How to spot  fake Louis Vuitton items

First and foremost it is safe to assume that every Louis Vuitton item listed is fake unless it comes with a receipt from a Louis Vuitton store <--and can be verified.  According to wiki just over 1% of items bearing the LV monogram are authentic.  So what are the odds that the one you are buying is real? close to 0.

 Until the 1980s Vuitton products were sold in department stores (Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue) Today, HOWEVER, the Louis Vuittons are sold in their boutiques with extremely few exceptions.

1. Research the kind you want

• Sometimes counterfeiters in their rush to sell their fakes don't realize that the item they are selling is not even in LV's catalog! <--I have actually seen that a couple of times on ebay
• Also sometimes they get the years wrong saying it came out years before it actually did.

1. Beware of "authenticity not known", "it was a gift", "family heirloom"

• It might be a gift but who in their right mind gives away a loui? I wouldn't...
  
• So then they will give you a sob story.  As true as it might be you are not in the business of being a charity.  (If you are hit me up) You are paying for an item you expect to get your product they way it was promised, AUTHENTIC.
  

Even Britney got sued for rocking fake LVs in a video so don't fool yourself. If you don't mind rocking fakes then thats no problem but don't overpay for one and don't cry later.