How to identify a truly authentic JUICY COUTURE charm

A lot of us love Juicy Couture charms, they are perfect for bracelet, necklace, purse, you name it. Buying them on ebay requires the buyer to be
savvy and smart about the purchase they are making because this is one particular category that is very prone to fakes and replicas.
Lots of fake charms have entered ebay from Hongkong and China market. Though some of them are being honestly advertised in the auction listings as 'Charm fits Juicy Couture bracelet', clearly indicating it is a non- Juicy Couture product, one should exercise caution while buying charms that claim to be authentic but appear to have poor workmanship in the pictures. Generally fake Juicy sellers don't take the trouble to post a gazillion pictures of the charm. Most of them operate without even a camera. It's usally a stereotypical frontal view of the charm. Just one picture, that too a stock picture should ring warning bells.  

Verify the feedbacks of the seller, and ask all questions before purchasing and make sure you are paypal protected while making your purchase.
While there are authentic sellers out there that do sell genuine Juicy Couture jewelry,  some replica sellers camouflaged as authentic shops have also successfully laced their items for sale alongside the originals make it difficult for the naive shoppers to identify them. Buyers who have purchased Juicy Couture charms will be able to identify a fake generally, but those that are being sold as 'rare charm' and from say,

2002 or 2005 needs closer scrutiny and even seasoned Juicy Couture buyers might be taken for a ride here. No one remembers how those charms looked 5 years back and the buyer becomes an easy prey. Watch out! Those charms typically sell for $80 upwards so ask for more pictures, a tagged box and verify seller's feedbacks. Unless the seller is selling charms out of their personal collection, any charm purchased from a retail store or an outlet must come with its own tagged box. The tags can be torn, or have the price marked down in red ink, whatever the case, the tag has to be there with a serial number usually starting with 'Y', mostly 'YJ'. A box without a tag is just not right. If it's from personal collection though, the story is different,  there might be no box and the seller is simply adding an extra box for your convenience. Buy charms in such tagless boxes only if the seller is trusted has a great reputation, excellent feedbacks and stands behind their sale. Generally you would see tons of pictures of the charm in their listing.
If not, it's a risky transaction.

Look for the workmanship, Juicy never makes mistakes there. The logo has to be full, some replica charms has the 'e' at the end of the 'Juicy Couture' banner almost faded out, regardless of the age of the charm if it is brand new, it does not fade or get erased.

As a Powerseller selling Juicy Couture since its inception, i have noticed that they do have manufacturing defects here and there but generally it's rare. In 2006 they missed the 'U' in 'Juicy Couture' and instead printed 'Juicy Coture' on the underside of the blowfish charm. We happened to carry quite a few of them that became an instant hit. The Soccer ball locker charm that has released recently have had the leopard print applied unevenly inside the locker, so verify the item with the pictures once you receive it.

Up until 2006 Juicy Couture charms have come with the turquoise blue terry lining inside the box and after that it has been pink terry. Therefore if a charm claims to be from 2004 and has pink terry lining inside - YEP ! you got it right.
From this summer 2010 collection, Juicy Couture has changed its charm boxes to beautiful softer cardboard boxes with magnetic closure and a bigger logo on the top. It's Super Cute!!

Hope my guide helps you identify your authentic Juicy Couture charm. Enjoy!!