I'm a luxury handbag authenticator. Here's why you should avoid Chinese manufacturers on TikTok who try to sell 'real' Birkins for cheap.

A Bonhams employee holding up a green leather Hermès Birkin bag at an auction in London.

AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

• Koyaana Redstar, a luxury bag authenticator, has decades of experience identifying fake Hermès Birkins.
• She says people should think twice before buying bags from Chinese TikTokers touting luxury items.
• Instead, she recommends buying secondhand bags, which will retain their resale value.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Koyaana Redstar...