New technology helps pawn shops authenticate handbags

Although television shows such as “Pawn Stars” and “Hardcore Pawn” make pawn shops look glamorous, fun and profitable, those who grind it out in the industry must evaluate knockoff items daily with far fewer resources.

Buying fake pieces is costly for shops, and technological advances to limit guesswork is always welcome. Entrupy, for example, has introduced authentication technology for handbags that boasted a 98 percent success rate last year.

Entrupy’s microscopic camera device is used in conjunction with the Entrupy app on a Apple device to take images of handbags, its seams, its inner fabric and any serial number or date code in the bag. Artificial intelligence algorithms analyze the images to determine authenticity, and results are received in real time.

“Up until now, authentication has been made mostly off human emotion,” said Deanna Thompson, customer success agent with Entrupy. “This takes the guesswork out of the equation.”

Once the bag is authenticated, the program generates a certificate of authenticity with a photo to show the purse is what’s advertised.

Shop owners can employ the Entrupy program with a $299 start-up fee for the device, which includes free shipping and training, and a monthly subscription, which is based on the store’s volume of use. Entrupy also helps those using the device market their business online.

Now partnered with more than 150 pawn shops in the U.S., Entrupy can authenticate a variety of high-end bags such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, which are the two most widely replicated bags, among other popular brand names.

Michael Mack, who uses Entrupy in his shop, Max Pawn on Sahara Avenue, said he’s been impressed by the device.

“It’s been tremendous,” Mack said. “It’s something else. I really believe Entrupy as a company, has really just scratched the surface of what they can do.”

Mack said there are a few categories of customers who try to sell or pawn their bags to his shop — those who who have bought the bag from the brand’s store; those who have bought a knockoff not knowing it’s a fraud; and those who