Some may have already seen it on Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat: At the end of the year, I still had a small, big dream and invested in a second Chanel bag. I bought both my new Chanel Timeless Vintage from 1995 and my black boy bag made of caviar leather online and second hand. Since the new year will definitely have new wishes and dreams, I thought it might be nice and helpful for you if I wrote a little Chanel bag purchase guide with tips for you. Should one or the other think about buying a Chanel bag
The provider
Want to buy a Chanel bag spontaneously? Unfortunately, this usually doesn’t work. In order to maintain exclusivity, Chanel bags are only available in a few points of sale or from a few sales partners. On the one hand, these are of course the company’s own Chanel stores worldwide and some second-hand online shops, where you can buy second-hand or vintage and bags. Chanel does not have its own online shop yet. So when buying online, pay attention to which shops you are looking around. It is essential to check whether the online shop appears trustworthy and whether the products are checked for authenticity by specialist staff beforehand.
The price
The prices for Chanel bags have risen incredibly in recent years, so today you have to leaf over 2,500 to 3,000 € (or more) for a new bag. Of course, you can always make a “bargain” in the second-hand area, but here, too, the prices are never below 1000 € on average. You discovered a Chanel bag for € 500? It’s too good to be true. Don’t be lured by the price, bags with these prices are most likely fake or no longer in good condition.
The serial number & certificate of authenticity
One of the most important features of a real Chanel bag is the serial number. This has existed since the mid-80s and is located inside the bag. It is also printed on a so-called authenticity card, which is usually or should be included when you buy a Chanel bag. Especially with old vintage bags it can happen that there is no card left and only the serial number inside the bag (always in the lower left corner or on the zip pocket). If both, i.e. card and number, are in your pocket, both numbers must match. If neither of the two is available, don’t buy it! The sticker in the bag has changed visually over the years. You can find an overview of the different stickers of the years
The logo
The legendary CC logo is of course unmistakable on Chanel bags (there are also models where it is a clasp without CC). No matter which bag you choose, you should definitely take a close look at the logo. It usually consists of two, facing away but interlocking C’s. Depending on the year in which the bag was made, the logo can also appear again on the inside of the bag (increasingly for vintage models) and the metal hardware is also engraved with the logo or the lettering Chanel. Be sure to also check the quality of the logo. It should be processed cleanly and make a high-quality impression.
The color
If you have discovered a bag on the Internet, google the model again and look at more pictures. Here you can check the color. Fakes often deviate from the original color and are darker or lighter than the original.
The look
A characteristic of a real Chanel bag is that the pattern on the bag repeats itself. Means that the channel-typical, quilted pattern always runs in a line and is not interrupted or overlapped. Even if a pocket has been sewn on the back, for example, the pattern is not interrupted, but continues one to one without interruption. Attention should also be paid to “stitching”, ie the quality and quantity of the seams. A real Chanel bag has at least ten stitches per 2.5 cm.
The popular classics in black, such as the Chanel Boy, the Timeless and, of course, the 2.55 are particularly at risk – these are copied most often, which is why it is important to ensure that it is not a fake.
The material
Last but not least: how does the bag feel? Does it smell cheap, plastic or glue? Then it is a fake! Genuine Chanel bags are only made from high-quality materials such as calf leather. My Chanel Timeless model is not made of leather but of fabric, but this one also feels incredibly high-quality. It is thick, high quality and still in great shape, even though the bag is already 21 years old.
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