When we buy things from second-hand designers, there is a risk of being cheated and being sold a so-called counterfeit. Replicas of products increasingly resemble originals, so in order to recognize a counterfeit item, it is necessary to pay attention to even the smallest details. We present 6 tips that will protect you from a fraudulent purchase.
It is said that in every person the most important thing is the inside. The same is true of designer products. If you buy them second-hand, pay attention to how they look on the inside, specifically how the seams look. If in the thing you want to buy the stitching is carelessly done, threads stick out and the lines are not straight, most likely you are dealing with a fake. Designers pay special attention to even the smallest details and take care of every single thread. Straight and even stitching around the pockets is a standard of designer products. Some brands provide the sewing patterns they use so that the customer can compare them with the product he wants to buy. When the label is sewn inside the product, the number of stitches on the sewing will be the same on both sides.
High quality fabrics, both inside and out, are standard in products from designers. Fakes are often made of thicker and less comfortable materials. Counterfeit leather items often have a bad chemical smell and a uniform texture. It is worth paying attention to the composition of materials on care labels – it can tell us a lot about the quality of raw materials used in production.
In original products, zippers should not offer the slightest resistance, and the tops and bottoms of the zippers should fit perfectly together. Some designers use original zippers, signed with the brand’s logo – this is another detail to pay attention to. The same is true of buttons. They, too, can have a detail placed, characteristic of the brand. Most designers use original mother-of-pearl buttons in their designs.
The care label can tell us a lot about the originality of a product. Among other things, it is worth noting the country of origin and the RN and CA numbers, which can easily be found online on the manufacturer’s website and identified. When identifying fakes, it is also useful… knowledge of spelling and grammar. Fake products often have tags with the wrong brand name.
Logos on counterfeit products are usually poorly made, cut and unaligned at the seams. In the case of handbags, they are often crookedly pasted or in the wrong place. Once again, it is worth paying attention to the details.
Designer products have their value, even when bought second-hand. If a seller offers us a price that is too low, a warning light should go on in our heads.
When buying an item from a second-hand designer, be extremely vigilant and pay attention to even the smallest details.
main photo: unsplash.com/Laura Chouette
