I bought a Prada bag on Craigslist for $30. It's very nice. I have never had a designer bag before. I am not sure if it's really a Prada it has the in insignia and everything is way better made than anything I have ever had. The leather is like "butta baby". It's red and extremely nice. I am happy with it even if it's not "real". I googled it and did not find anything similar.

I am pretty excited she said her friend got it in Italy for her and it's not her style but it is not brand new.

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That sounds beautiful!

I don't think I'd notice the things to look for that would help decipher a "real" from a "fake" anyway.

My sister bought a Vera Bradley bag (those quilted cloth ones) on eBay by doing a search with an intentionally mispelled name in the search. She got a good deal that way!

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As long as you love it, that's all that matters. Real or Fake

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Sounds really pretty to me! I love red bags! Enjoy it! ~Lisa

awesome-it sounds gorgeous!

Thanks I am very excited!

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Congrats, and wear it proudly as if it were real...whether it is or not.

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Have the courage to be yourself.

If it's fake, you won't fool anyone and you'll look like the fool.

People who wear fake bags are a joke.

Long as you like it.

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I hope I don't sound like a snob, but I agree with this somewhat.

Counterfeit designer wares are illegal to sell and are an infringement of copyright materials. It is a federal offense as well, if it was mailed through the US mail. The counterfeit designer goods industry is a multi billion dollar industry that funds the likes of terrorism and child slave labor, among other things.

I am not that well versed in purses to know what's a fake and what's not.. so you wouldn't look like a fool to me, but I make sure that if I do get a fake (and I find out), in the trash it goes so it does not make it's way to another victim.

I do know a bit about Coach and Louis Vuitton. Prada, a little, and Gucci a lot (love Gucci). But again, the fakes are SO GOOD now, that even if someone was standing in front of me with a fake, I wouldn't know unless I actually held it, looked inside at the lining and stiching and in some cases, I would have to pull back the tag to view the serial number (or lack there of). With Gucci, the zipper pulls are a big tip off as to whether it is fake or not.

In your defense, I do have to say that even someone shopping at TJMaxx or Marshalls get sold fakes many times. Most of the bags there are completely fake and some are not even good fakes at that. People will buy the real deal, then return a fake bag in it's place, get the money for the real bag, return a fake, soo they now have a real handbag AND the money.
You have to be very careful when shopping at the outlet/discount stores.

OTOH, I have found some great steals at the local thrift stores. I got lucky and I bought a $1200 Gucci that was almost brand new for only $99!!!! I was so stoked. I did get it authenticated, just because I could not believe. It is only from three seasons ago, and just blows my mind. I would NEVER, EVER be able to afford something like that in my lifetime (nor would I spend the money anyway).
What I do want to do is resell it to help pay for my sons college, along with many more in my purse collection. That is what I collect them for.. a rainy day. They actually hold their value well, and if you get a good deal in the first place, you can come way far ahead of the game.

Anyway, enough about purses! I would really, really be interested in finding out if it was real. You never know! It might be! Here is a reference for Prada, if you are interested.

1) look at the prada name on the emblem, look at the R in prada if the right leg on the R is straight-- it's fake, if it curves in --it's real.

2) the background of the prada plate, usually should be the same color as the bag.

3) The metal on the bag even the buttons should be engraved with the word prada.

4) the tag inside the bag must say PRADA MADE IN ITALY exactly.

5) The lining should say prada going horizontal all over it ( For example: Prada~Prada~Prada~), it's Pradas signature lining that is used in most of their bags and the fake bags well have something that looks like it but it wont say prada!

6) It should have a serial number from prada and come with authenticity tags and a dust bag (please note if someone is selling a used Prada bag and all 5 things above are present but they do not have the item number, authenticity tags, or dust bag ask questions about where they bought it from, some people dont keep those things after buying a bag)!

Look for these 6 things and if all are present then you are good to go with your new authentic prada bag!



You can also contact caroldiva.com and she only charges $5 to authenticate. I think she does Prada's. not sure. Otherwise you might have to go to mypoupette.com. But they charge $10. Still worth it if you have a gem!

Good luck!!! If it is a real Prada, they are worth a lot of money! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I wanted to quickly add, some people are really passionate about fake handbags, to the point of being so incredibly rude and obnoxious. Some of these people are really freaky about it.

I am not sure if it is okay to post a link, but check out this thread and see what they did to this poor woman who only ASKED if something was authentic and then made the poor choice to say she liked it....

eBay Forums: Coach Signature HandBag (carly??) From ...

These people went all the way to contacting every goodwill in the Nashville TN area JUST to stop this evil from happening, since they didn't feel the girl was doing enough

Just for the record, I wanted you to know that I am not one of these types of people..but they are out there. One of these ladies even had the nerve to go up to a total stranger who was carrying a counterfeit bag and offer up her Authentic Louis Vuitton stating "Would you like to feel a real one?"

