The Tale of the Fake Chanel Pin Brooch
This is the tale of the counterfeit Chanel brooch. The details of this tale are both illuminating and shocking.
This counterfeit Chanel brooch was purchased from a designer consignment store. The store provided a certificate of authenticity that they had procured elsewhere.
Upon receiving the brooch, the buyer had concerns, so she purchased another authentication service from Real Authentication. This authentication service also stated that the brooch was authentic.
Please do NOT use Real Authentication. Of all of the authentication services online, we have received the most emails from people complaining of their service being incorrect.
Yet, the buyer still felt something amiss and requested a Lollipuff authentication.
The brooch that this buyer purchased is obviously counterfeit which is what makes this tale so shocking! Anyone at all versed with Chanel costume jewelry would quickly recognize it as counterfeit. YET, this fake brooch had passed 2 different authentication services!
The above image shows the authentic and fake XXL shield brooch side by side. As you can observe, there are many obvious differences.
Sadly, there are many authentication services out there, some of which have convincing, beautifully-designed websites, that are unqualified to provide authentication services. These businesses are just as unethical as counterfeit sellers. Their assessment is about as good as a guess.
Unfortunately, situations like this are all too common. So, how can you tell if an authentication house is qualified?
Do they have a great reputation? Do they have proof? For instance, Lollipuff is also a marketplace that prescreens each listing for authenticity, and only authentic listings are published. We have been doing this dependably for years.
And, finally, do they specialize in select brands? Any authentication service that purports to authenticate nearly every designer brand is fishy. In our years of experience, we know that authentication requires a lot of brand-specific knowledge.
So, in short, don't rely on an authentication service that has little to no reputation, does not specialize in specific brands and/or does not demonstrate their expertise openly. It's like trusting a stranger who thinks they're good at telling fakes apart from authentic designer goods.
Before we end this story, what do you think of this last brooch above? Is it fake or authentic?
While it has differences from the 2 previous shield brooches, it is authentic. Chanel oftentimes produces items in similar styles, or a particular style may change if the style is produced in different seasons or years.
This last brooch is a smaller version, oftentimes called the XL shield brooch. It just goes to show how easily someone can make mistakes when authenticating if they are not a brand expert.
Don't let this deter you! Designer resale is an amazing thing not to be missed! Just get your item authenticated by a reputable authenticator (like Lollipuff 😉 ) if you're unsure. Buyers can easily save enormous amounts of money. I personally, have saved many thousands of dollars by choosing resale over retail!