Even replicas of Hermès bags can be expensive,
so it is important to choose carefully and find the right seller.
If you are spending the same amount,
shouldn’t you choose the better-quality product?
When buying an Hermès-style bag,
here are the points to check.
1. What leather is used, and can the seller prove it?
Broadly speaking, leather falls into
three categories: Chinese-made, imported, and the same leather used in the authentic product.
Those are the main distinctions,
yet almost every seller describes theirs as “authentic-grade leather.”
In reality, relatively few products use the same leather as the original.
If a seller claims to use it,
always ask for evidence and make sure they provide it.
Search for Weinheimer online
and you will find photos like these.
Posting those images
and claiming to use the same leather as Hermès
proves nothing.
At a minimum,
there should be a verification photo showing their own branding with the leather,
such as a phone displaying their Instagram or blog.
Ideally, you should also see photos
of that leather at their workshop.
If a seller says they use the same leather as the original
but cannot provide evidence,
I recommend buying elsewhere.
The claim may be untrue,
and the seller themselves
may not even know
whether it is actually the same leather.
Visit a resale shop at least once
and feel an authentic bag for yourself.
Seeing the real thing even once makes a difference.
Authentic Hermès bags are so scarce
that many people rarely encounter them,
which I think makes buyers easier to mislead.
When your bag arrives, compare it with an authentic example too.
There are countless products whose differences will surprise you.
Please do not simply take sellers at their word.
2. What supporting materials are used, and can the seller prove it?
Just as with the leather,
always ask for evidence of the supporting materials.
“We use Lin Câblé thread.”
“We use Riri zippers.”
Anyone can post photos like these
and make those claims.
Ask for verification photos showing their logo,
Instagram, blog or something else identifying their business alongside the materials.
3. Does the seller source finished goods or make the bags?
Most businesses that customers come across
are resellers of finished products.
If they claim to make the bags as we do, ask for proof of production.
(This video was filmed with a Thierry Studio business card in view.)
A maker should be able
to provide at least simple photos or videos
showing products being made.
Resellers face limits in quality.
Their products come from businesses
that manufacture and sell in bulk,
so quality varies,
and the smallest details are rarely all addressed.
They can, however, offer good value.
I would not recommend paying more than approximately US$1,120 for a sourced, ready-made bag.
4. Does the seller take their own product photos, and is the range varied?
Customers want to see the product they will actually receive.
On Instagram and blogs,
some sellers post attractive photos of authentic bags
instead of their own products.
Always check for inspection photos or detail shots taken by the seller.
If they took the photos themselves,
they can include a business card like this.
Make sure you see their own original photos.
Image copying happens among Hermès-style bag suppliers
and among online resellers too,
which is why original product photos matter.
To emphasize this once more,
99% of products on the market
are not made with the same leather and supporting materials as the original.
Always ask for evidence.
Do not rely on words alone!
We are makers,
carefully attending to every detail,
and we have provided evidence of our production,
leather and supporting materials.
Every product photo we upload
was taken by us with a Thierry Studio business card in view.
Few sellers offer
as many original photos across models, colors and combinations as we do.
Most photograph only a few signature models
or a handful of bags sold to customers.
Thierry Studio is the only one holding over 100 bags in stock
and photographing such a variety of combinations 🙂
We are confident enough in our quality to buy authentic bags
and photograph them alongside our own.
At present, we believe we are the only business meeting all of these criteria.
Whether you buy from us or someone else,
please choose a seller whose knowledge and experience you can trust 🙂