Unbelieveable. THESE are real snobs.

So just be aware, while they are few and far between, there are folks out there who have a hard on for fakes.... not sure why they make it their lifes mission..but they do!

Ouch....who pissed in your wheaties today?

While I personally would not buy a knock-off bag, I'm certainly not going to condemn anyone that does. Maybe the OP just really loves her bag. Can't you just leave it at that without being rude, elitist and bitchy?

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If I liked it I wouldnt care. I am not really into name brand stuff. I buy what I like , weather its name brand or what.

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I don't think most people would know the difference.

I carried a $50 knock off Louis Vuitton for years. I loved that purse. It also held up great - for being a "cheap imitation" it was an awesome purse.

I only stopped carrying it when DH bought me my 1st Dooney. I'm on my 2nd now. I still have the old Louis & Dooney, I may start carrying them again. They're all still in great shape.

I'm a one purse woman - I carry the same one for years.

Lisa

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I did too! I had bought a LV speedy from a garage sale about ten years ago. I was so excited. I made dh scrounge for change in his car (it was our last garage sale) just so I could buy it! For years, I carried this bag thinking it was authentic. I knew no different. It even fooled our very French Orthodontist, who made a comment about what a very nice, expensive hand bag it was (and then telling me that I was not getting a discount for the services after I asked him for a discount..LOL)

JUST this year, I found out, from these women on that board that my LV was a fake. I couldn't believe it! It was in bad shape anyway, and the whole reason I shared a pic of it with them is because I was considering getting it fixed or selling it. They wanted to see it, showing interest in possibly purchasing it. Well.....Boy did I get in trouble! LOL!!!!! haha

In the trash it went, but I have to admit I had a very sick feeling as I was throwing it away. Kind of like tossing a faithful friend to the curb because they weren't the superior kind that I thought they were.....It felt almost WRONG. LOL

But what can I say? I mean if the sale of these counterfeit goods does fund child labor, the illegal drug trade and terrorism, I will not take part in that at all. HOWEVER, I have often wondered how much of what we buy on an everyday basis that is made overseas is doing the same exact thing as what I do not support in counterfeit designer goods. From what I have researched, I have also found that some of the designers (LV, PRADA, COACH, etc) are made overseas probably in the same exact building that the counterfeits are being made....... so why would I think that their goods are not in some way also supporting these illegal activities?

"littlejo If I liked it I wouldnt care. I am not really into name brand stuff. I buy what I like , weather its name brand or what. "

I guess what it comes down to is that buying counterfeit is illegal. A counterfeit is illegal. Something that is not name brand, is not illegal. I completely support buying anything that you like, as long as it is legal. Buying a "look alike" or "copy" purse is not illegal, because it does not have the designers copyright name on the purse trying to pass it off as "authentic". There is NOTHING wrong with this! Some of the nicest purses I have seen have been "inspired by" purses. Great leather, great workmanship at a fraction of the cost of a designer authentic. The only thing is, that same investment, could also go into buying a nice used Prada, Gucci, Coach, etc and you still have great resale value where you can either gain your initial investment back, or earn more than what you bought it for. This is really the only difference.

I consider buying authentic designer purses an investment-no different than buying stocks or bonds. They sometimes gain value, esp if they are a sought after style, but in most cases they retain most of their value, at the very least (unless you trash them).

Anyway, I have enjoyed talking purses with you all! It is my passion, can you tell??? What a great way to spend a day! lol!!! My dh, OTOH, thinks I am nuts. But I think he is nuts for collecting fishing tackle..so we call it even.

Still curious if the OP has a gem or not... and my fingers are hurt from being crossed!

They may be snobs, but if you read through it carefully, they do make some good, legitimate points in not carrying fake bags.

as I posted in another thread here , I just dont buy something cause of the name of it. I wouldnt know a gucci if I saw one. I had a family member who always gave me agnar or how ever you spell it purses every yr for christmas. I gave them to a friend of mine who reallly liked them. Right now, I carry a pocketbook that a member here made and gave me in the secret pal swap and I love it. I would rather have something like that than a name brand something. she put alot of work and love in that bag and I treasure it. Those are the best kinds of things to have.
If i was at a yard sale and there was a Prada bag there and someone didnt point it out to me and tell me that is what it was, I wouldnt know.

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After looking at a lot of things and taking things into consideration I cannot use this bag in good conscience it is a fake. I contacted the girl I bought it from she offered to take it back but I told her I would love my money back but the bag has to be either destroyed or sent to Prada I am waiting for a response.

