Buyer Beware: How To Spot A Fake

 These days a lot of people are turning to the Internet and resale shops to find bargains, but buyer beware: what you see, isn't always what you get. 

The saying is true, especially when it comes to designer purses.  But how do you tell the difference between a Fendi and A Faux?

April Katz knows a beautiful bag when she sees it. What she doesn't know is whether it's the real deal or an imposter.

"I would not be able to tell," she said.

No worries, that's Jeff Baker's job.  Baker liquidates estates and determines what's real, what's not and what it's worth. He's a super sleuth of sorts when it comes to spotting a fake.

"It is definitely detective work, and each brand has it's own clues and in a lot of cases it's a science in some cases its an art form," Baker said.

Although counterfeiters are getting better at replicating designer bags, Baker said there are things to look out for.

Chanel has a hologram with a serial number in the lining. And each is hand sewn, with a minimum of ten stitches per inch.

"So you can literally hold a ruler up on a Chanel bag, and if you don't have at least 10 (stitches), you're not looking at a real Chanel product," he said.

Louis Vuitton makes sure its legendary logo lines up at the seams and isn't cut off by the leather trim.

"This is an obvious fake, you can see letters cut off," Baker said while examining a product.

What about a bag that claims to be alligator? Your nose will know . Baker suggests dabbing a little water on the edge.

"It has a fish smell to it, if you wet alligator hides," he said.

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