Guide to buying a genuine Christian Dior

Hi and thanks for looking at my buyers guide for Dior bags. I hope you find it useful in your search for a genuine Christian Dior handbag.

I am a big fan of Christian Dior designer items that I am proud to wear and own.

Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that eBay is full of fake and replica Christian Dior items - many being sold as "authentic" even though they are in fact replica items.

To help illustrate my guide I am using some pictures of my own Dior Gaucho Dark Brown bag and some examples of some of the poor quality items for sale at the moment on eBay.

Handbags

Handbags are probably the biggest source of fake designer items on eBay.

Dior is just one of many designer brands that are ripped off on eBay. Many of these are sold as "Authentic" and some are very hard to tell the difference between a real and a fake one. Here, I hope you find the below points useful in spotting a fake against the real thing.

1. PRICE ~

As you probably know, Dior bags don't grow on trees! They are very expensive, high quality bags made of the highest quality materials. Most of the fakes are made in huge quantities in China and other countries in the Fast East for a very low cost - this is reflected in the materials used on the fake bags.

I purchased my Dior Gaucho Bag for £595 and the model I have is the smallest Gaucho available. I see many sellers selling the larger version (which costs £900+) for £150 "Buy it Now".......a bargain? - No, a fake.

I would not be happy selling a £900 bag for £150! So always look carefully at the prices of Dior bags on eBay as this is often the first give away of a fake.

2. CARRIER BAGS, DUSTBAGS AND CARE CARDS ~

Many fake bags come with Authenticity and Care cards. Many sellers try and use this as a way of proving authenticity. In reality, Dior authenticity and care cards can be bought in bulk off the internet and some sellers even make them.

A genuine authenticity card is filled in by the store when you purchase a new Dior bag with the details of the place of purchase, the date and the serial number of the bag. Of course, the serial number on the card should match the serial number printed in the bag.

Most sellers who have authenticity cards include them with the bag but you will find that they are blank - if it is genuine it would be filled out with all the authenticity details.

Below is a picture of my genuine authenticity card, as you can see it has been filled out with the details of my bag (of course I have blanked off my details to prevent them being copied)

As you can see, it shows the date and place I bought it from. So when a seller shows they have authenticity cards get them to prove it has been filled in with the bags details, and the serial number matches the one inside the bag. The serial number will be printed on the card and then filled in by hand in the bottom box.

You should also get a care booklet with the bag. These are printed on creamy white paper and firstly have the care instructions printed in French and then English. The care card and auth card will come in a small white envelope. Some fake bags come with a care card, but look carefully at them - most are printed on low quality paper with the text not centred and often with alot of spelling mistakes!

The next thing in question is the dustbag. I have been shocked at some of the poor examples of dustbags that are being sold with "authentic" Dior bags. Firstly the dustbag is made of pure cotton and simply has the word "Dior" printed in silver on the bag. They are not made of silk or canvas. They do not say "Christian Dior" or "Dior Paris" they simply say "Dior". See the picture below of my genuine dustbag. Of course, some people may be selling a genuine bag without a dustbag. But in general, if you buy an expensive designer bag, your going to try and look after it! So be suspisous if your seller is selling a Dior bag without a dustbag.

Some sellers even include a receipt with the bag trying to prove its authenticity. However, many of these are fakes, printed by the seller at home. See below for some pictures of a genuine receipt (I have blanked my card number off). Notice how it is in 2 parts. One is the card receipt and one is the shop receipt. The shop receipt is half the size of A4. It has a watermark of the "House of Dior" in the background and is printed in a plain font text. When folded in half it has "Dior" in silver on the front.

One more item that is also sometimes included with a bag is the store carrier bag. A genuine carrier bag is strong and sturdy with rope handles. It is white and dimpled, not smooth, and like the dustbag - simply says "Dior" on the front. See the below picture for a genuine carrier bag.

So, before you even look at the bag for sale - there are many giveaways in the packaging and cards that can determine a fake. Always look carefully at these things and if your suspicious then more than definately, the bag is a fake.

Look at the below picture of a Dior bag being sold as "authentic" on eBay at the moment, can you see the problems? It comes with a dustbag, receipt, auth cards and tags attached.....

The first thing that gives it away as a fake is that the dustbag says "Christian Dior Paris" when, as we know, a real dustbag just says "Dior". Also the material of the dustbag looks poor quality. Secondly, notice how they have not shown a picture of the back of the authenticity card - the part of it that actually shows its authenticity! Also, they show a tag attached to the bag - Dior bags come with no price tags attached. Last but not least the receipt. Notice it isnt in 2 parts. It is too big and the layout is all wrong.

At a glance, you may thing the above bag is real as it comes with lots of "authenticity" items, but it is in fact a fake. So, look at more than just the handbag for sale!

3. THE HANDBAG

Now, here is where it gets interesting. There are so many fakes on eBay and across the whole internet. How can you spot a fake when some of the replicas are very convincing!

The first thing to look at is the label inside the bag. Look at the below pictures, can you spot a difference?

The label on the left is from a genuine Dior bag and the label on the right is from a fake. Genuine Dior labels always have stitching right around the leather, the words "Christian Dior" are followed by "PARIS" and then "MADE IN ITALY". On a genuine Dior they are centered and spaced out like the one on the left. On many fakes the lettering is off centre and wrongly spaced out - as you can see from the picture on the right. The label should also always be embossed with the details (like the left hand picture) they should never be printed on.

The serial number of the bag is always printed underneath this label. Many fake bags have serial numbers but check that these match up to the authenticity card and the receipt (if it is provided). Serial numbers are always in the format 00-AA-0000 (2 numbers followed by 2 letters and finally 4 numbers).

The Dior bag is am illusrating in particular is the "Gaucho" bag. One main thing to look out for on this particular handbag is the silver hardware and "Dior Key & Coin". The silver hardware is very very heavy and is "distressed" it never comes in a bright shiny silver - it is always a distressed silver. Also, the Dior key and Dior coin should be attached to the bag on a single solid (no gaps) ring attached to the front flap. Picture below is of my genuine Dior Gaucho and shows what the coin & key should look like.

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Summary

Always check the colour being sold. Some people sell Dior bags in colours they were never made in! If in doubt, check the Dior website for a list of the colours available in a particular style of bag. For example, the Dior Gaucho has never been available in baby pink or purple!

Make yourself familiar with the style of a bag by looking on the Dior website so that when your looking on eBay you have a better idea of how it should look. Alot of Dior bags for sale on eBay are in a style that has never been made by Dior!

Check peoples descriptions carefully. Look closely at details such as the stitching - has it come loose? is it even all over the bag? Has the seller mentioned any part of the bag that is falling apart? - Dior bags are made to last forever, they are made using the highest quality materials and are finished by hand. They should not just "fall apart" or the stitching should not become loose.

When you buy a Dior bag from a genuine Dior boutique they do not come with a barcode or any other card tags attached. They also do NOT come with plastic on the handles or on any other part of the bag. Many sellers selling fake bags boast about the fact that they have the "original" plastic on the handles and the tags attached......when all they are boasting about is that their bag is NOT genuine!

They will come with NOTHING attached to them. The authenticity cards etc are always provided seperate from the bag.

So in summary.....below is a picture of a genuine Dior bag with all the items you would get with it and how is would come straight from the shop....

So, if in doubt about a Dior bag - read my guide and question your seller about the bag.

Also, you can message me via eBay with the item number and I would be happy to have a look for you.

Remember, if it seems like too much of a bargain or you can't believe the price - your probably looking at a fake!

I hope you find this guide useful in your search for a genuine Dior bag on eBay!