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Site update has been over due, I realize!  It has come to my attention that eBay Louis Vuitton listings became totally out of control in the past year and half, since the multicolor line was introduced.  Over 80-90% of "Louis Vuitton" listings on eBay on any given day are indeed fake.  You need to understand there is really NO bargains when it comes to Louis Vuitton!  Receipts are being faked, which is not difficult to do since a high end xerox machine can easily do the job, and the fake receipts are readily available via the internet for $20-$40.  

It is absolutely crucial that you know the retail price.  There is absolutely NOBODY in the whole world who can offer you a "brand new & authentic" Louis Vuitton purse for $400 when it's sold at Louis Vuitton boutiques for $1500.  If you cannot afford one directly from Louis Vuitton, you need to ask yourself if it's worth $300-500 of your hard earned money to be wasted on a fake that people *silently* laugh at while you're proudly shopping at a mall.

Please read the entire "contact me" page before you send me questions.  It has been updated, and anybody who does NOT adhere to my requests to respect my time will be ignored.  Again, around 90% of eBay Louis Vuitton listings are estimated to be fake.  This means 90% of questions I receive concerning eBay auctions are indeed fake.  Even when the auction pictures seem authentic, there is no guarantee that what's pictured is what you're bidding on.  If you are not an eBay or Louis Vuitton veteran, you are taking a BIG chance!

eBay ID MrsTroppo

Well, it hasn't been 6 months since my last update, but there are things I need to add quite badly.  Overwhelming number of emails drew my attention to some misconception and myth of the date code.  I have added "updates" category to the menu above, so if you're already familiar with the site content, please check the "updates" page to see what has been changed/added.  

I am proud to announce that eBay Seller SouthgateL has been added to my recommendation list.  A number of people have asked me what my criteria of recommendation may be.  Selling authentic Louis Vuitton here and there just isn't good enough for me to blindly recommend a fellow seller to "anybody".  Nobody needs to be a super expert (and nobody is, including myself), but I expect their Louis Vuitton expertise to be of a "certain" level.  Nobody knows every single model Louis Vuitton has ever manufactured or each model's interior/exterior changes (cut of the monogram or the lining materials change, pockets & D-ring added, etc.).  My "recommended" sellers really need to know what is "real".  It is becoming more and more difficult to recognize the top quality fakes, even in person.  Basing authentication solely on the symmetry of the monogram canvas and date codes is a thing of the past.  I do not share details of authentication with anybody, but I can tell you that "very very well made" fakes are 99% correct in every way.  After one handles a certain number of authentic pieces, collectors and sellers alike, can get to the point of "knowing enough" to be dangerous.  Current top quality fakes are that good.  These "top quality" fakes have not been seen much in the U.S., YET, but smugglers may find a clever way to bring them in somehow, and some may even be hand carried as personal belongings.  A seller who "feels" that a piece is 99.9% authentic, is not unacceptable to me.  

Also "professionalism" is quite high on my priority list for recommending someone as a seller.  When a seller is unsure, the item MUST be sent in to Louis Vuitton for verification.  No guessing!  eBay sellers whom I recommend meet my standards, and I have personally dealt with them.  When you are sending $300-$500 across the country to a total stranger, don't you want them to answer your questions thoroughly and rather quickly?  I personally do not deal with sellers who don't take the time to write me back a thorough email, even when the item is authentic.  It's a good indication that the seller doesn't stand behind what they sell.  No reply within 24 hours is out of the question.  

Question to Seller: What is the date code on this?  
Answer from Seller: SD0995  (not even "thank you for your interest", but this is all you get)
This kind of "lack of courtesy" shouldn't be expected from a seller that I recommend.  Short, to the point, and business-like correspondence when answering questions about auction items, but zero courtesy, not even a complete sentence email is not professional business conduct.  I may buy from those sellers, but there is no way I can recommend them.  I myself may be unique and strange as a seller; there is no such thing as being too courteous or responsible when dealing with buyers.  If the seller has "no time for emails", then he/she is listing way more than they can responsibly handle.  My eBay selling philosophy can be found here on eBay.

