Book excerpt: This Companion Guide was created as an additional resource for the e-course, The Beginners Course to Luxury Handbag Authentication-Volume 1. In this guide, we'll reference the following areas and brands on: History, Materials, Hardware, Fonts, Heat Stamps, Date Codes and Serial Numbers for Balenciaga, Celine, Chloe, Longchamp and Louis Vuitton. Perfect for anyone interested in luxury handbags and learning the intracicies on a beginner's level on what to look for when determining authenticity.