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Do you really think she's gonna do that? Nope, she's just gonna put it back on Craigslist and sell it to someone else.

I would say if you like the bag you should keep it. You haven't proven that the bag is a fake, and from what you say, you didn't go out to the flea market looking for a knock off. I've seen authentic bags sold for cheap like this when people just want to get rid of it. I have wealthy friends that give their designer bags away or take them to Goodwill when they tire of them.

Don't let the folks on here guilt you into getting rid of the purse if you really like it. Use this as a learning experience as to what to look for the next time you decide to purchase a designer item.

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I guess that I am not into designer bags at all. I see that some are very passionate about them. Is it comparable to thinking that you have a diamond, but later learning it really is fake? Is it really necessary to actually destroy the bag if you suspect it is fake? I would never in my right mind do that.

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I'm with you, Crittles.

The bag's out there, once it's made. What's wrong with donating it to the Goodwill, so that someone who is excited about access to this bag (real or fake) gets it? The fake-maker doesn't get paid twice - actually, doesn't some good come from it if it goes through Goodwill, in that someone who is less fortunate can opt to buy it, and the money helps important causes/charities?

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They surely do. I do not disagree with their reasoning. What I do disagree with is how they treat people about the counterfeits. That is what turns me totally off. I can say, that I have learned a lot from them in the process of my "hobby". But I also know when you are crossing a line ..

I will only share about purses when the topic gets brought up. I am not an "in your face" kind of person, and I only put out there what is factual, as far as what I have studied or read up about that I believe to be factual. I am not an expert, by any means. I just love designer purses and find them a great investment. That's it.
I would never, ever, wish that someone gets pointed at, and laughed at on the street just because they are carrying a fake. I also would not ridicule or verbally abuse another in the way that some of these ladies, that are THAT passionate about counterfeits, can be.

I couldn't give a rats patooey if soneone knows I am carrying a designer purse or not. As a matter of fact I prefer the ones that DON'T have the name plastered all over them. My Gucci, you wouldn't know it was designer unless I told you. It is just the most fabulous buttery leather all over. No G's, No Gucci except on the hardware and even then it is alittle imprint. OTOH, my Coach Signature drives me nuts. While it is a nice purse, it is the fabric I hate. It gets dirty easy and screams: LOOK AT ME! I get more compliments with that purse than I do with my Gucci (which is none, cause no one notices it..LOL) but yet it is worth four times LESS than the Gucci. I have seen plenty of Wal Mart purses that I have adored that my friends are wearing. When I ask them where they got their purse, they say Wal Mart, and I am stunned. But not surprised. I am all about quality, and some of those purses seem to be good quality. It's just you don't get back your investment with a Wal Mart purse.

Anyway, Anna, I am sorry to hear that you think it isn't authentic. Maybe you should have the seller get it authenticated through Caroldiva?

Have you thought of posting pictures of the purse on the ebay forum that I linked to, and see what they say, just in case???

You do what your heart tells you though. But I guess if the seller gives you back your money, you just have to give it back to her. That would be the right thing to do. I wouldn't keep it or destroy it. Just like with Paypal, you have to send the purse back, or send it to them in the same condition you received it.

Of course, then paypal sends the purse off to their wholesalers who RESELL it on another website! But that is another story.........

The difference is that a CZ does not infringe on any copyright. It is not stealing someone else's name to get a higher price for a cheap imitation. It also is not illegal to sell a CZ. Now if the CZ manufacturer passed off its fake diamond as an Antwerp Diamond..well....then you have a problem. Now, you are infringing on the copyrighted name and that would be illegal. Just the same if someone took a crystal and called it a Swarovski and make it appear to be so with the name and all, and it really wasn't. Again, illegal and an infringement. NO different than counterfeit money, IMHO.

Counterfeiting also cheapens the brand and lessens it's overall value.

I do believe it's necessary to destroy it as someone else pointed out it is no better than counterfeit money and I also read that the first attack on the Twin Towers was financed in part by sales of counterfeit bags.

I would not buy a bootleg movie or album I don't want to have this. I have already destroyed it and I guess I am just out the $30.

What bugs me is that she said her friend bought it in Italy last month. That was what got me I know that there are less expensive designer bags there and I thought this might be a low end $200 purse that she did not like or something.

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Wow, you already destroyed it? Are you sure it was a fake?

Really, the Twin Tower massacre was financed by counterfeit bags?

Where is that information coming from? It seems a bit over the top to me.

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Counterfeit Bags May Have Links To Organized Crime, Terrorism - Milwaukee News Story - WISN Milwaukee

Fakes -- fake handbags -- counterfeit fashion

Counterfeit goods are linked to terror groups - International Herald Tribune

Behind Knock Off Designer Handbags

Just to name a few

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The saying goes, "a person is as fake as the bag she carries".

