Chloe Marcie Bag Serial Number
This really is a must read guide! Most Chloe Paddington's on ebay are fake, personally I would save up and buy one from a reputable shop. But if you are looking to pick up a second-hand one cheaply or are hoping to buy a 'good' replica here are the things to look out for: The Padlock and Key This is the quickest and easiest way to spot a fake.
I've also been struggling with the whole date/serial number thing. And, like you, trawling for hours! I've been asking on the 'Authenticate this Chloe' thread, whether authentic bags can have tags with letters as well as numbers. Take a peek at the Marcie Leather Shoulder Bag. Free shipping on your favorite Chloe - Vintage Luxury shoes, boots, sandals, and more.
The most obvious is the font size of 'Chloe' on the padlock, it should be very small and centred on the leather band. The leather band will have four small studs on the back of the padlock. If you lie the padlock down, facing you with the 'Chloe' side up the key hole is the right way up, if not it's fake. The screws on the padlock are flat heads (i.e. Have a single line - not a philips head which is more like a cross +).
It is possible to get a diamonte padlock, these were released after the plain padlocks and should be made with Swarovski crystals. Ask for pictures of the padlock if you cannot clearly see either of these things. Often sellers ensure that the leather band across the padlock is hidden as buyers become more aware of the font size. The key will also have 'Chloe' written on the side and is attached to a leather strap.
Hardware If the bag has brass hardware it should be brass coloured and not gold. Chloe do make some bags with silver or black hardware but these are rare. If the bag has brass hardware the zip will still be silver. The bag has 6 studs on the bottom. The plate underneath the padlock has 'Chloe' pressed into it, again in small letters and the plate on the inside should be the same.
The bag has two buckles, one on each side. The buckles aren't fully closed so they are more of a C shape.
When the bag is facing you both buckles should face away from you so the open side is at the back. Both should have 'Chloe' pressed into one side of the buckle, one will be facing upwards, whilst the other faces downwards. Interior All bags that I have seen have beige canvas lining, not suede or polyester. If the fabric looks slighty shiny it is probably polyester.
Serial Numbers ALL Chloe bags will have a serial number and you should ask for a photo of this. How many digits it has depends on the age of the bag, the most common is XX-XX-XX but for the most recent bags they can go up to 10 digits. Ask when the bag was purchased, as some fakes even have serial numbers in the above format. Bags purchased from 2007 onwards will have a longer serial number. The serial number is written on small label inside the zip pocket of the bag. I have seem bags for sale on ebay informing buyers that only fakes have serials numbers! The Straps The straps are made so the seems are facing each other towards the opening of the bag, there should also be an extra piece of leather on each strap sewn the other way so the seems turn outwards.
Most fakes seem to do this as well however. Leather and Stitching The leather should be beautifully soft and buttery, this is hard to tell from a photo! The stitching is always perfect and slighly darker than the leather of the bag, if it is lighter it is a fake. Ask for a close-up photo of the stitching. Abdullah novel pdf download. Dustbag, Care Cards, Recipts and Tags These are all easy to fake. Recipts can be purchased for very little money.
However if anyone is selling a brand new or used bag you would expect them to still have the dustbag and care card. If they don't have these chances are if will be a poor quality fake with little attention to detail.
Colours The white Paddington should be tan around the edges, not white. Chloe have never ever made a Paddington in pink, yellow, purple, lime green. Other Considerations Never buy from a seller who has more than one Paddington for sale or has sold others in the past, these bags are hard to get hold off. Price, anyone selling a new Paddington for less than £500 is probably selling fakes, used bags should start at around £200/£300, that said some sellers price their items high so they appear more geniune. Just because a seller offers money back if the item is fake doesn't mean it isn't. I not sure on Chloe's policy but most designer stores will not look at your bag to see if it is geniune or not.
These sellers will probably request you obtain a letter from a Chloe store before giving you a refund. If you do end up with a fake please report it to ebay and leave negative feedback so other buyers are aware. Becareful before you buy, imagine the embarrasment of having someone tell you that your beautiful new bag is a FAKE!