With the exclusivity and high prices of designer purses and wallets, the counterfeit industry is booming, causing many people to mistakenly purchase fake replicas. Hermes, one of the biggest and most expensive names in designer accessories, sells leather wallets that can cost up to $2500. Many consumers do resell their authentic Hermes wallets online at cheaper prices, but there are many knockoffs on the market as well. Familiarize yourself with the details of the genuine products so that you can effectively inspect and authenticate one you considering for purchase.

Examine the stitching. Perfectly straight stitching is a dead giveaway of fake Hermes merchandise. A real Hermes wallet is stitched by hand and will therefore have a somewhat imperfect stitch line. The perfectly straight stitch is a sign of a machine-sewn fake Hermes wallet.

Inspect the Hermes stamp. The true Hermes stamp will have "HERMES" spelled out in upper case (capital) letters, then "PARIS" is smaller-sized capital letters directly underneath, followed by "MADE IN France." The authentic Hermes wallet will have the words written in solid, unbroken silver text. Look for peeling, uneven shaped words on the knockoff.

Look for the date stamp. All Hermes products have a date stamp for authentication. This is indicated by a small letter in a square embossed into the leather, usually on the strap or opening part of the well. The letter stands for the specific year that the bag was made. Be careful, however; good counterfeiters may also include a fake date stamp.

Check the hardware on the wallet. If the Hermes wallet as a round metal fastener, such as the Dogon Hermmes wallet, the words "Hermes" should be engraved the top part of the round fastener, and the word "Paris" should be on the bottom part of the circle. A fake may have embossed or printed words on the fastener, or not have the words in the right place.