It's been over a year since I started this information web site and dedicated eBay ID MrsTroppo as a Louis Vuitton seller.  Although I do not sell anything through this site, daily emails have been extremely overwhelming.  Yes, I do a lot of private sales.  Before you email me "do you have this and that?", please (pretty please) go to "contact me" page.  I try to answer all the question emails, but I'm at the point that I must ignore "unsigned" emails (except for my auction items).  All my effort to advise, inform, and help is volunteered.  So please have some common sense and courtesy to respect my time.  Neither Louis Vuitton nor eBay gives me a dime of acknowledgment or appreciation for what I do; I'm helping just because I want to.  And most importantly, please do NOT add me to any of your mailing list.  I do not read group mails, period.  If this continues, I'll have to block your email address and change my email address.  I don't even have the time to delete the "joke of the day".  Most of you are very sweet & courteous, but I simply do not have the time to do a lot of chatting.  I still love to read "thank you" & praise emails everyday, and it really makes my day to read that this basic information has saved somebody from spending $300 on a cheap fake.  So comments are welcome, but please understand I'm not looking for "LV Buddies" or pen pals.

Many of you have called me names (ahem, VERY nice names) that make me blush.  Please bear to read my plea.  The last thing I want to accomplish through this web site is to be treated as a celebrity.  I am definitely NOT, and I have ZERO desire to be treated as such.  I'm merely trying to share a very small portion of my knowledge to inform you, nothing more.  I can't stand LV snobs and egomaniacs, if you know what I mean.  I may know a lot about Louis Vuitton (being a Japanese definitely helps), but as I've blatantly said to some people that knowing Louis Vuitton does NOT make me a better person or get me closer to God a bit, period.  It's just a material "thing" that  we choose to possess, nothing to brag about.  I like to write, so I started writing about Louis Vuitton that I love, hoping it could be helpful to somebody.

Enough update for the welcome page.  Thank you for stopping by, and enjoy!

eBay ID MrsTroppo
February, 2003   

September, 2002

Hello.  This site is not affiliated with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Group.  I am a Louis Vuitton lover  who discovered eBay in 1997 (back when there were only 3 pages of auctions containing the word "Vuitton"..........) who sincerely tries to save somebody from huge headaches and heartaches after paying $500 for a fake Louis Vuitton.   

There are countless Louis Vuitton auctions on eBay today, and I find more counterfeit now (2002) than ever.  There have been times that eBay and Louis Vuitton reps patrolled and quickly closed obvious fakes (well, sometimes authentic Vintage ones too!), or even if the auction description said, "authenticity is NOT guaranteed".  Well, today I suspect half of Louis Vuitton on eBay to be counterfeit, and they run for full 7 days.  Yahoo is worse; as much as 90% are obvious fakes. 

Not only as a lover & reseller of Louis Vuitton but also as a "moral & ethical" human being, I got so frustrated that I put together a few pages one Saturday afternoon.  Thanks to my husband who proofed my "quick & dirty" job (who also thinks it's ridiculous to spend hundreds of dollars for a "vinyl" purse), here are a few pages of "very basic Louis Vuitton info" that many of you have been looking for.  No frills here.  Although I've listed "recommended sellers on eBay" page (including myself), I have nothing to sell through this web site, and I do not charge anybody for consultation & advice.  So sit back & enjoy.........or get shocked if you are a Louis Vuitton/eBay beginner.   

Everyday, I thank those of you who send me "thank you" emails for this web site.  I got so encouraged by them that I finally updated this site after 6 months.  Another update probably won't happen for 6 months........but please check back once in a while, just in case☺.  I do 80+ emails a day (work, personal, Vuitton-related, and everything else like ordering coffee beans), so please be understanding if I do not write you back a "you're welcome!" email.  I try to answer question emails first, so I may not do a lot of chit-chat.  But I read every email I receive and appreciate you.

eBay ID MrsTroppo 
September, 2002