IF YOU THINK YOU BOUGHT AN AUTHENTIC ANYA HINDMARCH, I'M NOT A PLASTIC BAG FROM A HIGHLY REPUTABLE SELLER....READ THIS and THINK AGAIN.

This is a supplement to my previous guide to show more photos and details of a fake "I'm NOT A Plastic bag".   Before you read this guide, I recommend reading my previous guide on how to spot the fakes along with some of the other guides that are posted on Ebay.  In addition, please see the other FIVE guides I have listed on these bags.  I will be posted more soon also.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  There has been a rumor circulating that these bags are supposed to have ENGRAVED hardware (i.e., the metal rings/grommets).  The authentic bags DO NOT have engraved grommets! (Neither do the fakes but if you get a bag with engraved grommets it is fake.)  This was incorrect information posted at "The Bag Snob" website.  Someone received a fake (bad fake, it even had GOLD grommets) and she sent a picture of it to an AH retail store and the clerk said it was fake (which it was) but the clerk also said that all AH bags had engraved hardware.  While MOST AH bags have engraved hardware, the I'm Not A Plastic Bags DO NOT.  But there are MANY things to look for so PLEASE read ALL of my guides.

Ebay only allows 10 pictures per guide so I'm going to list as many guides as it takes to show you as many pictures as possible.

First and formost, I want to point out the fact that the OLD GUIDES are outdated and may be misleading if you are going by the information posted in them on how to spot the fakes.  You may read those checklists and come away thinking you have an authentic bag when that is far from the truth.  The fakes have been greatly improved since the original information was published.  There are new things to look for and I'm about to upset a number of sellers who are getting rich on their top notch fakes and their "how to spot the fakes" advice. 

You will not be scammed by these people after reading this.

Here is how counterfeiting works....Counterfeiters first see "photos" of the bags in magazines, just like we do.  Because they do not have all the details and are only going by photos (such as the one we've seen so many times of Keira Knightley carrying the bag) they just "wing" the copies (such as the ones that had embroidered letters).  Then, they get their hands on a real bag and "attempt" to make a good copy. These fool a few people but then people start catching on. Then they start refining the copies because more and more people learn how to spot the fakes and they want to keep "supplying" their buyers with more copies and they won't have many buyers for long if they are obviously fake.  Good fakes = more sales.  GREAT fakes mean LOTS of sales. So, the counterfeiters do exactly what you are doing - they study these guides.  Then they start making the refinements until they end up with a near perfect copy, also known as a Grade A Replica.

I have recently discovered that some of the bags on Ebay that appear to actually be authentic (they pass the regular guide checklist) are actually Grade A Replicas.  Determining a top level replica isn't really hard to the trained eye but can be very difficult for the average person.  It gets down to almost an animal instinct on the manufacturing process, when you look at the fakes long enough and study them in great detail, it becomes second nature. 

The grading system for replicas start at A (1A) and go up to AAAAA (5A).  I would say the good replicas on Ebay are at a level 3 (3A).  Pretty soon we will have level 5s which will only be identifiable under magnification and most people will not have a clue they have a fake.  The good thing for the counterfeiters is that a 5A replica in a canvas bag is very inexpensive to make.  When you move into leather replicas and top of the line leather replicas, this makes a huge difference in the cost for the counterfeiters so the number of 5A replicas you see aren't as numerous as they will be for the Anya Hindmarch "I'm NOT A Plastic bag".  Pretty soon, trying to buy one of these on Ebay will be a gamble no different from that at a blackjack table, even for someone who already owns an authentic bag.  BUT RIGHT NOW, if you pay attention to the details, you WILL be able to tell the difference.

And remember, replicas come with tags, receipts, packing slips, email confirmations, everything.  So, having these does not mean a thing.  An ORIGINAL receipt that can be confirmed original, such as a cash register receipt is about the best thing you can have.  The "receipts" that are large and white like a packing slip type receipt are so highly counterfeited it is ridiculous.  You need to learn the details to pay attention to on the actual bag.

I'm here to help the people who may not have any idea how to spot a really good replica.  Spotting a bad fake is easy.  Spotting a good replica is a whole new ball game.

Example:  You may have a bag that all seems fine according to the checklists that we see on Ebay..such as this:

1. Squared off A & Squared off N

2. Dot over the i is not attached.

3. The apostrophe is the correct shape.

4. The trim is the right color.

5. Stitching appears to be the right color.

6. The logo is the right size and looks good (spaces above the H).

7. The Capital I in "I'm" has the rounded little thing sticking out instead of the squared off thing.

8. It has the Handcrafted in China tag inside.

9. No felt backing around the inside letters.

10. Rope handles are correct length.

Your bag has all of these correct so therefore it is authentic, right?  Think again.

