When shopping for tokidoki for LeSportsac bags on eBay, use this guide to empower yourself to avoid the fakes!
Note: This guide covers ONLY 2006-2007 tokidoki for LeSportsac bags. This guide does not include tokidoki for Hello Kitty bags, European tokidoki bags, or 2008-2010 tokidoki bags because there are no fakes of these items on eBay (yet?).
List of signs that a seller is probably selling fake tokidoki for LeSportsac items:
1. If the bag does not have the “qee” toy(spring 2006-summer 2007) or tokidoki Adios keychain(fall 2007 onwards) attached to it on a keyring with a chain, proceed with caution. All tokidoki bags (including wallets and acessories) come with a qee/tokidoki keychain – except for Braccialettos. Those who make fake tokidoki bags are not good at reproducing realistic versions of the tokidoki qee, so some fake bags don’t include one or try to hide it in their auction photos. Also note: a real NWT (new with tags) tokidoki bag will usually come with the qee wrapped in a clear plastic wrapper with black writing printed on it – but fake bags never include this printed plastic wrapper. If the bag is new, but the qee isn’t wrapped in plastic, proceed with caution. Sometimes the wrapper does come off by accident on real bags, but just keep this warning in mind.
2. The bag has a first season tokidoki print with a qee from the later seasons attached, or the attached qee looks fake. The first season tokidoki print bags came with either a blue Meomi cat qee or a pink Dalek qee with a “5″ on its chest attached. First season tokidoki print bags did NOT come with the white qees with the flower face, except for the tokidoki Black bags. (To make things a bit more confusing, the 2007 re-release of the first season or “original print” bags did come with white tokidoki qees.) Check out a comparison of a real qee versus a fake qee.
Real First Season Meomi Qee:
Real First Season Dalek Qee:
Real tokdioki Qee – Comes with Spring 2006 “tokidoki black” print and bags from the Summer 2006 through the Summer 2007 collection:
Real tokdioki Adios keychain – Comes with bags from the Fall 2007 and Winter 2007 collections, and with Foresta, Paradiso, and L’Amore re-release bags:
Fake tokidoki qee:
Another fake tokidoki qee:
Another fake tokidoki qee:
And still another fake tokidoki qee – any bag that comes with this tokidoki qee, which is missing the red star on the front of its left arm, is FAKE:
3. The bag does not have the decorative chain on it that all tokidoki bags (including wallets and acessories) come with.
Examples of fake tokidoki bags that are missing the decorative chain and have a little skinny fake chain in its place:
4. The zippers on the outside of the bag are made of plastic and/or are not multi-colored. On real Tokidoki bags, all of the zippers on the outside of the bag are made of metal, and are multi-colored (rainbow colors in a random pattern)*. Also on real Tokidoki bags, the inside zippers are plastic in a color that matches the inside lining, with a generic standard zipper pull that matches the hardware color. Some fake Tokidoki bags have a zipper pull on the inside that says Lesportsac on it – real Tokidoki bags never do!
*Note: One exception to this rule is the Scuola backpack style bag – SOME seasons of the Scuola do not have rainbow zippers. Original print (first season tokidoki print) Scuolas have white zippers, second season Playground Scuolas have tan zippers, second season Playground Cammo Black Scuolas have black zippers, and second season Playground Cammo Olive Scuolas have olive zippers. Third season Scuolas and onwards have rainbow zippers.
Example of a fake Tokidoki bag that does not have rainbow zippers:
5. If the bag/wallet/accessory does not have round zipper pulls with tokidoki characters engraved on the front of them, or other hardware in the same color with tokidoki characters engraved on them, it is fake. Note that the color of the hardware on real bags changes depending on which season and print the bag is. First season bags had green hardware (plus blue hardware rings attached to the strap), and subsequent seasons have silver or gold hardware. The color of the decorative chain on the bag always matches the hardware color as well.
