Savvy Spender's Guide To Secondhand Luxury

"Used" and "fake" are two different things.

Seem obvious? It may not be, especially when the fake and the authentic (but previously owned) item are close in price: Is that Louis Vuitton Damier Speedy a bargain because it's secondhand? Or because it comes from Canal Street, New York's boulevard of counterfeits? And how about that "Cartier" watch your friend picked up in London? You think it's a fake; she thinks it's distressed. The pieces which range from tartan plaid trousers emblazoned with zippers to "God Save The Queen" T shirts made famous by punk rock band The Sex Pistols can auction for upward of $6,000.

With that demand came a slew of copies, says auctioneer Kerry Taylor, who deals in mostly high end apparel, fine textiles and luxury accessories. Taylor, who worked as a director at Sotheby's London for 23 years and still holds auctions within the house, as well independently, says that the copies are more difficult to distinguish because of the simple fabrics Westwood and McLaren used in their designs.

"When Westwood was designing these clothes, she might have been using a common fabric like cheesecloth from her kitchen table," remarks Taylor. "A T shirt in good condition can go for thousands, and it's more difficult to authenticate."

Fab Faux

High priced pens and men's watches are also being replicated. Dupont, known for stylish craftsmanship, authentic Chinese lacquer, ornate finishes and intricate patterns, is the counterfeiter's current choice.

And beware of those Mont Blancs, many of which can run you over $200,000 per piece yes, even secondhand. Morrison advises taking the pen to an expert to ensure its authenticity. Things to note: that the pen's nib is gold (and says so), the serial number is distinct (sometimes a set of fakes will all possess the same number) and that the packaging isn't skimpy. How to spot them? Taylor says you should always look at the stitching. Inexact, slapdash stitching typically denotes a counterfeit. With color, check out the hue of the bag. Authentic Louis Vuittons, for example, have a green undertone the copies are much tanner.

And always make sure that your bag has only one seam. Quality bags are made from only one piece of leather, not several, which means it should only have one continuous seam.

When it comes to hardware, again, check out the hue, as well as the weight.

"Last year, Gucci only did light gold hardware," says Patrick.

Even experts, though, can be fooled when trolling

For a novice buyer, however, it's not so easy. Instead of letting users put items up for auction without inspection, Portero, like an online Christie's or Sotheby's, has hired a team of appraisers and authenticators to ensure that the items are real.

That means you can feel safe bidding on the unbranded $27,000 emerald cut, four carat diamond engagement ring or the $12,000 Harry Winston Premier Chronograph automatic men's watch.

That sense of security comes at a price.

"Sometimes you're going to find great deals, sometimes you're going to pay a little more," says CEO and founder, Michael Sheldon. "You'll find the best value for the item, given the demand and quality of the product."

What if you happen to find a tremendous bargain somewhere other than Portero? Sheldon says that you should absolutely take it to an authenticator his customer service staff will even recommend someone to you.Savvy Spender's Guide To Secondhand Luxury

"Used" and "fake" are two different things.

Seem obvious? It may not be, especially when the fake and the authentic (but previously owned) item are close in price: Is that Louis Vuitton Damier Speedy a bargain because it's secondhand? Or because it comes from Canal Street, New York's boulevard of counterfeits? And how about that "Cartier" watch your friend picked up in London? You think it's a fake; she thinks it's distressed. The pieces which range from tartan plaid trousers emblazoned with zippers to "God Save The Queen" T shirts made famous by punk rock band The Sex Pistols can auction for upward of $6,000.

With that demand came a slew of copies, says auctioneer Kerry Taylor, who deals in mostly high end apparel, fine textiles and luxury accessories. Taylor, who worked as a director at Sotheby's London for 23 years and still holds auctions within the house, as well independently, says that the copies are more difficult to distinguish because of the simple fabrics Westwood and McLaren used in their designs.

"When Westwood was designing these clothes, she might have been using a common fabric like cheesecloth from her kitchen table," remarks Taylor. "A T shirt in good condition can go for thousands, and it's more difficult to authenticate."

Fab Faux

High priced pens and men's watches are also being replicated. Dupont, known for stylish craftsmanship, authentic Chinese lacquer, ornate finishes and intricate patterns, is the counterfeiter's current choice.

