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Balenciaga Bag Real vs. Fake Guide 2024: How Can I Tell If It Is Real?

Balenciaga Bag Real vs. Fake Guide 2024: How Can I Tell If It Is Real?

    • As one of the most popular luxury brands, Balenciaga bags are also a trustworthy investment. And whether you’re looking for an aughts-inspired moto bag or a going-out bag that looks as good uptown as it does downtown, Balenciaga has a suitable bag for you. However, with its incredible popularity, Balenciaga has become one of the most copied brands in the world and one of the most complicated to authenticate, with multiple exceptions to most authentication rules. So how can you tell if a Balenciaga bag is real? How do you know if Balenciaga bags are real?? How can you tell the difference between a real and fake Balenciaga bag? Do Balenciaga bags have serial numbers? Or how do you check the serial number on a fake Balenciaga? Below we will help you identify a real Balenciaga bag, ensuring that you don’t hand over your hard-earned money for a fake model.

How About Balenciaga Bags?

Balenciaga was founded in 1919 by Cristobal Balenciaga and is known for revolutionizing women’s fashion with its incorporation of unique shapes and lines in its designs and silhouettes. Balenciaga’s iconic pieces, such as the Motorcycle bag and the Triple S sneakers, have made the brand a favorite among fashion enthusiasts and collectors worldwide – and holds great resale value, may I add. If you’re also interested in designer handbags, you’ll know that Balenciaga bags make a good investment. Whether it is the iconic City bags, the All Afternoon bag, or the Hourglass top handle and Neo Classic City totes, this super-popular luxury brand has given us some really great pieces to add to our closets.

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How Much Does a Balenciaga Handbag Cost? 

As one of the most popular luxury brands, Balenciaga bags hold their value incredibly well with some limited edition versions selling for more second hand than they did new (depending on how you look after them, of course.)

That being said, upfront costs still matter. On the lower end of the scale, you can find smaller, simpler bags (such as the Cabas and Everyday XXS Tote) for just over $1,000. And on the high end of the scale, limited edition materials and models can retail for over $22,000. However, most Balenciaga bags are priced somewhere between $1,500 and $3,500

Where To Buy Authentic Balenciaga Handbag?

The Balenciaga bags are available in Balenciaga boutiques worldwide and online.  And you can also get a second-hand and New Balenciaga Bag on some online websites! Sign up at Extrabux.com, you can get up to 6% cash back on new and second-hand Balenciaga Bags purchase at these below sites!

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How To Spot Real Balenciaga Handbag?

1.The Overall Look of Balenciaga Bag

(1) Shape of the bag

High-quality bags-such as those from Balenciaga-are very structured and have a clear shape that (except for certain models) does not lose its shapewhen stationary.

With many fake  Balenciaga bags, the effort is often saved and the result is a shapeless, buckling bag that cannot stand on its own. So you should always take the stand or ask the seller to take appropriate photos.

(2) Size of the bag

Find out about the size of the model you want on the official Balenciaga website or directly in the store.Many models come in several sizes and you should know exactly what size your bag can be.

If you have a model in front of you that does not meet the standards,you should rather stay away from it, as it is probably a fake.

(3) Construction of the bag

Notice the pockets of the bag carefully. Since 2005, the front pocket of Balenciaga bags are partially lined in leather. After unzipping, the black canvas which makes up the lining should not be visible.

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2.The Leather & Material of Balenciaga Bag

  • One reason Balenciaga bags are so popular is because they are made from the softest,lightest, thinnest, but most durable leather available. As soon as you have a real Balenciaga bag in your hand,you immediately fall for the luxury of the material. In many models,the leather already looks vintage when you buy a new one and you can find a lot of folds and lines-with the result that no Balenciaga bag is identical to another.

  • Counterfeit Balenciaga bags use either synthetic leather or low-quality leather,so the bag often looks stiff and shiny, and this is one of the top ways to spot a fake from genuine Balenciaga bag

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3.The Interior Label of Balenciaga Bag

  • The interior label should be printed on a metal name plate or leather tab. From 2001-2004, the label should read "Balenciaga_Paris", as for after the year 2005, it should read "Balenciaga.Paris". So pay close attention to the underscore or the period.

  • From 2001-2008, these labels were made out of sterling silver, but today, they are made out of nickel. The handbag's style number will be listed on the front or back of the tab, sometimes could be on both sides too. Make sure the serial number on the front of the label (if there's one), matches the serial number on the backside of the label. The two rows of numbers on the back of the tab matches the leather batch number as well as the style number.

  • Also, notice the top stitching that runs across the top of the leather frame on the authentic brown bag; the stitching is black. When the label is right below the zippered inside pocket, the stitching is usually black no matter the color of the moto bag. The counterfeit also has black stitching which is correct. 

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4.The Metal Logo of Balenciaga Bag

  • The original Balenciaga "B'' is very well defined, clean, and flawless with a pitch-black outline, whereas the counterfeit one is more grained and dark. The outline is not perfect either as in some places the paint is faded.