UPDATE: To make things a little more confusing, a batch of “second generation” original print (first season tokidoki print) bags were released a year after the first season bags were originally produced. The second generation original print bags were an exclusive to the Seattle LeSportsac outlet store. The second generation bags have silver hardware and chains instead of green and blue, and they come with regular tokidoki qees instead of Meomi or Dalek. The second generation bags were produced in the following styles: Stellina, Bambino, Bambinone, Canguro, and Luna. They were also produced in 3 styles that were NOT available in the original run of the first season tokidoki print: Portatelefono, Bocce, and Gioco. When in doubt IDing an original print tokidoki bag, see #25 on this list.
Example of a fake tokidoki bag that does not have the correct color hardware – note that the hardware is all silver when it should be green & blue (it is also the wrong shape, the zippers are too short, and it is missing the qee and decorative chain):
Example of another fake tokidoki bag that does not have the correct color hardware – once again the hardware is all silver when it should be green & blue (it also has the wrong qee attached, and is missing the decorative chain):
Example of another fake tokidoki bag that does not have the correct color hardware – once again the hardware is all silver when it should be green & blue (the qee is also missing the red star on its left arm, and the decorative ball chain is too skinny):
Example of a fake tokidoki bag that does not have the correct engraving on the zipper pull – it should be a picture of a tokidoki character, not the word LeSportsac (the keyring that the qee is attached to is also a giveaway that this bag is fake):
Example of a fake tokidoki bag that has the wrong color and wrong size chain (Pirata bags should have gold chains that are a thicker weight than is pictured below):
6. The bag’s strap does not have the name LeSportsac repeating on it. Real bags have the LeSportsac logo repeating across the length of the strap, and the logo imprinted into the strap. Some fake bags have this too, but the font will look wrong and too small, so examine the straps closely!
7. Something about the pattern or the colors on the bag look off to you (trust your instincts).
Example of a fake tokidoki bag where the colors are off (it is also the wrong shape – this supposedly a Buon Viaggio but isn’t even close, the hardware is wrong, and the qee is fake):
Example of another fake tokidoki bag where the colors are off (it is also missing the decorative chain and has fake tags and a fake qee):
8. The auction does not specify the bag’s name and style number – sellers with real items will be able to provide you with this information, so that you can look the style up on my Tokidoki Bag Archive to make sure that the style really exists and looks like it is supposed to. If you have never seen a tokidoki bag in the style you see on ebay and can’t match it to any of the styles on my Tokidoki Bag Archive or the LeSportac website, it is fake! Fake bags are also sometimes sold as a “set” of two bags, even though no tokidoki bags are officially sold as sets. Fake tokidoki bags also sometimes come in bag styles that were never available in some prints.
Fake bag “set” example:
Another fake bag “set” example:
Example of a fake tokidoki bag where the bag style was never made in the print shown – there is no such thing as a Playground Cammo Olive Zucca (the size of the print on this bag is also WAY too large and the color is off, it comes with a fake qee on a skinny chain, is missing the decorative gold chain… I could go on and about how super-fake this bag is):
Example of a fake tokidoki bag where the bag style was never made in ANY print – there is no such thing as a tokidoki weekender (this bag is also missing the qee & ball chain, doesn’t have rainbow zippers or the correct hardware on the zipper pull, doesn’t have the right color trim for the Spiaggia print, etc.):
9. The bag is listed as new but does not have LeSportsac tags attached.
10. The seller is located in Thailand, which is where most of the fake tokidoki bags seem to be coming from. A seller location in Thailand is not a guarantee that the bag is fake, but should be a sign to proceed with extra caution.
11. The price is too good to be true. You are not going to find a real tokidoki bag for a BIN of $30 on eBay. EVER.
12. The bag has an inside tag that says “Carefully Made in the USA.” Real tokidoki bags are made in China!
Example of a fake inside tag:
13. If the tags attached don’t match what the bag looks like, it’s fake!
Example of outer tags that don’t match the bag – the tag says “Leopard Print Showcase, ” but is attached to a (fake!) Cammo Olive dolce style bag:
14. For Cammo Olive print bags, if the trim is dark olive with lighter green LeSportsac logos across it, it is fake. On real Cammo Olive bags, the trim is the opposite – light olive trim with dark olive LeSportsac logos.
