Here is the ultimate self-authentication guide to help you 1) determine your seller's integrity, and 2) determine the authenticity of the chloe Paddington bag you want to buy from an Ebay seller - or already did buy. Happy reading, and please, if you do find this guide helpful, be sure and vote for it down at the bottom of the page:-) The obvious way to ensure that you have purchased an authentic Paddy is to buy it directly from your local boutique. Just please know that while there are those shady sellers on Ebay, there are also many excellent sellers as well. I have been selling - and buying - on Ebay for seven years now, and I have learned a lot about how to recognize an honest seller, and how to tell the authentic Paddington from a fake.
The first step toward purchasing your authentic item - whether it's by Chloe, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, or any other designer you might be craving - is to be able to recognize an honest seller. Getting to know your seller:. Little or No Feedback - Just because a seller has little or no feedback doesn't mean they are scam artists.
All sellers, good or bad, have to start somewhere. Don't let this scare you out of purchasing what may be an authentic bag. Negative Feedback - Obviously, when a past customer left a negative feedback remark, 'FAKE BAG', you should not purchase from this seller - no matter how authentic the bag seems.
Positive Feedback - This is a very good indication that the seller is honest, however go through and read old feedback to see what they have sold in the past. You want to make sure they aren't constantly selling the same items over and over, as that would be a sign they migh be selling good fakes to unsuspecting customers. Private Listings - This definitely a flag that the seller could be shady, however I know of many honest top sellers on Ebay who for some reason, prefer their auctions to be private. No worries, as you can still check and see what the seller has sold - EVEN IF THEY HAVE PRIVATE LISTINGS. Simply click on 'Advanced Search' next to the Ebay item 'Search' bar, and on the next screen that pops up, look to the left side and click on 'Items by Seller'.
Another screen will pop up, and in the middle there will be a place where you will enter the sellers Ebay ID. The next and final screen that will come up will be a list of all item that were listed/sold by that seller within the last 15 days. HINT: Shady sellers will usually list the smae items over and over - and for mere pennies on the dollar. Authenticity/ Return Policy - Anyone can guarantee an item to be authentic, however it is best not to make an online purchase from any seller who will not allow returns. However, if there is a case where you must have the bag, then make sure your payment goes through Paypal.
Then, if you find yourself having to file a claim, you will be insured and ensured that you will get your money back. Item location - Beware of sellers who appear legitimate, but are selling an item that will ship from a seperate location. More than likely, that is someone after a quick buck - yours!. Power Seller Status - Just because the seller is a power Seller, you still need to check all of the above mentioned items, to ensure the seller has consistently maintained the integrity you expect as a buyer. The authentic Chloe Paddington: Before I get into 'Real vs. Replica', let me mention that no matter what any seller says - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FACTORY SECOND CHLOE HANDBAG!! The replica Paddington bags can look very much like the authentic bag from a distance, so be sure and ask for photos of the following specifics if they aren't already provided in the auction.
REAL: Chloe uses unbelievable thick and 'smooshy' leather to make the Paddington. Both the texture and color will be slightly uneven and natural looking - and it will smell DIVINE!
REPLICA: Though the fakes are looking better these days, most of the time, they will be made from thinner, lighter weight leather that is uniform in texture and color. And because the makers use a cheaper, faster process to dye the leather, they usually have a strong 'chemical' smell. And some replicas are so bad, the color looks like painted on plastic - YUCK!! REAL: The handles of an authentic Paddy are made a certain way - with the 'padded insert' of the handle being totally hidden.
All you should see when looking at the underside of the handle where it attaches to the bag, is a slight 'hump' which is sewn in between the two leayers of leather which make up the handle. REPLICA: This is a dead giveaway for the fake - all fake bags have visible padded inserts in the handle. If it isn't shown, ask the seller for a photo of the underside of the handle where it attaches to the bag. If you can actually see the insert, you know the bag is fake. REAL: Above the interior zippered pocket is a strip of leather.
Chloe Marcie Bag Medium
Stamped very delicately into it should be 'Chloe', and then centered under that, 'MADE IN ITALY'. You should barely be able to read it. REPLICA: Replica Paddys will have those words, however they will be very bold and deep in the leather. This is another dead giveaway the bag is fake. REAL: Becasue the hardware on an authentic paddy is solid brass, each piece will be in various stages of oxidization. The round studs will also be darker than the side buckles and lock.
REPLICA: The hardware is usually a lighter, shinier brass color which doesn't oxidize or darken because it is made from a cheaper metal alloy containing a small amount of brass properties. REAL: One side buckle will have 'Chloe' neatly and precisely stamped onto the top of it, while the other buckle will have the same thing stamped on the underside. REPLICA: Most replicas have this as well, however the lettering is sloppy, and in some cases barely legible. REAL: The Chloe lock is something that no one can seem to replicate perfectly. It is made from shiny brass, and then coated with a darker matte finish. It is very heavy, weighing a whopping 1/2 pound! The number of visible stitches that are sewn onto both edges of the leather logo strip should be no more than 9 or 10. Also, notice the bottom of the lock when it is face up, and the word 'Chloe' is visible.
The keyhole should be rightside up. One last thing - the screws on the back should be flat head, not phillips head. REPLICA: In most cases, the locks will only have one or two of the lock characteristics incorrect, and in other cases, they are just all wrong!
Just be sure and check off each of the above mentioned characteristics to be sure. REAL: Authentic Paddys will be lined in a fine corduroy fabric, with the little lines running at a slight diagonal. The colors can either be a light ivory color, or a dark brown - for some reason, the colors were constantly inter-changed. REPLICA: Replicas can have the same colors, but will be made from a cheaper cotton canvas, and won't have the fine lines that corduroy has. REAL: If there is a rounded and folded 'Chloe' tag present, it should be made from Ivory colored paper which also has raised 'corduroy' lines running horizontally. The word 'Chloe' will also be raised.
There are two stickers with the bag's information, and those can either both be inside the folded tag, with one located on the back of the top part of the tag, and the other located on the top of the bottom part of the tag - and both facing rightside up when the tag is opened fully. Or it can have one sticker located on the front of the bottom part of the tag, and the other sticker on the bag of the bottom part of the tag. Alos, the model number should be specific to that bag, and the color should be named as well.
REPLICA: Most fake bags have this type of tag, but the dead giveaway is that the little stickers will be either upside down, or there will only be one sticker. Also, the space where the color shold be is blank. REAL: All authentic Paddys have a serial number which is heat-stamped onto a little leather tag, and sewn into the seam of the interior zippered pocket. On the older bags, the font will be smaller, and will appear upside down from the seam. The newer bags have a larger font, and are read rightside up from the seam. REPLICAS: If there is no serial number present, the bag is fake.
Chloe Marcie Handbags
I've read that the numbers can be rightside up from the seam on older bags, and upside down from the seam on newer models, but in my experience, I haven't seen any like that, so my personal opinion is to steer clear of those. REAL: All authetic Paddys have YKK zippers. NOT Riri, NOT Lampo, and NOT generic. REPLICA: Any other zipper than a YKK - it's a fake! Well, there you have it. Some tips on finding an honest seller, and an authentic Chloe Paddington bag. There are many other factors in determining a fake Paddington, but these are the most obvious. You can also have your auction authenticated for free by the ladies at the Purse Forum - of which I am a member:-) Or you can pay a $5 fee and have the ladies at My Poupette authenticate it for you.
Chloe Small Marcie Bag
Just remember - the only REAL way you can know it is authentic, is to purchase it directly from a boutique.