Open for Vintage offers fashion lovers luxurious and iconic vintage and pre-loved fashion and accessories directly from verified independent boutiques.
When buying a vintage Chanel bag, we want you to be confident in your purchase. Each of our boutique partners has been hand-picked for their individuality, reputation, impeccable taste, and, of course, wonderful collections. These incredible sellers, with their wealth of experience and designer expertise, ensure every single piece is authenticated before it goes online.
Here are a few ways in which we can spot a fake:
LEATHER:
One of the most important and most noticable parts of a Chanel bag is, of course, the leather. In most cases, Chanel uses either lambs leather or a caviar calf leather. It is not always easy to spot a fake as often counterfeiters use good quality leather but there are some key differences to look out for:
Lambs leather should feel soft and luxurious to the touch. Even if a fake Chanel bag has been made using high-quality leather, it will typically not be lambs leather. Although it may look good, it will not have that silky luxurious feeling.
Caviar calf leather is used for a number of reasons. Apart from its aesthetic beauty, it is far more hard wearing and scratch resistant than other high-quality leathers. This being said, its caviar, or bumpy appearance should be textured but not rough. If the leather in a vintage Chanel bag feels rough to the touch, there is a good chance it may be a fake.
QUILTING:
When new, the quilting on a Chanel bag will line up perfectly even over a back pocket or some detailing. Over time the leather will stretch marginally causing the quilting to be ever so slightly out of line.
If a bag is being sold as vintage Chanel and has some age, but the quilting still lines up perfectly then chances are it could be a fake. This may not always be the case. If a piece has been rarely used or well looked after the quilting may still be perfect, but it is certainly something to look out for.
On the authentic vintage bag, the quilting is slightly misaligned due to use
On the fake vintage bag, the quilting is perfect as if it was brand new
STITCHING:
Examining the stitching is one of the easier ways to spot if a vintage Chanel bag is authentic or fake. Chanel will typically use 11 stitches per quilted diamond side. This high level of craftmanship adds to the overall quality, look, and feel of the bag. In many fakes, they will use 9 or less per panel. Make sure you count the stitches and be wary of anything less than 11.
LOCK & STEM:
The thing about most Chanel bags that catches people’s attention is, of course, their beautiful overlapping “CC” design lock. It is an iconic symbol and can be spotted from quite a distance away.
Chanel has been very consistent in creating their locks so there are a number of things to look out for:
In every case, the right C will overlap the left on the top and the left C will always overlap the right on the bottom. See the picture below for an example. Any variation on this and you can say with absolute certainty that the bag is a fake.
Authentic Chanel lock
Many counterfeiters go to great lengths to make sure their locks look and feel authentic but forget about the finer details, namely, the lock stem. This is the piece that goes through the lock and twists to secure the bag.
In vintage Chanel bags, the gold or silver tone on the stem is often faded due to use but you can see that the mechanism itself still works perfectly and has been extremely well made. With fakes, you will often see that the gold of the metal looks cheap and flakes instead of fading. Another indicator is that the stem itself is not entirely straight and uniform with counterfeit locks.
BRAND STAMPING:
This is another area where it is slightly easier to identify a counterfeit from an authentic vintage Chanel flap bag. In many cases, you would expect that the brand stamping on a counterfeit Chanel bag to be perfect as this is one of the first things a potential buyer will examine.
However, In a lot of cases, this is not true and the branding is incorrect. For example, the stamped logo on the interior should be absolutely flawless. In the vintage Chanel pieces, there may be some fading but the lettering itself will be perfect. If you see any smudging, or letters not quite in line, the piece is most likely a fake as Chanel would have rejected the piece immediately. See the “M” in the word “made” below for example.
Counterfeit Chanel embossed Logo
As with the lock, the same rules apply for the interior quilted logo. In every case, the right C will overlap the left on the top and the left C will always overlap the right on the bottom. Any variation on this rule and the piece is certainly a fake.
Authentic Chanel interior embossed logo
Authenticity Cards & Stickers:
In 1984 Chanel introduced a numbering system whereby each bag produced was labelled with a serial number and a matching authenticity card. Checking these cards and stickers can be a good way to check the authenticity of a bag but, like the manufacture of the bag, can also be faked. The number of digits in the number will signify what time period the bag is from. See below:
6 digit code - between 1984 and 1986
7 digit code - between 1986 and 2004
8 digit code - made from 2005 onwards
Check with the dealer or seller what time period the pieces is from. If it does not match up with the above then there may be issues with the piece.
The numbered code on the Chanel authenticity card should always match the sticker on the inside of the bag. If this is not the case then there is a high possibility the piece or the card are fakes.
You should note that Chanel does not produce any cards or identity stickers over 8 digits. If you see 9 digits or more on either the card or the sticker, the piece is definitely not genuine Chanel.
The quality of the card is also important, resembling a standard credit card. The gold of the edge and number should be flat gold rather than with a hologram or iridescent effect and all the text and the line around the edge should be aligned and even.
If you want to understand more about Chanel handbag serial numbers, read our guide to decoding them here.
Genuine Chanel authenticity card
Fake Chanel authenticity card
Shape:
Lastly, a final giveaway that a bag might not be authentic Chanel is the shape of the piece. In most cases with the classic bags the corners of a true Chanel bag have been expertly turned out and are almost square in shape. With a lot of counterfeit Chanel bags, the corners are quite rounded and poorly made. Equally the lining should sit neatly and flat inside and not be baggy or badly fitted.
This is not definitive but certainly something to be aware of. Coupled with any other of the above points and this would certainly indicate that a bag is a fake. Ultimately, you must remember that, when you are buying a genuine Chanel bag, the price it commands reflects highest quality materials used and the highest level of craftmanship needed to make it.
Authentic corners of a vintage Chanel Bag
Rounded corners of a fake Chanel Bag
Discover our collection of authentic Chanel handbags now.
Aren't sure which Chanel handbag model to invest in? Read our beginners guide. Once you've decided on your vintage Chanel bag purchase, it's important to take care of it! Learn more by reading our care guide.
