Authenticating a Limited Edition Monogram Graffiti Speedy 30 Handbag

A reader requested help authenticating a Louis Vuitton – Limited Edition Monogram Graffiti Speedy 30 Handbag. Based on the pictures she shared I believe this Louis Vuitton Monogram Graffiti Speedy is FAKE. Read on to see why.

• Bag: Limited Edition Monogram Graffiti Speedy
• Size: 30
• Type: Satchel
• MSRP: $1,700

Without seeing the bag and working off photos is tricky but it can be done with a fair amount of certainty in the evaluation. Here are the factors that I used to determine the bag is a replica.

1. Age:

   The monogram graffiti collection by Stephen Sprouse was created in 2001 and then re-released again in 2009. It’s important to factor in age so you know how much usage and patina the bag should show.

2. Coloring:

   The reader was told the pictures are all from the same time period. Right off the bat one picture looks like a worn in brown graffiti and the other one looks like a new condition orange graffiti. The inconsistency of the pictures is a big red flag. Those two bags aren’t the same. So aside from not knowing which on you are purchasing what is the seller doing with two $1,700 bags. Did they really go and spend over $3k on two really similar bags and then only use the brown one but leave the orange one in perfect condition. No.

3. Canvas:

   The monogram canvas is a very difficult bag to identify authenticity of via pictures alone. For the photo taken from Instagram I actually flipped it upside down to look at it. I really couldn’t tell too much but you can tell that the top line of graffiti is cut off at the zipper. I really wish I could see the other side of the bag which would be a good indicator of how the whole canvas was laid out. The starting point for the pattern is the opposite side at the zipper and then it’s wrapped from there.

4. Patina:

   In the photo with the contents next to it there is no patina. If it weren’t a style that is 6-14 years old I might just say that it’s probable that the bag is newer. But I call to question that a bag of this age and this price point was carried so infrequently that the handles didn’t patina. I have a Louis Vuitton bowler bag that I carry maybe 1-2 times a year and those handles have patinaed just from the elements touching it.

5. Date Code:

   The date code appears to read “LS8642” . That’s an impossible date code so from that alone I would say this bag isn’t authentic. The date code isn’t just a loose flap as shown in the picture. It has a grommet below it because it anchored down by the grommet that holds the handle bars.

As you can see from just 3 pictures I was able to identify enough inconsistencies that lead me to believe that this Limited Edition Monogram Graffiti Speedy 30 Handbag is FAKE.

Want to see what an authentic Louis Vuitton Graffiti Speedy Satchel looks like:

• Graffiti Stephen Sprouse Speedy 30 Limited Edition Shoulder Bag – via Tradeeasy

See anything I missed or have any insight on the authentication? Share your comments below.