Knockoffs - do you or don't you?

[Cachecara]

From my experience many of the designers like Gucci, LV, Chanel who have stores outside the USA, still charge the same price. The only break I ever received was not paying tax on those items.(which can still be a great savings) However, these were from the boutiques themselves, not a Designer outlet. I have shopped D&B, Coach and Kate Spade outlets and the prices are marked down for items, but generally they are "seconds" or "damaged", although in most cases you would never know.

[karen sharpe]

Would I buy a knock-off? Not knowingly. I think I'm missing the purse gene! I like my Sondra Roberts bags but only because they fit my bill of needs. They're a little whimsical,sturdy,roomy,have a comfortable shoulder strap,easy access and are under $300.00. I could afford the expensive designer purses but I just can't justify in my mind spending an exorbintant amount on a purse. Besides then it just another thing to worry about and my purses need to be very "hardy friends"!

The knock-off?? I'm past the age of Peter Pan and pretending .It's the same as the zircon vs the diamond dilemma. I don't think purse or diamond deception is a mortal sin but who has time for it?

I can usually find a good leather purse that fits my price range and if a name just happens to come with it ....great!:p

[aring75]

I work in the international security business, and based on extensive research by governments and security consultants worldwide, it has been conclusively noted that funds made from knock-off purses and other products contribute directly to terrorism. In other words, terrorism groups use front companies to operate the factories that manufacture the knock-off purses, and money made from the sale of those purses go back to the terrorism organizations. Which is why the FBI has also become heavily involved in raiding those knock-off stores on Canal Street in NYC since 9/11, among others.

 

As such, the issue of replica purses these days do not center around just patent and trademark issues anymore. There are more serious issues at hand. In the DC area recently, law enforcement arrested members of a family that hosted various "purse parties" and are now reportedly trying to determine whether the family may have any indirect links with terrorist organizations.

 

Linda

 

Interpol actually cites specific examples on their website:

 

Interpol

 

However, this is one of my favorite sites about counterfeits:

 

http://counterfeitchic.com/

 

:p

[BlueHerons]

However, we were sitting at the mall eating lunch, and approximately 50% of the ladies walking had these "designer" purses. We said, oops, the Purse Party has saturated the market! Everybody knows it most likely a knock-off, but nobody seems to care....unless you are the one who spent the big bucks for the real stuff..and now everybody just assumes you too are carrying a knock-off also!

 

!

 

Wrong. I can spot a fake a mile away.

[aring75]

Wrong. I can spot a fake a mile away.

 

Agreed. Especially those horrible signature bags. Ugh.

[mousey]

Okay, I confess, I'm a purse "HO"!:eek: Have more handbags than anyone person could ever need or want probably! I buy my Coach bags at the Coach store outlets. They are greatly discounted. They are probably last year's style or whatever, but who cares! A beautiful bag is a beautiful bag, and who knows when I bought it! LOL TJ Maxx and Marshalls sometimes carry designer bags. I have seen Coach there a couple of times. But you have to buy it when you see it, cause it won't be there if you go back the next day! My girlfriend was VP for TJ Maxx at its corporate office in Boston I think it was. She told me the designer bags you see at Marshall's and TJMaxx are not fakes. They are either overstocks or last years model!

[RI-Sailor]

I like the way you think Jane. Now too bad I already filed our corporate returns. I'm thinking purses can be amortized. :D

quote]

 

I don't know...the way Jane's talking, it's more an investment. I think in a few years she is going to have a long-term gain reportable on Schedule D! :rolleyes:

[Jane110]

I like the way you think Jane. Now too bad I already filed our corporate returns. I'm thinking purses can be amortized. :D

 

But seriously, what a great investment piece whether you keep it or not.

How do you choose a bag and know it won't go out of style- that it will obviously become a classic?

 

 

Well, there's always next year tax returns when the bag will be worth more...maybe? LOL!

 

I'm definitely not selling my LV Epi leather bag. However, I think I'm going to sell a Chanel bag on Ebay. I broke my own rule of never buying a bag without a shoulder strap and even though I love the bag, I'm never comfortable carrying it. I'm thinking about selling it on Ebay and probably won't lose too much money. It's in perfect condition.