Not trying to be mean, we actually laugh about it because we carry fakes here all of the time. I have a fake Kate SPade I am using right now that I got from a friend and I just love the pattern. You could take the label off, I don't really care what it says I just liked the bag. Most of mine are Tommy Hilfiger for some reason, it's just what I like and I;ve never seen anyone bother making a fake one of those.


ETA if you want to send me a couple of photos I can tell you for sure even though it probably is fake if you only paid $30.
flipper113@embarqmail.com

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OP, I can't believe that some people on this board actually guilted you into destroying a perfectly good handbag! This is a board for goodness sake!! Who CARES what people think! If you liked the bag, who cares if it's a fake? There are worse things in this world than a fake handbag! Oh, the horrors!!

Next time do some thinking for yourself, please. If you like something, get it and don't worry about what others think.

I agree with mom2twins2. You went from being very happy to being completely miserable and destroying a purse based on what strangers on a coupons message board wrote. I would at least have had the bag authenticated before I destroyed it. I read the posts on the link Ohhgodd provided and it's being too kind to call those distributes "passionate". The responses I read were unnecessarily hateful.

Note to self: Don't ever ask a question on the Ebay boards.

I agree too, it was silly to destroy the bag. You sounded so happy in your first post. Who gives a flying F what these people think?? I think it's a shame they guilted you into destroying something you said you loved.

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Good God you're a snob! How do you stand to live in this dinky little town (for those of you who don't know--we live in the same town) with no designer shops, no high end retailers, no French restaraunts, etc. ? While I'm sure you and I will never meet as we obviously have nothing in common---I would definitely be able to pick you out of a crowd--You'll be the one with your nose up in the air!

Who or what give you the right to be so uppity and sanctimonious!!??

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She could have just said she destoryed it, we dont know, but after being attacked cause of a bag I can see why she might have. If these bags have such a good likeness then 99% of the people you pass on the street would not know anyway. I dont understand the bag thing either but I dont get having a closet full of shoes and all that either, but it made her happy. sometimes people are like a black hole and want to suck the happiness out of others

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It's a purse people, to carry her stuff. She isn't funding terrorists or encouraging child slave labor she just bought it to enjoy. Lighten up a little!

side note to Ohhgodd--having put 2 kids through college on my own...you should probably have a backup plan for funding your son's college education in addition to selling your purse "investments"

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Sorry you were not able to enjoy your purse! I'm sure you made the decision that made you comfortable.

I do not seek out counterfeit bags, and don't attend purse parties. I have to say, though, that if I found I had one that I really liked was fake, it wouldn't change anything.

Wow, I am sorry guys, I really didn't think that I was being horribly condescending and I don't feel that I attacked her in any way. Show me where I did, if you feel I did. Maybe you all just need to read the complete posts instead of posting while only half reading what someone says.

OTOH, maybe you are right. I am sorry OP.. I hope I didn't guilt you into doing anything. Your orginal post wondered if it was real, that is how I took it anyway, and I posted information on fakes and how to tell if your prada was real.

Maybe I went overboard. I am sorry if I offended anyone.

Sandy, we do have a back up plan, actually a savings. Would it be any different if I said I was going to sell my collection of antiques or stocks and bonds to put my kids through college? Have you ever heard of parents that put their homes into second mortgages to put their kids through college? I think you are being just as judgemental as what you are saying I am. But thanks anyway.

By the way, I think that it is really sad that some of you can undermine Anna's intelligence and assume that she can't make her own decisions. I wouldn't have faulted her for keeping the bag, but yet you all are faulting her for destroying it, and now telling her that she doesn't have her own brain????

wow.

I did not base my decision on what the people on this board said exclusively. I have talked to many people IRL (remember there is life beyond the internet and I have a full one). I feel it's very important to stay true to my values and to set the record straight I am not "miserable" about this. I guarantee you that $30 (even once a week) would not make that big of a difference in the way I live.

I was excited when I thought I was getting something nice that someone did not like and I myself have sold expensive items simply because I nor anyone I knew had a use for them. So it was not that far out of the realm of reality that someone else might do the same. Not many people around here like a red bag but I do so maybe...

Thank you Ohhgodd for having some faith in me. LOL I did not feel attacked by you in any way I admired your sticking to your beliefs that is the kind of person I am and I saw myself in your post. I often post long posts "educating" people on the facts of an issue so I took no offense as a matter of fact it was your post that showed me it was truly a fake.
I DO have a brain and I take influence from all around me. That is how I learn and become the woman I am meant to be.

If some of you truly believe I based my decision solely on what was said here then I have not expressed myself very well I am not a pushover nor wishywashy by any means!

Thanks everyone for your input.

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