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.

DIOR LEATHER BAGS

Materials

Dior makes bags in calfskin, lambskin, and various exotic leathers, including ostrich, python and alligator.  There are also leather bags that are stamped to look like exotics.

Hardware

The hardware on Dior bags could be the standard goldtone or silvertone metal, gunmetal, or a range of antiqued metals, including bronze and pewter finish.

In general, the hardware on Dior bags is stamped with CD or Christian Dior, although the specifics vary by model.  Footed bags may or may not have CD stamped on the feet.  Most leather bags also have at least one piece of metal hardware in the shape of the C and D for Christian Dior, or the D for Dior, or all of the letters of the name.

Check the font of any stamping on the hardware against a photo of a bag you know to be authentic.   The font is often slightly off on counterfeit bags.

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

LINING

Leather bags may be lined in signature jacquard (either the cannage or logo style), in plain faille or in satin.  Some of the very recent bags are lined in suede (the Rebelle line and the Jazz Club line, for example, as well as some of the versions of the Dior Soft shopper). 

The lining color varies depending on the model and color of the bag.  However, in general  black bags are lined in black, and brown bags are lined in brown.  Light color bags (pink for example) may be lined in pink or in some other color (black, silver, ivory, even green).

On the Lady Dior style bags, black and navy bags are often lined in red.

Logo style jacquard lining.

The lining in all cases is woven.  It has a diagonal weave to it that should be visible when you look closely. 

The logo should NOT be raised, and the lining (except for satin linings) should NOT be shiny.

Occassionally, special and/ or limited editions may feature an unusual lining.  The original version of the black Dior Samourai Knot bag has a patterned fabric lining, for example.  These variations are exceptional however.

INTERIOR TAG

All Dior bags since the 1990s have a Dior tag attached to the interior.  It is a rectangle that is wider than it is long and it is always roughly the same size (approximately 1 inch wide).

Photo of current tag (and hardware) from the Dior Flight bag.

Since the mid-1990s, the tag has been stitched all the way around the outside.  It is stitched across the top where it joins to the bag.

Bags from the early 1990s may have a tag that is not stitched, but it will be the same size, shape and composition as the current tag.

Counterfeit bag with shiny logo lining.  Tag is irregularly shaped, not stitched around edges, font is incorrect.

Bags prior to the 1990s do not have tags.

The tag on current bags is ALWAYS located in the middle of the top edge of the zipper pocket or interior pocket.

Except on small items (wallets and some evening bags) the tag is ONLY stitched across the top.  It should NOT be stitched completely to the lining, but should lift up so that the underside can be read.

On many counterfeit bags, the label is stitched all the way around to the lining and does not lift up (see photo below).

Counterfeit bag with shiny logo lining, tag is stitched down to lining.  This tag should have silver embossed writing because the hardware is silver, but the writing has no color.  It is merely stamped to the bag.

On current bags (post 2005 or so), the tag is stamped (on the front)  "Christian Dior" then "Paris" underneath, and then "Made in Italy." 

There will be a code made up of letters and numbers on the reverse.  This code is not a serial number.  It is a date and style code.  This means that bags of the same style and season should have the same (or nearly identical) codes.

On bags between the 1990s and 2005 or so, the front of the tag reads "Christian Dior" and "Paris" and the back says "Made in Italy" and then features the serial number.

Older version of the tag on the Dior Deco bag, lined in satin with front and back of tag.

The tag is typically the same color and composition as the leather the bag is made from. It is NOT true, as stated in another guide on Dior, that the tag and interior are always black. 

For example,  a black lambskin bag should have a black lambskin tag. 

BUT a taupe suede bag should have a taupe suede tag and a pink suede bag with pink leather handles should have a pink leather tag.

 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). 

LIMITED EDITION BAGS

Limited edition bags prior to 2000 or so have tags that are identical to other Dior bags with the sole exception being that they have a number under the serial code (1/300  or simply 255, for example). 

More recent limited edition bags have metal plates on the front of the tag that contains the number of the edition.

Tag from a limited edition of the Dior Soft Shopper (done for the 100th anniversary of Neiman Marcus).

OTHER DETAILS

In general, Dior bags have been made in Italy since the 1990s.  There are some bags (most notably the saddle bag style) that are or were made in Spain.  This is still the exception rather than the rule.

Dior handbags have not been made in France since prior to 1990. 

Many wallets do not have a Dior label at all and are merely stamped "Christian Dior" and "Paris somewhere on the leather (usually on the interior). 

The interior zipper pull on most Dior bags is a leather rectangle. 

To my knowledge, only the saddle bag has the metal CD zipper pull.

Many counterfeit bags of all models use the CD zipper pull.  On any style but the saddle, this is a red flag. 

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).    I also have some Dior gallery guides with photos of various styles (soon to be updated).

THINGS TO REMEMBER

1.  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 Dior.com, Dior.co.uk 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 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. 

2.  At any given moment, up to half the Dior bags listed on Ebay could be counterfeit.  It has gotten better.  I can remember a time when it was probably 80% but buyers should still be careful.

3.  Dior does not wholesale to anyone.  Even the boutiques in department stores are run by Dior (in Paris), and mainline retailers like Neiman Marcus are the only online retailers that I am aware of who sell authentic Dior at retail.  It is not possible for individuals to obtain Dior items at wholesale.  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. 

4.  Sometimes overstock and liquidation sellers such as Overstock or Bluefly have Dior as well, but they do not always verify their suppliers.  If you are going to buy from them, you should have your item independently authenticated.

5.  When buying on Ebay, know your seller.  Check the seller's feedback and read it carefully.  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 the photos they have.  I recommend asking for an unusual aspect or angle of the bag--something they would have to take themselves.

6.  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.

7.  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.

8.  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.

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.

_____________

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.