 

How do I choose what won't go out of style? I stick with the classic (but not boring - when I pay a lot. It can be different or unusual but I never buy the "it" bag of the season. It's just not in my budget to buy a bag that's so trendy that in less than two years it'll be "out" and I'm "out" $XXXX. If I want something "odd" I generally do it with color, not details that will out of date within a year.

 

I try to look into my crystal ball and envision what will be knocked-off and keep away from it. I loved the Fendi Spy bag when it came out and just had the feeling I'd be seeing crap copies on the street. Sure enough, in 6 months they were there.

 

I probably have less bags than many of the ladies here. I don't buy on impulse. I shop around a lot and I buy by "categories" and don't duplicate within a category. Right now I'm on the search for a medium sized black leather bag.

 

I'm headed to Paris in 3 weeks, so I'll definitely look for something there.

 

Whatever I buy, it'll be the real thing! :)

[Jane110]

I like the way you think Jane. Now too bad I already filed our corporate returns. I'm thinking purses can be amortized. :D

quote]

 

I don't know...the way Jane's talking, it's more an investment. I think in a few years she is going to have a long-term gain reportable on Schedule D! :rolleyes:

 

 

When I'm 90, I'll be sitting in the rocking chair of my retirement home and selling my old Louis', Chanel's and Dior's to the young'uns so I can make some cruise money! :D

 

The knock-offs are worth 2 cents the day after they're bought, the real thing holds value for years.

 

In the same vein, the watch that DH bought be me for our 10th anniversary (6 years ago) has increased in price by over 20%.

[Jane110]

Would I buy a knock-off? Not knowingly. I think I'm missing the purse gene! I like my Sondra Roberts bags but only because they fit my bill of needs. They're a little whimsical,sturdy,roomy,have a comfortable shoulder strap,easy access and are under $300.00. I could afford the expensive designer purses but I just can't justify in my mind spending an exorbintant amount on a purse. Besides then it just another thing to worry about and my purses need to be very "hardy friends"!

The knock-off?? I'm past the age of Peter Pan and pretending .It's the same as the zircon vs the diamond dilemma. I don't think purse or diamond deception is a mortal sin but who has time for it?

I can usually find a good leather purse that fits my price range and if a name just happens to come with it ....great!:p

 

Karen,

 

You would know if you're buying a knock-off. If you buy it on the street it's a knock-off. If you buy it in a reputable store, it's real.

 

I can easily understand not wanting to spend big bucks on a designer bag. We all lust for different things. I just can't understand anyone buying a phony copy.

 

I don't "get" the whole car thing. I can't tell a BMW from a Honda, but then again, I've never owned one.

[Jane110]

Interpol actually cites specific examples on their website:

 

Interpol

 

 

:p

 

Thanks for the link. VERY informative and frightening.

 

I see the phony perfumes in the cheapo stores and would never buy them. They're illegal and they probably "stink". Now that I know that these fund Al-Qaeda terrorists I wouldn't even consider buying one as a gag gift!

[Jane110]

 

What about the rest of you? Do you buy the real deal? Will you buy knockoffs, knowing they aren't the real thing, or do you think you're getting a fantastic price, something "too good to be true?"

 

 

Illegal copying, encouraging child labor and funding terrorists somehow doesn't fit in the same sentence as "too good to be true". :(

[Sunshine91]

Interesting. Thanks for the thought-provoking comments. Just thought I'd throw out something other than the usual "how's this dress for formal night" or "favorite nail polish color" threads. :)

 

But I only used purses as an example. Sunglasses are another item I often see counterfeited - the $10 fakes you see on the street corner. I know a few people who wear them. I can't imagine that they provide adequate protection for your eyes, let alone are legal. So, why aren't the vendors shut down? Who commits the crime - the manufacturer, the vendor, the purchaser?

 

A step further - what about music downloading? That's illegal too. If you don't pay for it & it's on your MP3, isn't that the same thing everyone says they won't do for a purse? What about your kids?