And beware of those Mont Blancs, many of which can run you over $200,000 per piece yes, even secondhand. Morrison advises taking the pen to an expert to ensure its authenticity. Things to note: that the pen's nib is gold (and says so), the serial number is distinct (sometimes a set of fakes will all possess the same number) and that the packaging isn't skimpy. How to spot them? Taylor says you should always look at the stitching. Inexact, slapdash stitching typically denotes a counterfeit. With color, check out the hue of the bag. Authentic Louis Vuittons, for example, have a green undertone the copies are much tanner.

And always make sure that your bag has only one seam. Quality bags are made from only one piece of leather, not several, which means it should only have one continuous seam.

When it comes to hardware, again, check out the hue, as well as the weight.

"Last year, Gucci only did light gold hardware," says Patrick.

Even experts, though, can be fooled when trolling

For a novice buyer, however, it's not so easy. Instead of letting users put items up for auction without inspection, Portero, like an online Christie's or Sotheby's, has hired a team of appraisers and authenticators to ensure that the items are real.

That means you can feel safe bidding on the unbranded $27,000 emerald cut, four carat diamond engagement ring or the $12,000 Harry Winston Premier Chronograph automatic men's watch.

That sense of security comes at a price.

"Sometimes you're going to find great deals, sometimes you're going to pay a little more," says CEO and founder, Michael Sheldon. "You'll find the best value for the item, given the demand and quality of the product."

What if you happen to find a tremendous bargain somewhere other than Portero? Sheldon says that you should absolutely take it to an authenticator his customer service staff will even recommend someone to you.Savvy Spender's Guide To Secondhand Luxury

"Used" and "fake" are two different things.

Seem obvious? It may not be, especially when the fake and the authentic (but previously owned) item are close in price: Is that Louis Vuitton Damier Speedy a bargain because it's secondhand? Or because it comes from Canal Street, New York's boulevard of counterfeits? And how about that "Cartier" watch your friend picked up in London? You think it's a fake; she thinks it's distressed. The pieces which range from tartan plaid trousers emblazoned with zippers to "God Save The Queen" T shirts made famous by punk rock band The Sex Pistols can auction for upward of $6,000.

With that demand came a slew of copies, says auctioneer Kerry Taylor, who deals in mostly high end apparel, fine textiles and luxury accessories. Taylor, who worked as a director at Sotheby's London for 23 years and still holds auctions within the house, as well independently, says that the copies are more difficult to distinguish because of the simple fabrics Westwood and McLaren used in their designs.

"When Westwood was designing these clothes, she might have been using a common fabric like cheesecloth from her kitchen table," remarks Taylor. "A T shirt in good condition can go for thousands, and it's more difficult to authenticate."

Fab Faux

High priced pens and men's watches are also being replicated. Dupont, known for stylish craftsmanship, authentic Chinese lacquer, ornate finishes and intricate patterns, is the counterfeiter's current choice.

And beware of those Mont Blancs, many of which can run you over $200,000 per piece yes, even secondhand. Morrison advises taking the pen to an expert to ensure its authenticity. Things to note: that the pen's nib is gold (and says so), the serial number is distinct (sometimes a set of fakes will all possess the same number) and that the packaging isn't skimpy. How to spot them? Taylor says you should always look at the stitching. Inexact, slapdash stitching typically denotes a counterfeit. With color, check out the hue of the bag. Authentic Louis Vuittons, for example, have a green undertone the copies are much tanner.

And always make sure that your bag has only one seam. Quality bags are made from only one piece of leather, not several, which means it should only have one continuous seam.

When it comes to hardware, again, check out the hue, as well as the weight.

"Last year, Gucci only did light gold hardware," says Patrick.

Even experts, though, can be fooled when trolling

For a novice buyer, however, it's not so easy. Instead of letting users put items up for auction without inspection, Portero, like an online Christie's or Sotheby's, has hired a team of appraisers and authenticators to ensure that the items are real.

That means you can feel safe bidding on the unbranded $27,000 emerald cut, four carat diamond engagement ring or the $12,000 Harry Winston Premier Chronograph automatic men's watch.

That sense of security comes at a price.

"Sometimes you're going to find great deals, sometimes you're going to pay a little more," says CEO and founder, Michael Sheldon. "You'll find the best value for the item, given the demand and quality of the product."

What if you happen to find a tremendous bargain somewhere other than Portero? Sheldon says that you should absolutely take it to an authenticator his customer service staff will even recommend someone to you.