Now, I'm going to show you

the REAL things to look for in a REAL bag versus a Grade A Replica.

First thing, you have to look at the construction of the bag.  By construction, I mean, how the bag is put together, how it hangs, how the stitching looks....the details.

Here is one detail to start with:

REAL:                                                        FAKE:

Do you notice anything different about these silver rings that surround the rope handles?  See how the one on the left (on the real bag) is tightly sealed and highly polished and is rounded?  Now, look at the one on the right.  Do you see the little pieces of canvas and/or rope that is peeking through? See how the edges look more squared off?  This is an attention to detail that is missing.  This is a good quality replica bag yet this detail is not refined.  The piece is not put together tighly as it should be (because the counterfeiters are ALWAYS in a huge hurry to produce these) so little things like this happen.  Look in the inside of the large silver grommets that are on your bag.  Do you see little pieces of thread coming through the cracks? Are there possibly even little small dents in the metal?  If so, then more than likely, you have a fake.

Also, the chrome on the authentic bags is much more highly polished (shinier).  The fakes have what appears to be shiny metal but when you put it next to an authentic bag, you can easily see the difference.  Look again at the pictures above.  See how much shinier the ring on the left is compared to the fake on the right?  You can see my camera in the one on the left because it is so highly reflective. (the black spot)  The photo is from the same angle on the fake but you can not see my camera anywhere because it reflects less light.

Look below at the interior piping on these two bags:

REAL:                                              FAKE:

See how the piping on the left has a soft gathering to it, scalloped edge detail and nice rounded interior supports that allow it to stand upright and out, away from the canvas?  On the one on the right (the fake) the piping lies flat on its side up against the canvas. If you try to make it stand out like the one on the left, it will not.  It will keep going back to the same position (flat against the canvas).  Also, see how the stitching disappears into the fabric because it is so perfectly matched?

Now, it starts getting fun.  Look at the "s' below....see the nice, pretty little space between where the "a" and the "s" connect toward the bottom, where the little rounded ball on the bottom on the "s" is, on the left?  See that it is missing on the fake on the right? The space should be nice and clear like the one on the left.  I've compared a number of authentic bags and they ALL have the larger space like the one on the left.  Also, see how the tail on the top of the "s" is slightly longer on the authentic bag?

REAL:                                                          FAKE:

Now, look at the famous apostrophe we are supposed to make sure is the correct shape.  See, the shape is correct but the SPACING is not.  See how close the apostrophe is to the jut out piece on the "I" on the fake?  And how close it is to the "m" on the fake?  The only exception I have found to this "s" space issue is the Lavender Trust bag.  This space isn't as wide, even on the authentic bags.  But all of the other colored bags should have this space.  If your bag is missing this space, you need to compare all of the other details so figure out whether or not your bag is fake.   Example:  Your colored trim at the top of the bag MUST have scalloped, not straight, edges! 

REAL:                                                       FAKE:

See, the little jut out piece is rounded like it supposed to be on the right, but the apostrophe is TOO CLOSE TO IT, therefore, it is fake.  It is also too close to the "m".  Also, see how the stitching sort of diappears on the authentic bag?  The stitching will be way more noticable on the fakes because the color isn't exactly correct and the material used is inferior.

Now, this next one is a little more advanced.  Here is what I want you to do.  I want you to take your bag and hold it by the handles.  Push in the sides so that they are folded "in" neatly.  Now, shake the bag gently by lightly dropping it up and down while holding the handles a couple of times and see if the sides collapse outward or if the side of the bag loses its shape.  I did this process on both of these bags and as you will see, the authentic bag kept its shape:

REAL:                                         FAKE:

See the nice lines on the authentic bag?  This is from quality construction.  Even on a canvas grocery bag, the contruction is still as it should be for a canvas bag endorsed by Anya Hindmarch.  Remember, this was a canvas grocery bag that retailed for $15 instead of the normal $3 for a no-brand, lesser quality canvas type bag.  The designer, Anya Hindmarch, is one of the most respected handbag makers in the world.  She is going to design a bag that will look like the on on the left.

You may be asking yourself, if this is such a good copy and I have to go to all of this trouble to tell, why should I care that it is fake? 

This is when I highly recommend doing research on what actually takes place in the counterfeit industry.  Turning a blind eye to this just so you can save a few dollars and try to impress your friends and a few strangers with a "knock-off" is just not worth it, I promise.   

Thank you for reading my guide.  Please vote "yes" below if you found any of this information helpful!

PLEASE SEE PART 3 OF THIS GUIDE FOR IMPORTANT UPDATES AND MORE PICTURES!!!