 

I'm not trying to take this far off topic (or incite the masses, please), just have a lively discussion. :)

[judy&steve]

Interesting. Thanks for the thought-provoking comments. Just thought I'd throw out something other than the usual "how's this dress for formal night" or "favorite nail polish color" threads. :)

 

But I only used purses as an example. Sunglasses are another item I often see counterfeited - the $10 fakes you see on the street corner. I know a few people who wear them. I can't imagine that they provide adequate protection for your eyes, let alone are legal. So, why aren't the vendors shut down? Who commits the crime - the manufacturer, the vendor, the purchaser?

 

A step further - what about music downloading? That's illegal too. If you don't pay for it & it's on your MP3, isn't that the same thing everyone says they won't do for a purse? What about your kids?

 

I'm not trying to take this far off topic (or incite the masses, please), just have a lively discussion. :)

 

I have to pay for every song I download into my MP3 unless I happen to own the CD. I pay a monthly fee to download whatever I wish, but, if I don't pay my music goes POOF off my player. I can pay for a song or album and then "own" the music and copy it to a CD, but otherwise I am just renting the music.

To keep on topic, I carry my MP3 player (in one of my handbags) with me everywhere and am especially fond of using it in the library on the Queen Mary 2.

--Judy

[madelinerose]

Susan, no I do not buy knockoffs. (I've read lots of your posts on the HAL board - we're on the Noordam (first HAL) in December. ;) )

 

Here's my latest handbag purchase...for my girlfriend's new puppy. It's an original "Kate Spayed". :D

 

 

Karen

 

Interesting. Thanks for the thought-provoking comments. Just thought I'd throw out something other than the usual "how's this dress for formal night" or "favorite nail polish color" threads. :)

[wrongwaywatson]

I love purses! I have purchased a few Coach purses at Macy's (local department store) and a Dooney. I also have purchased a Longchamp and a Prada at a very upscale consignment store. I wouldn't purchase a purse at most consignment stores, but I fully trust this woman. The purses that I have purchased there all came from the same woman (I know her seller ID #). She is the wife of a doctor and she shops a whole lot! The Longchamp, Prada and LV she sold all had the store tags with the price on them in the pocket, along with a copy of the receipt (with her credit card number crossed off) to help authenticate them. I paid more for them than the ones that couldn't be authenticated, but much less than new ones. The Prada sold for $895.00 and I paid $110.00 for it. The Longchamp was $750.00 and I paid $80.00 for it. Incidently, I had never heard of Longchamp before, because they don't sell them within 250 miles of here. I love it. It is my favorite purse and the one that I took on our last cruise. My LV has been claimed by my DD, who has carried the heck out of for 3 years now, without any signs of wear.

 

I wouldn't knowingly by a knock off, but I sure love these purses that I have found. I know people who have paid more for a knock off.

 

Luckily, the lady wears the same size clothes as I do and I have purchases alot of her clothes, also. I could never afford a St. John's outfit, but now I have 5 of them!

[klct39lg]

I would not knowingly buy a knock-off of anything. I don't like fake. Heck...I have a hard enough time convincing myself that subtle highlights in my hair are ok, and won't make me a fake.

 

I would LOVE to see some of Jane100's Texas friend's handbags. Is there a website that you wouldn't mind sharing?:)

[Jane110]

Interesting. Thanks for the thought-provoking comments. Just thought I'd throw out something other than the usual "how's this dress for formal night" or "favorite nail polish color" threads. :)

I agree Sunshine. It's a good thing to come and share our knowledge. I'm sure that many people who buy the knock-offs didn't realize the ramifications of such a seemingly innocent act. Maybe threads like this wake some people up?

Besides, as you say, we can't only discuss nail polish! :)

 

But I only used purses as an example. Sunglasses are another item I often see counterfeited - the $10 fakes you see on the street corner. I know a few people who wear them. I can't imagine that they provide adequate protection for your eyes, let alone are legal. So, why aren't the vendors shut down? Who commits the crime - the manufacturer, the vendor, the purchaser?

The crime is committed by all three - the manufacturer, the vendor and the purchaser.

The manufacturer's are all over Asia in child sweat shops. The US govt can't go in and raid them, only local govt can.