Trim on a fake Cammo Olive bag:
Trim on a real Cammo Olive bag:
15. For Playground print bags, if the trim is brown with tan LeSportsac logos across it, it is fake. On real Playground print bags, the trim is the opposite – light tan trim with dark tan LeSportsac logos.
16. The bag says Flower’ Spring on it instead of tokidoki for LeSportsac where the logo should be in the bag design, AND it has a white tokidoki qee that is missing the red star that should be on its left arm (check the photo of the real white tokidoki qee above in item #2!) . Fakes have also been spotted that say Prosport instead of tokidoki for LeSportsac where the logo should be in the bag design. Note that sellers may try to hide the Flower’ Spring words and fake qees on their fake bags – if it is hard to see what is going on in an auction photos, ask for better/more close-up photos. Also beware if a bag looks like it has been folded over oddly in places to hide it’s fakeness giveaways.
Examples of some fake bags that say “Flower’ Spring” and have qees that are missing the red star on their left arms (these bags are also missing the decorative chains, and have fake skinny little chains instead):
17. Check the seller’s other items before bidding. If they have other bags for sale that you recognize as fake, then you can be 99.9% sure that all of their tokidoki bags are fake. A seller with real items would not damage their credibility by mixing in fakes.
18. If the seller has zero feedback (especially if they also have an account that was created within in the past 30 days), you should proceed with extreme caution before bidding. Chances are that the seller keeps changing their ebay user ID to hide negative feedback they received from others who bought fakes from them previously.
19. The seller’s auctions include “tokidoki” in quotes in the title line of the auction as a subtle clue that they are selling knock-offs.
20. There are new fakes coming out of Australia. Be careful if the seller only accepts Direct Debit (Westpac), as they do not offer the buyer the same level of protection that Paypal offers buyers. Exercise a similar level of caution with any seller who doesn’t take Paypal – Paypal offers the most buyer protection in case of fraud.
21. If the bag has the wrong print inside, it is fake. Check my Tokidoki Bag Archive for which colors/prints should be inside which bags.
Example of a fake tokidoki bag with the wrong print inside – the inside of an Arancia (orange) bag should be Foresta:
22. If the bag is a Campeggio and the front pockets end above the bottom seam of the bag, it is fake. Real Campeggio front pockets end at the bottom of the bag, not an inch or two above it.
Example of a fake tokidoki Campeggio bag with the wrong size front pockets (this bag also has a fake qee on a fake chain, is missing the decorative chain, and is showing an example of a fake Foresta print where the colors are way off):
23. The bag is badly misshapen and/or the size of the print is way too large on the bag.
Example of a fake tokidoki bag side-by-side with a real tokidoki bag to show how the bag shape and the location of the zipper on the fake bag are wrong, and the size of the print is not to proper scale on the fake:
24. The inside “tokidoki for LeSportsac” black tag is not sewn in with metallic thread. Fake bags have inside tags sewn in with plain black thread, but the tags on real bags are sewn in with metallic thread.
25. And finally, if still in doubt – ask to see a photo of the underside of one of the zipper heads on a rainbow zipper on the bag – if the bag is real, it will have the brand name “riri” + M6 stamped into the underside of each rainbow zipper head. Bags that have zipper heads with the riri m6 stamp are definitely real.
UPDATE on Jan. 23, 2008: Fakes are getting more realistic! Please be sure to read this new tutorial on how to spot a convincing fake tokidoki bag.
Please also take note that currently, ALL tokidoki bags on ioffer.com are fake.
If you have anything to add to this guide, leave a comment or e-mail tokidokiblog@gmail.com.
Hi, I was wondering if you could verify if this is real or not. I would really appreciate it
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tokidoki-LeSportsac-Lamore-Campeggio-Sho ulder-Bag-/260651317339?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0#ht_500wt_940
Can anyone tell me if these bags are real or fake?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150482058 903&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300457203 700&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Thank you very much!
