These days, everyone is trying to save money. And people who love Louis Vuitton handbags are certainly no exception. One great way to save money is to buy pre-owned (AKA “pre-loved”) handbags on eBay, Bonazle, eCrater, or what have you. And with so many people out there trying to unload their luxury items for some quick cash, there are many great deals to be had. But is that Louis Vuitton handbag authentic? For the unwary shopper, these internet market places can be quite dangerous. So how can you avoid buying a fake? There are some things you can do to help lower your chances of getting stuck with a knock-off. Below you will find some tips on buying pre-owned Louis Vuitton handbags online.
Tip #1: Know your seller!
Always, always check out a seller’s feedback. Also, do they have a history of selling Louis Vuitton? Quality is just important as quantity. Positive feedback regarding previously sold Louis Vuitton items should carry more weight than positive feedback alone. This isn’t to say that a first time seller doesn’t have an authentic item, it just means that this is something you should definitely take into consideration.
Tip #2: Know your item!
Go to your nearest Louis Vuitton boutique and check out the style you are interested in. Get to know EVERY little detail. If you don’t have the opportunity to see the bag you want in person, then examine close up photos from a trusted online source. Pay very close attention to the alignment of patterns since this is consistent among all bags of the same style. Also look at the number of stitches on different parts of the bag. All classic monogram Speedy handbags, for example, have exactly 5 stitches across the top on the handle mount tab (see picture below). Also pay attention to what sort of lining the handbag should have. The Multicolore Speedy 30 in black, for example, has a mushroom gray alcantara lining.
Tip #3: Beware of fake tags and dust covers!
Sometimes a fake can easily be spotted simply by identifying a fake tag or dust cover. If the handbag in question has a white or yellow “Louis Vuitton” tag dangling from a string, then run in the opposite direction as fast as you can! An authentic tag is plain white with only a bar code, style number, and the name of the item printed on it. Tags come loose, they are never attached to the outside of the handbag. Also pay attention to dust covers. The ones that have “Malletiera Paris” written beneath the words “Louis Vuitton” are fake.
Tip #4: Familiarize yourself with date codes!
Looking for a discontinued style? Make sure that the date code matches the time frame in which the style was produced. Between 1990 and 2006, all date codes consisted of 2 letters followed by 4 numbers. The letters coded for the country of origin, while the numbers represented the production date. The first and third numbers indicated the month, while the second and fourth numbers indicated the year. This would mean that the handbag belonging to this date code (see picture below) was made in September of 2006. Beginning in January 2007, however, the date code format was changed. The first and third numbers now represent the week (out of 52) in which the handbag was produced.
Tip #5: Ask for help!
The girls over at the Bag Forum are always happy to help as much as they can. So don’t be afraid to post pictures of a handbag you are interested in buying. You can post your authentication questions here: Louis Vuitton Handbag: Please authenticate this purse
This classic 
Every Louis Vuitton bag can serve as a good story teller and folklore expert besides its basic fashion mission. Now this Louis Vuitton Monogram Mini Lin Saumur bag is meant to put you into the endless entertainment of Saumur wine and holiday fantasy. Isn’t it quite thrilling to go on your trip with Louis Vuitton fashion?
Pink is always an inviting colour, releasing refreshing info about revival or return. What would it be like when the adorable pink joins hands with Louis Vuitton fashion? I guess the effect is no less than one thousand strawberries pouring into your belly. Wanna be the sweatest of the sweat girls in 2010 spring/summer? Then this cute Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy 35 bag is your wannabe!
Before I start to save up for a Louis Vuitton Bagatelle tote, I’ve engaged myself in my custom of musing on the cute name Bagatelle. The fantastic scene of Middle Age French nobles taking to Bagatelle from 15th century is something for which I treat this Louis Vuitton Bagatelle tote differently from others. As I cling to, a timeless luxury should be bone of allusion’s bone and flesh of history’s flesh. So strong the vintage accent is giving off from the every fibre of the Louis Vuitton Bagatelle tote that I can forget all the American superficiality under its shade.
Some celebs always spare no effort to work on for-free advertising jobs for certain brands. For instance, Victoria Beckham is in the permanent shadow of Hermes. NowKate Hudson has been the target of gossip since she’ve exposed her addiction to Louis Vuitton. Don’t put the blame of rush conclusion on me as everyone witnessed her appearance with an exageratedly huge Louis Vuitton shawl on May 20, and couples of days ago, she again advertised a 
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This Louis Vuitton Monogram Whisper GM bag may have been anything but fresh to you cause you can remember those pictures out of paparazzi indicating couples of celebsshowing it around. Don’t feel fearful if I tell you I’m going to give you the details of the bag. I’ll let you know it’s not a holy tote, even if you have totally no idea what fashion is about, this fab Louis Vuitton bag can open the entrance to street chic’s circles for you!
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I get stunned the first moment I cast a glimpse of the Louis Vuitton Globe Shopper cabas, beauuuuuuuuuttttttttifullllll! I don’t like the all-year-long haunting of so-called versatile handbag as they often shock me with dullness and it means hell to me to tote a Joker bag everywhere everytime. Why can I just take a bag to the fittest spot? Now I decide to go to the campanile in my campus at least one time per day, with my beloved
You gotta love a girl that’s willing to sift through her bag closet to find a piece from a couple years back that she still really adores. Say what you want about Khloe Kardashian and her sisters, but I think they’d be genuinely fun people with which to go shopping and have a boozy lunch. They seem to love a good bag and a pair of shoes with every bit the enthusiasm that we have, and I like that in a celebrity.