  • The leather piece the logo is attached to the bag with is ridiculous in the right picture as we can see that it is shoved between two layers of leather.

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5.The Balenciaga Serial Number - Style/Season of Production/Color

Not only is the number(s) in a designer bag a small part of proper authentication, it often reveals the time of manufacture or the season of the bag.

Balenciaga is engraved in the leather tag, with numbers on the back. Some Balenciaga bags have a metal plate with serial number. This indicator shows the year in which the bag was produced. With Balenciaga bags with a metal tag, it is quite easy to find out in what season a Balenciaga bag was made. Newer bags without a metal plate have the letter stamped on the back of the label, along with the serial number or also called the Balenciaga authenticity code. 

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Here is a list of the letter codes:

A =F/W 2017

B =S/S 2017

C =F/W 2016

= S/S 2016

= F/W 2015

= S/S 2015

= F/W 2014

= S/S 2014

= F/W 2013

= S/S 2013

= F/W 2012

= S/S 2012

= F/W 2011

= S/S 2011

= F/W 2010

= S/S 2010

= F/W 2009

= S/S 2009

= F/W 2008

= S/S 2008

= F/W 2007

= S/S 2007

= F/W 2006

= S/S 2006

= F/W 2005

= S/S 2005

= F/W 2004

= S/S 2004

= F/W 2003

Prior to F/W 2003 no letter used

 S/S = Spring/Summer
F/W = Fall/Winter 

Tips:

  • The C tag is one of the most faked

  • Do keep note that newer bags that DON'T have the metal nameplates still have the letter stamped on the back of the tag along with the serial number.

  • The alphabet has reset for Balenciaga codes, with the letters A through D being used for two different seasons/years. 

6.The Zipper of Balenciaga Bag

Zippers are a crucial element to authenticating a Balenciaga. 

  • An authentic Balenciaga bag features only Lampo zippers. If you see something else, then the bag is not original.

  • However,Lampo has two types of zippers and Balenciaga only uses one of them.The Balenciaga Lampo zipper is the one on which "Lampo” is written in italics and forms a line underneath that consists of the lower part of the "L".At the top right is the (TM) sign. The other type of Lampo zipper is the one where "Lampo" is in odd capital letters- it should never be on a Balenciaga bag.

  • The zipper should have the Lampo logo embossed instead of engraved, in addition it should be italicized and underlined. 

  • Many counterfeit versions use fake Lampo zippers, so it’s important to be aware of the overall finish, color, and shapes of the zipper body. And on many of the fakes, the logo and accompanying “lightning bolt” underline is thick and clumsy-looking.

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7.The Handle of Balenciaga Bag

  • The  authentic handle of a Balenciaga bag are made of ‘sueded leather’ as the brand calls it, which has a raw appearance as compared to a finished or coated look. 

  • This leather should never be polished, coated or protected and should have a used vintage effect. If the braided leather shines, it suggests that the bag in front of you is not an original Balenciaga bag.

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8.The Inner Lining of Balenciaga Bag

  • Balenciaga took care of the bag's interior as much as it did on the exterior: the material they used inside was leather whereas the fake interior is made out of a regular soft fabric.

  • Another detail worth mentioning is the stitching: sewing on the authentic interior is neat, tight, and solid. So  the stitching in the left picture is almost impossible to see as the counterfeiters did not care much about creating solid stitches that would hold pieces together.

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9.The Shoulder Strap of Balenciaga Bag

  • If you have a Balenciaga bag model in mind that comes with shoulder straps, you should always make sure that it is made of a single piece of leather and has an opening for the hardware at both ends. In many fakes, the leather is folded over the hardware and wrapped around it, resulting in a double layer of the shoulder strap.

  • The hardware around the ends themselves should, at least with older models such as the Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag, be rather rounded, while with fakes it is often angular.

  • There should also be a small eye hook that holds the hardware together. The tip of the eye hook should go through the corkscrew-shaped hardware - in the case of fakes, the eye hook stops before the hardware. Here you need to look very closely!

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10.The Balenciaga Rivets & Studs 

The metal rivet at the base of the handles is a common inspection point for Balenciaga lovers in the resale market, because Balenciaga has only used a few types of rivets on their bags.

  • Some older Balenciaga bags used rivets without any notches, so the rivet on the counterfeit black bag is actually not a sign of necessarily being fake.

  • For older bags, there ought to be knot at the ends of the handles. For newer bags, there may not be a knot. 

  • Until 2005, the rivets on Balenciaga bags were rounded and slightly convex. The rivets have been deeply notched since 2005. Many fake Balenciaga rivets have shallow indentations resembling square or shallow crescents.

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11.The Balenciaga Authenticity Cards

A real Balenciaga bag should always come with a card with care instructions, a Controllato card, a Bag Inforamtion card and a small leather sample in a Styrofoam pouch. The leather sample should be identical to the leather of the Balenciaga bag and have the same properties.