Oh great!
I just bought a fake one today. TT^TT
I will be more cautious next time…..
Hey guys! I need help telling if this bag is fake. ThaNKS!
http://s.ecrater.com/stores/135059/4b60e72da1c05_135059b.jpg
http://s.ecrater.com/stores/135059/4b60e6f90e56c_135059b.jpg
JAN, Do you have any more pictures? This is hard to see, but I wouldn’t 100% say it’s real by looking at these pics. Some you can tell immediately.
Hi,
Need some help to authenticate this bag – Is this real? Thanks!
http://cgi.ebay.com.my/auth-lesportsac-tokidoki-bambino-/380 267966235?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_207&hash=item5889bcaf1b
Looks pretty real
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hello-kitty-x-tokidoki-Travel-bag-Suitca se-Simone-Legno_W0QQitemZ400137834442QQcategoryZ39568QQcmdZV iewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI% 26otn%3D2%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4651322248818104472
Can someone tell me if this is authentic Tokidoki Hello Kitty? please….I really want to know ‘cuz if it is, I’m buyin’ it! I’m such a hello kitty freak and i also adore tokidoki, so here i am with both; i think i’m in heaven!
Debbie – That is a real tokidoki x Hello Kitty suitcase, BUT the photos in the listing are stock photos.
I can not publish a message with the link of the bag…
How do I do?
Are them fakes?
1) http://i51.tinypic.com/of7xau.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/16k1dac.jpg
2)http://i52.tinypic.com/2aklg0l.jpg
AkaPower – They’re real. It’s very unlikely that those prints will ever be faked.
Thanks!! xD
are these fake?
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-LESPORTSAC-TOKIDOKI-BACKPACK-ECO-MON DO-CREATIVA-/110612377605?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item19c 102f005
sorry forgot to post the website.
yes. Qee is wrong and straps say lesportsac, instead of tokidoki. Fabric doesn’t look right either. Plus feedback is 1. Usually with these fake bag sellers they keep getting suspended and starting new accounts.
Hi! i need your help, i found this bag on a site similar to ebay, here is the link
http://articulo.mercadolibre.cl/MLC-31408621-excusivo-morral -tokidoki-original-_JM
Im totally nooob recognizing this bags, can somebody help me to know if this is real or fake?? Thankss
It LOOKS like some of his first illustrations he put on bags many years ago. I don’t specifically recognize this shape of bag from back then so I can’t vouch beyond that. These are the graphics he used in his first bags before lesportsac.
The ebay seller rlj844 from Hello808 link is horrible. He (or she) had a fake concerto punk bag and I asked how much shipping was before I noticed it was fake. The seller answered me and told me the listing has been removed and asked how much I would be willing to pay for the bag. I said I didn’t want it anymore because it was fake. The seller replied saying: Lol, fake??? whatever!
I know it’s fake so don’t come back laughing at me. What is really wrong is that the starting bid is 100$ abd BIN 500$. Someone bidded on the eco mondo. I’ll report to Ebay and tokidoki so the bidder doesn’t get robbed. The bag shape is not even right, it is shaped like the scuola.
Marie, please do report. Sometimes I am the only one, and that is why the bags get sold. Ebay can’t rely on one buyer to be accurate. I have seen MANY MANY fake tokidoki auctions completed with HIGH bids on them. I already reported one of her bags, but it was a different one. The ebay computer is kinda dumb sometimes. I have even reported blatantly obvious ones multiple times and they won’t take them down. I will do a report on eco mondo also. And will also write to the seller. Chances are 2 reports won’t be enough. Buyers need to realize that there weren’t that many NWT or NWOT tokidoki lesportsac purses left, and now all of the sudden they are APPEARING out of thin air? How amazing is that? NOT.
Haha, I just got this message back and I emailed them back again. So everyone should help out on reporting this seller. Has 3 fake bags. I ordered it so it is from older to new.
