Hello, I am a Dior addict (and Chanel) and I have been selling my bags on ebay for several years.  Given the number of counterfeit or fake Dior bags on Ebay, and the misinformation in some other guides, I thought I would write my own to help buyers sort out genuine Dior from fake Dior.

Things to remember:

1.  I would say that at any given moment, half the Dior bags listed on Ebay are counterfeit.  It has gotten better.  I can remember a time when it was probably 80% but buyers should still be careful.

2.  To my knowledge (a saleswoman at Dior in the Galeries Lafayette in Nice once told me this) Dior does not wholesale to anyone.  Even the boutiques in department stores are run by Dior (in Paris), and Eluxury, Bluefly, and mainline retailers like Neiman Marcus are the only online retailers that I am aware of who sells authentic Dior.  This means that if you are contacted by someone offering to supply you Dior bags at wholesale, you should run away.  Such a person would likely be a counterfeiter. 

3.  Know your seller.  Check the seller's feedback and read it carefully.  Another guide says not to buy from anyone with less than 98% positive, and I would agree.  Always read comments.  Sometimes people leave a positive when there is a problem in order to get their money back, but their comments might be revealing.  Make sure the seller has not sold counterfeit bags in the past (one negative feedback saying the seller sold a fake might just be a nasty buyer, but if you see it more than once, beware).  Make sure the seller actually has the item pictured and has not stolen someone else's pictures (this is fairly common).  Check current and previous listings and see if the photos appear to have been taken in the same location.  You could ask to see another photo, but sometimes counterfeiters who steal photos do not post all they have.  I recommend asking for an unusual aspect or angle of the bag--something they would have to take themselves.

4.  Specific to Dior, check the Dior label inside the bag.  It is NOT true, as stated in another guide on Dior, that the tag and interior are always black.  Typically, the tag will be the same color as the LEATHER on the bag and will be of the same leather.  So a taupe suede bag should have a taupe suede tag; a taupe suede bag with taupe leather handles should have a taupe leather tag.  A combination leather and fabric bag should have a tag that matches the leather portion of the bag.  The lining color varies depending on the model and color of the bag.  Typically, the lettering on the bag's tag will be the same color as the hardware (silver for silver, gold for gold) although sometimes, the lettering is only embossed, or there is a combination (see below). 

Until a year or so ago, tags read "Christian Dior" and "Paris" on the front and "Made in Italy" and then the serial number on the back.  Several of the more current bags have the "Made in Italy" on the front.  Limited edition bags have a number of the front (1/300  or simply 255, for example).  Newer limited edition bags have metal plates on the tag, but the older ones do not. Dior handbags have not been made in France in living memory, by the way.  Some smaller items, such as wallets and evening bags may not have this label (only the Christian Dior embossed in the leather) or they may have a label that is sown to the lining and can not be lifted up.

There are counterfeit bags which attempt to copy the label.  Check the shape of the label as well as color and composition.  It should be perfectly rectangular.  It is typically stitched with regular, neat stitching all the way around.  It should be sewn, not glued, to the lining of the bag and you should NOT see larger stitches on each edge where the tag meets the lining. 

Some photos with bags and accompanying tags follow:

Newer version of the Dior label (front and back) from the Flight Bag

Pink Suede Dior Deco Bag w/ Tags (Note that the chain handle on this bag detaches; I have seen counterfeits of this bag, but the chain does not detach).

Just one example of a label on a counterfeit. 

The stitching is wrong, the font is incorrect. 

Note the shiny lining on this bag as well.

Here is the label on the authentic version of the bag (the cannage drawstring bag). 

Note the differences in label and lining, and the rivets.

This is another label on a counterfeit bag (this is a copy of the soft shopper tote).

Note that the position of the label is incorrect (it should be stitched to the zipper closure not to the lining below the zipper).  The tag on this bag probably does not lift up (judging by its placement).  The font  on the tag is incorrect.  The lining is shiny, and the rivets on the bag are incorrect (although you can not see them clearly).  They are inverted at the center and do not have the horizontal line of the authentic bag.

Example of a limited edition plate on the Peace and Love bag.  Note the placement of the label and the difference in the lining from the bag above.

Example of a limited edition plate from the embroidered Lady Dior shopping tote. Again, note placement of the tag and rivets.

