Continued from Part 5 on "METAL RINGS"....(PLEASE READ MY FIRST FIVE GUIDES BEFORE PROCEEDING)  There will be additional guides to cover different details posted soon!  So please check back!

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Anya Hindmarch I'm Not A Plastic Bag Guide to Fakes PART 6

"ROPE HANDLES & PIPING"

This guide (Part 6) will cover things to look for as far as the ROPE HANDLES and PIPING.  First of all, I'd like to say that the REALLY bad fakes have the longer handles.  Most of the newer fakes have the shorter handles that are basically the same length as the handles on the authentic bags.  But there are other details to look for and I'm going to give you some pointers on things to look for regarding the rope handles along with some information about the piping.

 At this point, if you have read my previous guides, you know the basic things to look for and hopefully some more advanced ways to spot the fakes, particulary replicas.  In case you aren't aware of this, over 80% of ALL designer handbags on Ebay are fake...and about 50% are replicas being sold as authentic.  Most people buy the replicas thinking they are real because they aren't as AWFUL as the bad knock-offs and people are trusting of the authenticity guarantee.  But MOST "100% guaranteed authentic" handbags on Ebay are FAKE.  Isn't that scary?  Please see my separate guide that covers this subject in greater detail.

Now, on to the the rope handles.....

The handles should have a "drop" of approximately 5 inches.  The drop is measured from the underside of the top of the handles to the very top of bag, where the trim begins.   Because this is a fabric bag, the measurement could be a few millimeters off  but absolutely no more than 1/4" inch shorter or longer than 5 inches.   Ideally, when lying flat, the drop should be just a notch under 5".

Some of the bad fakes have handles with a drop of as much as 6-1/2".  But most of the new fakes have handles that are the correct length so you have to look for other things.

The twine that wraps around the base of the handles should look thick, short and sturdy.  On some of the fakes, this part is too LONG.  I've counted the number of loops around and it should be 15 loops on average.  No more than 17 and no less than 14.  On some of the bad fakes, I have counted 20 loops around.  You can also tell by how uniform the binding is at the base.  It should form a nice triangular shape.  Some of the fakes have copied this pretty well but some of the bad fakes are WAY off.  See photos below:

REAL:                             FAKE:                                   COMPARISON:

And here is another bad rope base on a fake:

While it is about the correct height, see how the fake on the left is warped looking?  See the bumps and bulges? See how thin the twine is as compared to the authentic bag on the right?  This is why there are so many more loops going around (about 20) as compared to only 15 on the right, on the authentic bag.

Now, about the piping......

There is something very specific about the piping that you can look for which will clue you in as to whether or not the bag you are looking at in photos are real or not.  Sometimes it is difficult from a distance to spot things like the rope above or stitching....but even with a photo from a bit of a distance, you can look for something about the piping.    On an authentic bag, the piping that runs vertically will have a natural curve to it in a couple of places.  This is what allows the bag to conform the way it should and to have the nice form from good construction.   You will notice a couple of "squiggles" in the piping on an authentic bag.  On the fakes, the piping is almost arrow straight.  Look below:

REAL:                              FAKE:                              COMPARISON:

The authentic bag is on the far left.  See the little crook in the piping?  Now, look next to it.  I have three fake bags lying on top of each other showing how straight the piping is on the same section.  Now, look at the picture on the far right of the comparison.  See how straight the piping is on the fakes?  See the little squiggles in the piping on the right?  The one with the squiggles is an authentic bag.

 Can you tell which piping belongs to the authentic bag in this photo?  If you guessed the one on the FAR RIGHT, you are correct!

Look again below.....see the little squiggles on the REAL bag on the LEFT?  See how straight the piping is on the FAKE bag on the RIGHT?

REAL:                                  FAKE:

This continues PART 6 of my "How to Spot Fake Anya Hindmarch I'm NOT A Plastic Bag" guides.  There will be at least two more posted and possibly more.

I'm going to cover more details on the TRIM and also the LETTER A in future guides so please check back periodically to see the new info that I have posted!

If you are finding these guides to be helpful, please take a moment to register your vote so I will know that all of my efforts are helping you.  Thanks for taking the time to read my guide!  And as always, GET REAL, BUY AUTHENTIC!

ALSO, take the time to REPORT any fake that you receive or see on Ebay.  This situation is out of control and only WE can put a stop to it.  These lowlifes will continue to try to take advantage of people by selling their fake bags as authentic.  And remember, some of these sellers have just been taken themselves - fooled by a "supplier" who claims to have authentic merchandise.   Out of 100 bags that you see on Ebay described as "100 % Authentic" there may actually be ONE that is real.  So, do your homework, read the guides and ASK QUESTIONS!!!

Christi

PART 6