Subject: Re: Other: seabreezy808 sent a message about NEW LESPORTSAC TOKIDOKI BACKPACK ECO MONDO CREATIVA #110612377605
Sent Date: Nov-19-10 01:10:25 PST
Dear xxxxx808,
I am here to sell ONLY AUTHNERIC items and do business. Keep your accusations to yourself. Please do not mail with you false accusations or I will report to ebay.
- rlj844
Dear rlj844,
Good. Then they will look closely at your listings, especially the ones several people have already reported from forums for this brand. If you truly believe these are authentic you need to do your homework before selling them as such. Just because they LOOK like tokidoki, doesn’t mean they are.
- xxxxx808
Emma, it’s funny that this seller wants to report you to ebay.
I have a question…I noticed this seller on eBay has quite a bit of the old Lesportac prints…are these real or are they fakes? I looked at the pics…they look pretty real but then again… >.< if they are real then she has some pretty good prices~
http://cgi.ebay.com/TOKIDOKI-LESPORTSAC-STELLINA-INFERNO-RAR E-NWT-/330496957803?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item4cf3275d6 b#ht_858wt_1135
haha. i thought so. XD
Penny – The bag in the link that you posted is real. I’m sure the bid will go up before the auction ends!
I’m having trouble posting a comment here, can someone please tell me how because I need to ask about a fake/real bag that I encountered!
I meant a comment with a website in it! I wanted you to see the link to the ebay site. But perhaps this will work. These are extra pictures of the bag that I requested. Is it fake?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clanez/5191317140/
Hello! It seems like you know a lot about Tokidoki bags! I was wondering are you familiar with the Serena Leo series? I just received a Tokidoki Serena Leo handbag and it seemed a bit weird because the quee that came with the bag was not the right one. Let me know if you want me to post a picture, thank you in advance
Kelli,
can you post some picture and set the link here ?
Serena Leo originally comes with blue adios qee…
how does the qee looks like ??
This version of the TOKIDOKI bag does have RIRI M6 imprint underneath the zipper pull…. please check that ~
hello i would really like to know if these tote bags are real!!
they look likt it!
Amy,
please provide link ~
I Know this is mostly eBay items but I found a website that has some tokidoki bags on it. They are actually great prices but thats what scares me. What do you think?
http://www.lesportsacstore.com/index.html
Mary, it is indeed too good to be true. I could only tell from the Vacanze print that they are fake because that print did not come in the Scuola style. The backpack style for that collection was abbraccio. Also on other vacanze, they have the Lesportac logo. The real ones did not. I also noticed the qees are wrong for some bags. Besides, Lesportsac have sold out of those bags years ago.
Do NOT get all excited about the above website. This is the real one http://www.lesportsac.com This is a common thing to emulate the true company and confuse potential buyers. DO NOT be fooled. There are no close ups of the bags and the site is not trying to be a sister site, but THE site, which it is not. Our Lesportsac outlet store has been out of Tokidoki bags for years.
Can somebody verify if this is authentic?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120659371 605&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Seller seems to sell a lot of Lesportsac items, not too many tokidoki, but has sold some in the past. Seller only has 2 negative feedbacks ever (99.6% positive) but one of the negatives claimed the bag they got was fake. It wasn’t a tokidoki, but I would appreciate some feedback from those of you who are good at spotting the real thing
Thanks and happy holidays!
Emm – It looks like that auction is using a bunch of different photos of different bags lifted from various other sources. I would ask for a photo *of the actual bag for sale* before bidding. The terrible grammar in the auction text makes me suspicious as well. I would proceed with caution.
Thanks for the heads up
I thought the main pic was their own, but I guess since it’s not tagged it could have been from anywhere. I emailed the seller for more photos, and will be waiting for the reply.
While on the subject of ebay — Has anybody done business with seller bestanimeshopusa?
http://myworld.ebay.com/bestanimeshopusa/
He’s not on the fake OR real seller list, and appears to be selling a lot of tokidoki stuff. He has multiples of some items too, I don’t know if it’s because he’s a reputable seller or just selling lots of fakes… he has a good feedback record, but is it because the items are actually real? (or is it because nobody he’s sold to is aware that they’re knockoffs?)