5.  Check the lining of the bag.  Dior lines in faille (which is a plain fabric--for example the Malice bag is often lined in faille), in satin (as in the Deco bag) or in signature jacquard.  The jacquard comes in various logo prints depending on the age of the bag, but it is WOVEN and the print is woven, not printed, onto the fabric.  You should be able to see the weave of the jacquard in a photo, and it should not look shiny.

6.  The interior zipper pull on most Dior bags is a leather rectangle.  To my knowledge, only the saddle bag has the CD pull, although many counterfeit bags of all models use this.  Also, typically the hardware on Dior bags is marked.  One exception is the snap closure which is marked on some bags and not on others.

Marking on feet from the Saint Germain bag.  Marking may say "CD" or "Christian Dior."

7.  There is not space to give specifics on all Dior models, however, since the Lady Dior is often copied, I have a separate guide for it (ebay only allows ten pictures). 

8.  Always know what the handbag you are interested in really looks like and how much it retails for.  For current bags, photos are available at Eluxury and NeimanMarcus.com.  You won't be able to see every detail, but it will give you a good idea.  If you live near a Dior retailer, go in and actually look at the bag.  And, as I say, check the price.  I have seen many sellers grossly exaggerate the retail price of a bag, and I have seen buyers pay more than retail, believing they were getting a bargain.

I have a separate guide which is a gallery of some of Dior's styles.

9.  Some cautions, of course, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. If you see a Dior bag listed with a very low buy it now price, be suspicious.  People often start the bidding low, but the prices go up.  If you win a Dior bag in an auction for $35, its not that you got a good deal, its that everyone else knows something you don't (like its fake). Price, however, does not necessarily indicate authenticity.  I have seen counterfeits listed for close to retail, especially on current bags.  Check the details.  Be especially careful with bags made of the grained calfskin, as the counterfeiters are able to simulate this with rubber synthetics, and it looks like the real thing in the photos, although to the touch it feels different and is not nearly as heavy as leather.

10.  ALWAYS pay with a secure payment method (credit card) and if it is a large purchase, consider a service like Moneybookers and using their escrow function.    If you get a fake, first contact the seller and try to get a refund.  If you need authentication, ebay recognizes mypoupette.com.  You can get an initial opinion from the CAB board on Ebay, but if you need a written statement you should contact mypoupette.  Dior boutiques will often authenticate, but good luck getting anything in writing.  Also, more and more these days, the people on the CAB discussion board know more than the sales people in the boutiques.  YOU SHOULD ALSO READ MY GUIDE ABOUT PAYPAL TO UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATIONS OF THEIR BUYER PROTECTION.

11.  Never buy fakes.  It's illegal.  It also supports terrorism, organized crime, sweatshop labor, and I think it is just bad taste.  Authentic bags are made of quality materials by people paid a decent wage.  If taken care of, they last forever, and they look good forever too.  If you can't or don't want to buy new (and pay new prices), then buy used; it's a chic form of recycling and the planet thanks you.

I have kept some details about these bags to myself on purpose.  The counterfeiters read these guides, and we don't want to give them tips on what to fix. 

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE AUTHENTICITY OF A DIOR ITEM ON EBAY?  SIMPLY GO TO ANY OF MY ACTIVE LISTINGS, SELECT "ASK SELLER A QUESTION" AND CHOOSE THE "AUTHENTICITY" OPTION.  PROVIDE ME THE THE LISTING NUMBER AND I WILL ANSWER YOU.

There are some excellent guides and sites on other couture labels already out there.  May I recommend my guide to authentic Chanel (holograms and authenticity cards)

as well as my favorite guide to Chanel handbags from Burberry_Princess (it also has link to other guides):

Burberry_Princess' Chanel Guide

I would also recommend:

Pinchrosemary's Guide to Fendi

and

Fashionphile's Guide to Louis Vuitton

Finally, when you get your authentic Dior, love it and enjoy it. 

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IF YOU FOUND THIS GUIDE HELPFUL, PLEASE VOTE "YES" TO IT.  PEOPLE SEARCHING WILL SEE THOSE GUIDES WITH THE MOST VOTES FIRST.  SOMETIMES COUNTERFEITERS VOTE "NO" ON THESE GUIDES TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SEEING THEM.