Welcome to MAISON-DE-VUITTON's

Reviews & Guides Page.

(This is a work in progress)

After many years of buying, owning, & selling Louis Vuitton, we have aquired extensive knowledge on almost all the products available. Owning an authentic Louis Vuitton is a great previlage. They are quite expensive & can cost you a small fortune over time. If you are buying for the 1st time or your 20th, take the time to fully understand & appreciate what you are buying. From conceptual drawings, the materials used, time spent in production, to the finished product. Louis Vuitton prides itself in making flawless & highly crafted products with noble materials & skilled artisans.   

I would say that there are 3 things that can distroy your Louis Vuitton bag. 

First being water. Water can distroy your bag over time. I never understood people who just place thier bags on any surface without looking or who carry a vachetta bag in full rain or snow. I often see Alma & Cabas bags with huge water stains on the bottom & on the handles & think to myself  "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?". People often say that this gives "character" to the bags, but I believe that a water stains is not character. I call that neglect. "Character" is how the leather patinas over time from the oils from your hands & the way the bag shapes & molds to your body like the Croissant, Coussin, or Abbesses. I am not suggesting that you never use your bags in fear of getting water stains on it, but by taking basic steps of common sense, you can get the full life of your bag for years.

The second is Heat. NEVER EVER leave your bags or accessories in your car in summer. The summer heat will cause discoloration to the canvas & could even melt the canvas. Both are beyond repare. Keep them away from any sources of heat altoghther. Sun & Heat can distroy all bags that have untreated calf skin leather.  I find that the Monogram Vernin Leather line is the most delicate, even more than the Multicolore Line. The Vernis line is beautiful but "transfers" very easily when in contact with other items (magazines, newspapers, anything plastic, & other bags) & is unrepearable. It seaps into the pores & will never come out. Suhali bags are very delicate as well.

Last summer (in 90 degree heat) my friend left her black Suhali L'Ingenieux in her car for about an hour. She figured that it would be alright. She is crying about it till today. The back half had remained it's original color & the front had discolored to a pale blue with spots. The hairspray bottle she had inside the bag had busted due to the preasure & spilled all onto the linning. Her lipstick melted & also stained the interior linning.

 The third is Cold. The cold winter hardens soft canvas & will make it crack. Although Louis Vuitton's canvas & leathers are strong & sturdy, they are no match for winter cold.

Louis Vuitton bags need kept in a room where the temperature is regulated. I suggest to stuff the bag with white cotton towels or sheets & place in the sleeper bag in the box when not in use. This helps control the hummidity & keeps the shape of your bag. Store the boxes away from kids & pets. A child or pet does not know the difference between their toy or the $1500.00 bag you just brough home.

Whether you buying from Ebay, a second hand shop, or a friend, there are 2 things I have to say:

1) Know who you are buying from.

2) Always get your bag authenticated from the Louis Vuitton manager.

THE FAKE BAG ISSUE

What can I say about fake Louis Vuitton's that you haven't already heard before?

 We live in world where fake bags run rampid & are all around us. Almost everyone & their grandmother are carrying fake Vuitton bag. Hold your head up proud that your bag is Authentic. Most people who carry fake bags do not understand what they are carrying. They cannot appreciate what it is to have a real Vuitton. Hopefully one day they will toss that junk in the garbage when they loose interest. A true fan will keep on wearing thier real Vuitton forever. 

CAN YOU TELL IF A BAG IS AUTHENTIC BY A PICTURE?

Well..... yes & no. Super copies are being made harder to destinguish. They are even making bags with the six point screws, correct date codes, real leather & proper aligned LVs. They got some "inside secrets" from ex employees of Vuitton that are now making millions selling thier secrets to the producers of fake bags.

You really have to have an eye on what to look for.

For example, can you tell the difference between the two?

LOUIS VUITTON    - L0UIS VUITT0N

Fake bags have the O shaped like a zero (0), because Vuitton used to stamp some of their older bags. When you see a newer bag stamped this way on the interior of the bag or on the key chochette - L0UIS VUITT0N - it is a FAKE!

This 1 little thing can tell you if the bag is real or not. The makers of the fake bags haven't figured out all the secrets yet, but they are getting better at it with time. A seller trying to make a quick buck is not looking for small details. They think that if it looks real to them that it will look real to you. They think that if they are selling a super copy that no one can tell.

One big scam out there is that the seller will post pictures of an authentic bag & ship you a fake bag or fill the box with something heavy. Either way you end up with garbage. I am not saying that international sellers are not to be trusted. Just make sure you know who you are buying from.

I have found that the 2003 Cherry Blossom Collection is the most difficult for LV stores to authenticate since only selected stores carried them & for a very small amount of time (less than 2 months).

Here is the breakdown for the entire line.

Retro - made in Spain - Brown/ Pink - Pink/ Pink - Cream/ Red

Papillon - made in France - Brown/ Pink - Pink/ Pink - Cream/ Red

Pochette - made in France - Brown/ Pink - Pink/ Pink - Cream/ Red

Porte-tresor International - made in France - Brown/ Pink - Pink/ Pink - Cream/ Red

Coin Wallet - made in France - Brown/ Pink - Pink/ Pink - Cream/ Red

Coin Key Chain - made in France - Brown/ Pink - Pink/ Pink - Cream/ Red

Mirror - made in France - Brown/ Pink - Pink/ Pink - Cream/ Red

A FEW POINTS TO KNOW:

* It is not always possible to authenticate a bag just with pictures. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

*Just because they are a Power Seller, does not mean they are selling authentic bags.

*An international seller with 0 feedback & is a definate red flag.

*If the only picture is a downloaded LV picture, DON'T BUY.

*Ask for many specific detailed pictures.

*I love the offer to buy off Ebay when the item has not "met the reserve". HA!

*Stay way from Yahoo. I don't know why, by Yahoo dosn't really care about all the fakes on thier wab site.

*If the deal it too good to be true, it is. You cannot get an almost new bag for almost nothing. If this were true I would have bought every cheap authentic bag on Ebay.

SOME PIONTERS TO KEEP YOUR BAG SAFE WHEN YOU GO OUT

DO NOT HANG your bag any place where you do not have access to it or it is not visible to you.

KEEP YOU KEYS seperate from you wallet containing identification with your home address.

CARRY A MINIMAL amount of money & identification on a daily basis.

PUT YOUR MONEY AWAY immediately following a transaction.

CARRY YOUR BAG with the flap facing your body or with the zipper in view.

DO NOT WEAR your purse with the strap across your body. If someone tries to grab it you may get hurt.

AVOID SHOWING how much money you are carrying.

MAKE SURE your purse is closed at all times.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR PURSE OR WALLET UNSUPERVISED AT ANYTIME.

We hope that you find this page helpful. Please give us a positive review if you do.

THANK YOU.