How To Spot A Fake Goyard And How To Choose A Great Goyard St Louis Tote Replica

The Goyard Saint Louis tote is by far the most popular Goyard bag and it comes in two sizes: PM and GM. This is a super popular bag yet I do not see it on the streets as much as I do Louis Vuitton Neverfulls due to the exclusivity of the brand: Goyard has only 29 boutiques around the world and they do not sell directly online, or even display their catalog online. This approach seems almost strange in our tech crazed world where we are used to getting what we want when we want, and usually what we want is available online.

Even with this tight approach to selling, Goyard St. Louis tote is a favorite amongst celebs and handbag lovers around the world. I think these are the bag’s strongest points: it is versatile, lightweight and extremely functional. You can use the Goyard fake St Louis tote as an everyday bag, as a shopping bag, as a traveling bag, as a diaper bag or even as a beach bag as these celebs show:

This article is dedicated towards those are either trying to buy a pre-owned Goyard and want to know how to differentiate a fake Goyard from a real Goyard, or those who want to know what key features they need to pay attention to when shopping for a replica Goyard St. Louis Tote.

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HOW TO TELL IF YOUR GOYARD IS FAKE?

1) CHECK THE CANVAS.

Learning to differentiate a fake Goyard has become more difficult now than it was previously because of a big change Goyard made in the year 2006 when they stopped hand-painting every single dot on their bags and starting using stencils instead to keep up with the large customer demand. As you may expect, many Goyard customers were not pleased with the changes and honestly who can blame them? When you buy an authentic Goyard, for which you are paying top dollar, it is fair to say you expect excellent value in exchange.

If you look at the older authentic Goyard trunk or the vintage wallet above you and focus on the spots, you will notice that the print is quite different from the modern St Louis totes. The Chevron print used to be messy and imperfect which many argue was actually a good thing because it gave Goyard pieces more character and made each piece truly unique. Before Goyard switched over to stenciled dotting, the easiest way to know how to spot a fake Goyard was to check to see if the pattern was “too perfect”. As one would expect, replica manufacturers didn’t hand paint their fake Goyard totes, so the differences between Goyard bags replica and the authentic were easily noticeable. This made buying a pre-owned Goyard a lot easier, and buying a good knockoff almost impossible.

To this day controversy reigns amongst Goyard fans, many of whom are still complaining about the print being too perfect. This homogeneity makes all the Goyard St Louis totes look too much alike, and take away the charm that the hand painted vintage models had. To add salt to the wound, Goyard also started charging more for their bags even though they stopped hand-painting them which seems to make little sense since their labour costs clearly went down, so it was only natural for this question to arise: are the bags still worth it?

Well on one hand you can’t really blame Goyard. As a company they had demand and their supply was clearly not cutting it ever since their bag entered the mainstream conscious and there were many orders began coming their way. Using stencils was a faster way to make their bags, and they are a business at the end of the day. However the fact that they also increased the prices was what really irked many, myself including.

Honestly if I were to answer the question posed two paragraphs ago, I’d say that if I really wanted a Goyard I would not go for a brand new authentic. I would go for a vintage piece that was still hand painted as I believe the hand painted bags represented the true artistry of the brand. However if I were aching for a brand new bag, I’d go for a fake since there are good replicas of the bag out there. In fact I did a review on one previously which you can read by clicking here. When looking to purchase a Goyard replica these are the most important things you should look for in the canvas:

1. It should have a bumpy texture as if it were actually hand-painted: If you can’t feel the raised bumps, the bag is not a counter quality replica. It’s simply not true that all replica Goyard bags have a smooth surface because they have the pattern printed on the material. If you are buying the bag online, it’s essential to see a close-up photo of the canvas. If the seller is not willing to provide a close up shot, don’t buy it since it is probably a bad fake.
2. It should not look extremely shiny: The bag should not have a plastic-y look and feel as if it were made from cheap vinyl and cheap cotton.

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2) CHECK THE STAMP.

If you really want to learn how to tell a fake Goyard, you should also check the embossed stamp. Usually replica Goyard St Louis totes have an imperfect stamp, even if the canvas looks essentially perfect. This tip is mostly useful to those who are trying to authenticate their Goyard. To make it easier for you to visualize, here is a photo of a real and fake interior stamp:

You’ll notice that for most fake Goyard bags they either don’t use the right font, the letters are too close together or they are too deeply embossed into the leather.

 3) FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THE BAG.

Real Goyard St Louis totes are known for being extremely lightweight due to the materials they are constructed with which include: resin-coated canvas for the exterior and cotton/linen fabric for the interior. By lifting up the bag and checking the weight you could cut your authentication process short if you notice anything unusual. If the bag is on the heavy side, then it’s probably a fake Goyard. The only drawback with this tip is that this assessment is only possible if you already have the bag in person.

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4) CHECK THE STITCHING OF THE BAG.

Pay attention to the color of the stitching of the bag. Black Goyard bags feature black stitching while ALL the other colors have white stitching. Also remember to check to see if there is a white stitch in the middle at the end of the handle tabs for all colors other than black bags which should have black stitching down the middle of the handle tabs. Of course, if the stitching is sloppy and messy that’s a dead giveaway and a sign the bag you are looking at is not only fake but a very bad fake at that.

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5) CHECK THE SERIAL NUMBER.

The Goyard St Louis tote comes with a detachable pouch which is something you must check and which will quickly be able to tell you if you have a fake on your hands.  There should be a serial number on the interior of the pouch for older St. Louis totes. For the newer styles, the serial number should be on the end of the leather strap that attaches the pouch to the bag. The numbers are small and discreetly embossed. If the bag you have has no serial number it is definitely a fake.

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6) CHECK THE HARDWARE.

The hardware is minimal on Goyard bags and wallets, but as you know every detail on the bag important if you want to learn how to tell if a Goyard bag is fake. The logo is engraved on the snap button of the detachable pouch, and the words “Goyard” and “Paris” should be visible on the interior of the metallic snap button.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I have yet to see a replica Goyard bag that knocks every one of these requirements out of the park, however there are some that come close like this bag I previously reviewed. Overall regardless of whether you are shopping for an authentic Goyard St. Louis or a knockoff, these six characteristics are very important in order to help you recognize whether the bag is fake, and if it is fake how good or bad of a fake it is!