I really appreciate your help!
Are these real?
http://cgi.ebay.com/TOKIDOKI-COMPAGNO-PRACTICO-WALLET-PURSE- BAG-WATER-COLOR-/110614062571?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=ite m19c11ca5eb
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&hash=item76bfa 6d925&item=320628092329&nma=true&pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&rt=nc &si=PBHnGlVglUNvlEu2Ie0IgIRqg0A%253D&var=
(fumetto)
I hope the second one is real.. I bought it.
Alright, here’s another one!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190485559 704&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1156
I remember tokidoki and hello kitty teaming up but I dont think I remember this one. Is this a real or fake??
Just Wanted to throw this in, I LOVE this website
and every one here rocks!
Mary-
I have seen that particular item for sale on Sanrio’s official website they had I.D. cases and small cosmetic pouches in the same design. There might have been a travel mirror,too. It looks exactly the same as the ones I saw. If you see ones in different colors don’t be alarmed. They also had variations in green (hello kitty Sandy), pink (hello kitty Donutella) and the one listed here is black (hello kitty Carina). Hope this helps.
I don’t remember if there was a back pack for the Cartolina print. Is it real?
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1206677351 28&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
I don’t find the seller thefabulous10 in the list of fake or real seller.
I think there is a backpack for this one. And everyone should realize that is an OOOOOLD list. More than 25% of the ‘tokidoki’ items on ebay are fakes. Well, it comes and goes in waves, sometimes it’s higher, sometimes it’s lower. Please don’t rely on a list from years ago!
I emailed Tokidoki and and asked if they made a Cartolina explorare. They replied that they never made one.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-Tokidoki-Esplorare-Backpack-3121-3014 -CARTOLINA-/120670838124?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item1c18 8add6c
This seller also had a messagio explorare for sale. I guess it would be a fake too since it was released in the same season.
Unfortunately, I won the bag on Ebay before getting an answer from Tokidoki. I will contact the seller, hoping to cancel my bid. I’m glad I didn’t pay yet.
Sheese, that’s scary! The fakes are getting much harder to spot. I am sorry to misguide you, I thought that all the new prints came in backpacks like that, since most of them did and I have seen them in reputable stores. I would be interested to hear the details to this situation as it unfolds, it could be educational for other buyers.
The seller already reposted the bag!
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Tokidoki-Esplorare-Backpack-3121-301 4-CARTOLINA-/110635538928?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item19c 26459f0
If you have the time to report this fraudulent bag, any bit helps!
Emma, it’s true that the fakes are hard to spot now.
On a positive note, the seller accepted to cancel the transaction. In his response he told me the bags were made by Lesportsac and is 100% authentic. He said it might have been a sample that never made it to production. I had to reply to that and tell him the collaboration has ended with Lesportsac.
He actually has two Cartolina backpacks. As the one I bidded on was ending, another one appeared. The print placement was not the same.
I will report this to Ebay and to Tokidoki.
does ciao ciao have a tag that says “made in china” inside?
I’m pretty sure this is a real, but I really want a second opinion, especially since this a bag I have been searching for awhile and doesnt ship from thailand and is such a good price. =.=
http://cgi.ebay.com/TOKIDOKI-LESPORTSAC-MAMA-MIA-CITTA-ROSA- RARE-NWT-/230578707196?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item35af8f dafc#ht_858wt_1139
@emmelyn;
I’m pretty sure all the tokidoki for Lesportsacs have a Made in China tag.
@aly;
It’s real.
hello. Please help. I just bought a Tokidoki on ebay and would like to know if this is real. Most pics online does not have a picture on the Pepe line. The bag that I bought does not have a zipper that is multicolored> The bag that I bought does not have “riri” stamped on the bag. Here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true &item=200566293442
I would appreciate it if anyone could help me. Thank you.