Spotter OtterSpotter Otter is in testing. Photo search and AI review are coming back soon. Until then, Spotters match the exact keywords you enter.
Name the model, size and material
Designer bags are sold by model name, but one name covers several sizes, materials and colors that sell for very different amounts. Write all three into your Spotter.
- Size. Sizes are part of the name. The Louis Vuitton Speedy is sold in sizes such as 25, 30 and 35, and the Speedy Bandoulière adds a shoulder strap. The Neverfull comes in sizes such as PM, MM and GM. Hermès Birkin sizes are numbers like 25, 30 and 35; Chanel’s Classic Flap comes in mini, small, medium, jumbo and maxi.
- Material. Louis Vuitton canvases are named: Monogram, Damier Ebene, Damier Azur, and Empreinte leather. Chanel buyers choose between caviar and lambskin; Hermès leathers include Togo, Epsom and Clemence.
- Hardware. Listings abbreviate it: GHW (gold), SHW (silver), PHW (palladium), RHW (ruthenium). If the hardware matters, put it in “Must include”.
Put the brand, model and size in the keywords and the material or color in “Must include”. Sellers abbreviate (“LV” for Louis Vuitton, “Speedy B” for the Bandoulière), so if you see a common short form, run a second Spotter for it.
Date codes, serials and chips
Many luxury brands mark bags with production details. Louis Vuitton stamped date codes, letters and numbers for where and when a bag was made, for decades; Chanel used serial stickers with a matching card; Hermès stamps a letter for the year. Newer bags from some brands, Louis Vuitton among them, carry an embedded chip instead of a stamped code.
A code is useful for one thing: checking that the claimed age and origin fit the bag. A code from before the model existed is a red flag. But a correct-looking code proves little on its own, because counterfeiters copy real ones. Spotter Otter doesn’t check codes or authenticate bags. Ask the seller for clear photos of the heat stamp, the code or serial, and the hardware engravings, and rely on eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee or a professional authenticator for the verdict.
Condition: where bags show wear
Condition words like pristine, excellent and very good mean different things to different sellers, and some resellers grade with letter ranks, so read their scale. The photos that matter most are these:
| Area | What sellers say | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Corners | Corner wear, rubbing, scuffs | Bottom corners worn through to the backing; hard to repair well |
| Handles and trim | Patina, darkening, water spots | Louis Vuitton’s untreated vachetta leather turns honey-colored with age, which is normal; cracks, splits and dark stains are not |
| Interior | Stains, pen marks, sticky lining, odor | Ink, makeup stains, a lining that is peeling or tacky, and smells like smoke or perfume (ask directly) |
| Hardware | Scratches, tarnish, plating wear | Plating rubbed off clasps and feet; zippers that run smoothly |
| Shape | Slouching, creases, holds shape | A structured bag that has collapsed from poor storage |
NWT means new with tags; NWOT, new without tags. If a photo is missing, such as the inside or the base, ask for it before you buy.
Dust bag, box, receipt and the rest
A “full set” can include the dust bag, box, receipt, care booklet, an authenticity card for older Chanel bags, and model-specific pieces: the padlock and keys on a Speedy, or the lock, keys and clochette on a Birkin. These add resale value and are pleasant to have.
They don’t prove a bag is genuine. Dust bags, boxes, cards and even receipts are sold on their own and copied. Judge the bag, not the packaging.
Searches for popular models also pull in the accessories sold for them. Exclude phrases like organizer, insert, base shaper, dust bag only, box only, strap only so you hear about bags rather than the things that go in them. Exclude phrases, not single words: excluding “strap” would also drop every bag sold with its strap.
Replica red flags
eBay doesn’t allow replicas, so they’re rarely labeled. Words that signal a look-alike rather than the real thing include inspired, dupe, style and unbranded; add the first two to Exclude. Beyond words, watch for:
- A price far below eBay’s sold listings for the same model, size, material and condition.
- Stock or catalog photos instead of the actual bag, or no close-ups of the stamp, code, stitching and hardware.
- Uneven or slanted stitching, a pattern that is cut off or misaligned at the seams, and blurry or misspelled stamps.
- A seller with many “new” luxury bags at low prices and vague descriptions.
- Refusal to send more photos, or a request to pay or talk outside eBay.
On eligible handbag listings, eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee sends the bag to independent authenticators before it ships to you; look for the badge on the listing.
Buyer protection basics
- Pay through eBay checkout. Never pay by wire, gift card or another payment service at a seller’s request. Paying outside eBay gives up eBay’s protection.
- Know the Money Back Guarantee. eBay’s Money Back Guarantee covers items that don’t arrive or aren’t as described, and a fake counts as not as described, even when the listing says no returns.
- Keep a record. Save the listing photos and description when you buy, and open a request through eBay promptly if something is wrong.
Set up a handbag Spotter
- Keywords: brand, model and size, like Chanel Classic Flap medium or Louis Vuitton Speedy 30.
- Must include: the material, color or hardware that matters, like caviar or GHW.
- Exclude: the accessory phrases and look-alike words above.
- Price range: a maximum from sold listings, and a minimum that skips organizers, charms and dust bags. A minimum price doesn’t make a bag genuine.
- Condition: new for unused bags, used for the rest.
Start from the tag, a sentence or a link
If you’re not sure of the model name or size, Spotter Otter has three other ways to start.
- Shop by photo. On a phone, “Take a photo” opens the camera, or you can upload a picture or a screenshot of a bag you saw. Photograph the whole bag, plus the interior heat stamp or tag if you have the bag in hand. Spotter Otter reads visible brand names, labels and style codes, uses eBay’s image search for clues, and writes a description of the bag for you to check before starting, with the closest current listings for reference. This works out which bag to search for; it isn’t authentication. The photo isn’t stored; it’s sent to OpenAI and eBay to identify the item.
- Describe it in your own words. Write something like “Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM in Damier Ebene with the pouch”. Luna, Spotter Otter’s AI, turns it into a search and a list of must-haves, which you confirm. A maximum price is required.
- Must-haves checked like a person would. A size like MM is matched with the ways sellers write it. A listing that says PM or GM is left out; one that doesn’t give a size gets a Maybe, so you can check the photos or ask.
- Paste a link. Paste a store’s product page for the bag, or an eBay listing you missed, to start a Spotter for the same one.
Good to know: Spotter Otter watches eBay in the United States (ebay.com) and only alerts you to listings posted after your Spotter starts. It doesn’t authenticate or appraise bags; every alert links to the eBay listing, and you decide.