The bag information card could have the following combination of characters printed on it:

20133115748 D94JT 414

When split, these characters mean the following:

  • 2013: year of production

  • 3: Season

  • 115748: Pocket Style

  • D94JT: Hardware Style

  • 414: indefinite

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If your Balenciaga bag or the bag you're eyeing does not have these items or lacks one or two of them, the leather swatch feels stiff, Controllato Card looks like a credit card, and Bag Information card does not contain the details I wrote above or if it does, the details are shuffled and inconsistent (especially the number code for the bag style), BEWARE!

12.The  Balenciaga Dust-bag And Carrier Bag

Every original Balenciaga bag comes in a dust bag-it's there to store and protect the bag properly. 

The dust bag has a relatively coarse structure, but is quite thin and has "BALENCIAGA" printed on it. As always, the letters should be centered, balanced and the same size. If there is still a paper carrier bag, it also looks very simple-white and structured. Here, too, it says "BALENCIAGA". 

Areal Balenciaga bag never comes with a hang tag or something similar, so if the bag in front of you has a label, you should keep your hands off it.

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If your bag or the bag you're eyeing has a box, dust bag is made from a thick cotton cloth or satin, and strings are thin and come in a shade other than white, BEWARE!

How to Avoid Fake Balenciaga Bag?

A few other things you should do when considering placing a bid on one of the second-hand Balenciaga bags listed online:

  • Familiarize yourself with the names of theBalenciaga bag styles, the colors and when they were released. Only a handful of colors are produced each season, and they are almost always “retired” at the end of each season. The only colors that are continuously produced are black and white. Red is an older color from approx 2 yrs ago, so if a seller has a brand new red bag which they claim they just bought, chances are it is not an authentic Balenciaga bag. You can get a list of the current colors from any authorized Balenciaga retailer.

  • Know your seller. Check their feedback. How many Balenciaga bags has this seller sold? Do they have a continuous inventory of these bags, as well as other designer bags. Do they have more than 2 or 3 black bags currently available ect..? 

  • Contact the seller and ask them when and where they originally purchased the bag. This shouldn’t be a big secret. There are only a handful of retail locations that are authorized to sell authentic Balenciaga handbags. Many of the online sites that are selling bags with the Balenciaga name, are actually selling fake bags. There are waiting lists that are months long at most authorized retail locations. It’s impossible for any retailer to have as many of these bags available for immediate shipment as some of these websites have.

  • Unless the bag has been previously used, it is IMPOSSIBLE to purchase an authentic Balenciaga bag for less than its retail price. At its current price, with sales tax, the lowest possible price to buy a brand new authentic Balenciaga handbag (in the US) is approx. $1000. If a seller has a brand new bag that they’re selling for much less than this, chances are, the bag is not authentic. 

FAQs

1.What is the most iconic Balenciaga bag?

One of the most iconic Balenciaga bags is the “City” bag, known for its slouchy shape, distinctive studs, and versatile design. It has been a favorite among celebrities and fashion enthusiasts for years. 

It has also served as the muse for many of the brand’s more recent designs, such as the Hourglass, the Neo Classic and the Crush.

2.Does Balenciaga increase in value?

Balenciaga bags, especially limited-edition or iconic models, have the potential to increase in value over time. Vintage pieces from the brand’s early years have become collectors’ items and can command higher resale prices. 

While the most popular Balenciaga bags in good condition, usually retain their value.

3.Are Balenciaga bags a good investment?

Balenciaga bags are often considered a good investment due to their enduring popularity and iconic status in the fashion world. 

However, how well your Balenciaga bag resales also depends on which bag you choose and how well you look after it.

4.Is the Balenciaga City bag still in style?

Even though the City bag has been around for 18 years, it still keeps its value and relevance to this day so if you have any doubts about it, you have nothing to worry about!

5.Is the Balenciaga Hourglass bag worth it?

If you are looking for a bag that is stylish, exquisite, and can hold all of your essentials then the Hourglass bag might be the best option for you. The best thing is, this bag goes well with different styles, from streetwear to formal dresses.

6.Which is more expensive LV or Balenciaga?

Typically, Louis Vuitton tends to be more expensive, with many of its bags ranging from $4,000 to $6,000. Balenciaga does have some bags within this price range, but most of its bags range between $2,000 to $4,000.

7.Do all Balenciaga bags have serial numbers?
Balenciaga is engraved in the leather tag, with numbers on the back. Some Balenciaga bags have a metal plate with serial number. This indicator shows the year in which the bag was produced. With Balenciaga bags with a metal tag, it is quite easy to find out in what season a Balenciaga bag was made.

8.How to  protect Balenciaga bag?
If you own a Balenciaga bag, protect your investment by caring for it properly. Store the handbag in its flannel bag out of the way of direct heat and sunlight. Keep the handbag away from water, which can stain the leather.

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