention to. The shape of the bag can already help you authenticate it. The fake Speedy is more deformed and wrinkled than the original which looks more attractive.
There is also a myth that authentic Louis Vuitton handbags cannot have a reversed logo. In fact, this is not true, because Louis Vuitton Speedy is made from one piece of canvas, so the front part will not be reversed, but the back part will be.
Another myth is related to prints. Prints on an authentic bag doesn't necessarily need to be perfectly aligned on both sides of the bag, because there is no such standard.
The color of the bag can also help you. An authentic bag is usually of intensive brown color, while a fake bag tends to be lighter.
As leather handles of Louis Vuitton Speedy are made of Vachetta leather, they darken as the bag ages. The authentic handles have shiny finish, while fakes are matte. Furthermore, Vachetta leather being used, authentic handles can have wrinkles.
2. Interior
When you authenticate your Louis Vuitton Speedy bag, you also need to pay attention to the interior. Many counterfeits are very close to real bags on the outside but have different inside lining.
Do not pay special attention to presence or absence of zippers on inside pockets as old models have no zipper while new models have it. New models with zipped inner pockets were first manufactured last weeks of December 2015.
If we carefully look at the stitches, we can see that on a fake bag they are crooked and on the authentic bag they are perfectly straight.
Moreover, the pocket shape of the fake is more flattened and a bit bigger, while on the authentic bag it is more compact.
3. Date Codes
Under the pocket you can find two leather tabs with the 'Louis Vuitton' engraved brass pin and the date code. The same details can be found on the opposite side of the interior.
Look at the date code because it is easier to notice some red flags that will indicate that the item is a fake.
As you can see from the photograph, the fake Speedy leather tab is not only longer but is also overlapping the stitching too much, and the brass pin is located too close to the date code. The last feature, however, is not as telling, as even forgers can position it the right way.
If you want to be more certain that your Louis Vuitton bag is real, compare your code with the date codes of authentic LV bags in our article.
Do You Want to Learn How to Authenticate Louis Vuitton?
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4. Hardware
As hardware of Louis Vuitton Speedy bags is made from brass, the color of an authentic item is more bronze which darkens over the years. On fake bags hardware is made from cheaper metals which look shinier.
The brass studs on the real Louis Vuitton Speedy bag also have the 'Louis Vuitton' embossing and if you look closely, you can notice that the brass pin is of a more elongated shape.
Also, it is easier to authenticate a bag, if you touch the pin because on an authentic Speedy the embossing is bulging and on a fake it is flatter.
There is also a little difference of the brass metal piece holding the handles and the leather tab together. On the authentic Speedy bag, it is round with no sharp and flat sides. On the counterfeit, the edges are flatter with distinct sides.
5. Zipper
The zipper of the real Speedy is more matte and bronze, has regular stitches on the side and seems to be of a very good quality. Furthermore, authentic Louis Vuitton brass darkens with time. Shiny hardware is a sure sign of a counterfeit item.
In addition, the zipper puller of the fake bag has a different shape, it is more deformed and curved.
If you flip the leather tab, you can see that the backside on the genuine Louis Vuitton Speedy is made from real leather and is much more frayed whereas the replica zip is not.
6. Keys and padlock
The authentic padlock and keys also have matte bronze finish similar to all the hardware of Louis Vuitton Speedy bags. On one side of the padlock there is the ‘LV’ logo. Look at it closely: on authentic bags the end of the V never touches the L. On the back of the real padlock the ‘Louis Vuitton’ engraving is more highlighted and is easier to read.
7. Heat stamp
A feature of an authentic bag is that over time, heat stamp darkens which will not happen to a fake.
The stitching of the heat stamp is almost perfectly straight on the real bag and on the fake it is crooked.
On the real Speedy natural leather is slightly visible around the edges in contrast to the fake one.
How To Tell if a Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag is Real or Fake?
As you now have the idea how tricky it can be to spot a fake bag especially if you don’t have two bags in front of you to compare, here is the checklist to help you authenticate a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag.
1. Examine the Outside of the Bag
Have a look at the shape of the bag: it shouldn't be too deformed. Touch the bag to understand how thick the canvas is and do not forget about color palette which is intense dark-brown.
Look at the handles: do they have shiny finish? How durable are they? If you buy a pre-loved bag, they should have patina.
2. Examine the Interior
The lining should be of high-quality, pockets should seem more compact and the stitches on them should be perfectly straight. This is very important!
3. Examine the Date Code and the Heat Stamp
Though it can be difficult to tell if the bag is real or fake examining the date code and the heat stamp as fakes can look just the same as authentic, check your date code with authentic Louis Vuitton date codes here.
4. Examine All Pieces of Hardware
Zippers, keys and padlock and all the other little pieces of hardware should be matte and have a bronze tint. On pre-loved bags they should also be darker. Pay attention to details such as engraving on brass studs which should be bulging.
5. Always Authenticate the Bag If You Are Not Sure
A lot of Louis Vuitton experts offer paid authentication. At Bagaholic, we do it for a $10 fee. If you need to authenticate a Louis Vuitton item, please order one of the three types of authentication:
- good when you need a certificate for any reason,
Certificate of Authenticity $25
- good when you need a certificate for any reason, either to sell the bag with the peace of mind or to return a fake bag to the seller if you purchased a fake
- includes a permanent certificate on lvbagaholic.com
Certificate of Authenticity with a thorough explanation $50
- good when you need a certificate and you need to know why the bag is authentic/not authentic for any reason, either to sell the bag with the peace of mind or return a fake bag to the seller if you purchased a fake.
- includes a permanent certificate on lvbagaholic.com
- includes an explanation of why the item is fake (detailed pictures and comparisons with an authentic bag, more than 10 pics included)
PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW
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