Now that you know some of the horrible truths behind ######## designer handbags, you may be asking yourself how you can spot a ######## and avoid it.
Knock off designer handbags is a big industry. It is understandable that young women around the globe want to imitate their favorite celebrities and indulge in wearing the same high fashion clothing and accessories. But many have opted to purchase knock off items like designer handbags as opposed to an authentic Louis Vuitton or Chanel.
Author, Dana Thomas wrote about the devastation the industry has on children in her book, Deluxe, How Luxury Lost its Luster. Here's an excerpt from her book...
Don't feel embarrassed because it happens all the time. The counterfeit industry has become very sophisticated in replicating designer handbags. Even professional authenticators agree that it is now more difficult to spot a ########.
In familiar circles, purposefully buying knock off designer handbags has become unacceptable and I am about to tell you why - after hearing the truth
Prada Belt, I think you will agree.
Most women don't want to wait to save up for the real deal or buy on a whim on a city street corner - but is this okay? Sometimes the buyer of a knock off wasn't aware that their new 'designer' handbag was indeed a ######## - they just thought they were fortunate enough to find a bargain.
Most make a conscious effort to keep the interior clean. I for one carry pens wrapped in Ziploc bags (thanks to a tip learned from friend CSP) in my purse. Others send their purse babies to the purse hospital on regular basis. For example, I send some of my purse babies to the manufacturer on a yearly basis to get a tune-up, such as getting re-dyed if the leather oxidizes or if there if the leather gets snagged. Others make it a point to rotate their purses often to avoid corner wear and most store those purse babies in their dust bags and stuff them to ensure they keep their shape.
Of course, there's always an exception, look at Lindsay Lohan and Shauna Sands
Brand Watches, they kill me with how beat up their purses look.When does buying previously loved make sense? When:
1. You missed out on a particular style or color and must now have it.
2. You like the purse, but don't LOVE it
3. You want the designer look, without the designer price tag
4. You want to be green and recycle.1. MISSED OUT ON A MODEL:
A dear friend of mine missed out on the Dior purple lamb leather plisse purse circa 2008 (I believe) and is now on the hunt for the purse. Another friend missed out on the Gucci Britt tote and after almost a year of looking for it, recently scored! This year, I finally scored my first Gucci Blondie, the last of the Tom Ford designs for Gucci from 2004. If you missed out on particular model or recently discovered a particular designer line or color and must now have it then buying previously loved is the way to go!
At the end of the day, there is much more satisfaction from buying an authentic designer handbag that you worked and saved hard for. Don't be left with the guilt of buying a knock off designer handbag when you know of the terrible things related with this trade, and do your best to seek out the correct distribution channels of your next dream buy!
Sometimes the cases are truly horrific. "I remember walking into an assembly plant in Thailand a couple of years ago and seeing six or seven little children, all under ten years old, sitting on the floor assembling counterfeit letter handbags," the investigator told me as we drove away from the raid. "The owners had broken the children's legs and tied the lower leg to the thigh so the bones wouldn't mend. He did it because the children said they wanted to go outside and play."
Nothing good comes out of buying replica handbags. Instead, using my blood, sweat and tears to save for the ultimate designer handbag is more rewarding and what some consider a great investment due to the high return in the resale market.
Counterfeit handbags are an astonishingly big business, making up 20% of all counterfeited products in circulation. It is illegal to sell counterfeit handbags and in France it is illegal to buy them. I bet it may have never entered your mind that this illegal business doesn't pay its taxes - it is an all cash money business and yet who is making up for it? You and I! We pay taxes like all good citizens whilst the counterfeiters line their pockets with our hard earned money. More shockingly still is the fact that the counterfeiting trade is connected to terrorism, drug trafficking and child labor
D&G sandals, amongst others.