Many of the vendors ARE shut down and goods are confistcated. But more pop up like cockroaches. Here in NY's Chinatown, LVMH (who own Louis Vuitton & some other luxury brands) managed to get a whole building of illegal merchants out of a building. And last summer I saw a team of undercover cops swarm in on some street merchants. The two clueless tourist housewives had their purchases taken away and then complained to the police that they paid for them and wanted their money back! They're lucky they didn't get arrested too. Duh!

In Europe, if a person is caught buying counterfeit goods on the street they are brought to the police station and charged thousands of dollars in fines. It was in all the newpapers last summer and I think many cruiseships warned passengers about this too. A women I met at party last summer told me a story. She would never buy fake goods, but the previous summer she took her two daughters on a European cruise. When they were in Italy, she went shopping in a store and her daughters decided to walk around outside and meet her after a few minutes. While in the store, she heard a screaming and commotion and ran outside to see her daughter being arrested for buying counterfeit Chanel sunglasses from a street vendor. They were all taken down to a plice station and allowed one phone call. They called the ship who sent someone down there for her. She had to pay a $3000. fine and almost missed the ships departure. She's italian and has family there. Not only is she out $3000. but she's afraid of being scrutinized in customs everytime she goes to Italy now because her passport number and arrest are now in the italian system.

 

A step further - what about music downloading? That's illegal too. If you don't pay for it & it's on your MP3, isn't that the same thing everyone says they won't do for a purse? What about your kids?

 

I'm not trying to take this far off topic (or incite the masses, please), just have a lively discussion. :)

 

I pay for my downloads and I've gotten some free with legal promotions. I bought two reams of printer paper and each one came with a coupon for 3 free downloads. I may go and buy some more printer paper. :D

 

Buying illegal knock-off purses, sunglasses, perfumes does fund terrorism and child labor abuse and taking an illegal free download off the internet doesn't. But it's still stealing. I understand it's hard for some people to think of it as stealing because it's not an object you can hold in your hand. It's what's called "intellectual property". Imagine if you came up with a unique idea and on a whim told someone about it and then the person went out and sold that idea and made millions of dollars? Happens all the time and unfortunately the person with the idea doesn't have enough money to fight the one that's made millions. :(

 

BTW, as a point of disclosure - I used to be a licensing agent so I'm very familiar with the issues. Most of my clients were fashion brands, some were famous people and one was a cruiseship.

[Denisern2]

I love the Outlets and factory stores in Europe the real thing for less. Prada bags 300-600E. Great sunglasses works great for me. The knock off make me mad. I like to think of some of my bags as special and when everyone has fake bags it makes the real think seem less.

One of the gals at work came in the other day and asked how I liked he new LV backpack? I said pretty good for a fake she was pissed wanted to know how I could tell. I just do not understand the whole fake thing.

[cruisemom42]

I would not buy a knockoff, even without knowing about the terrorist and child labor connections (frightening!).

 

I bought a medium black Chanel quilted bag years ago in the 80s when they were very much en vogue. I carried it literally for about 4 years straight. Then I got tired of it and the styles changed so I stored it carefully away.

 

Just this year I got it out again, as it seems the quilted look is back. It looks as good as new. I haven't priced comparable bags, but I'm willing to guess that mine hasn't lost much, if any, value.

[RQINFL]

I bought a medium black Chanel quilted bag years ago in the 80s when they were very much en vogue. I carried it literally for about 4 years straight. Then I got tired of it and the styles changed so I stored it carefully away.

 

Just this year I got it out again, as it seems the quilted look is back. It looks as good as new. I haven't priced comparable bags, but I'm willing to guess that mine hasn't lost much, if any, value.

 

You are probably right. The quilted is classic Chanel ~ not sure which one you have, but there is one like in the botique that is $2,900. Just checked and vintage on ebay are $500 and up.

[melgray13]

Just say no to knock offs.

 

There is a reason that the real ones are so expensive. If budget is an issue, there are plenty of other great items that you can choose from without having to go down knock off road :)

[smoothdancer]

I once did work in the finance department for a company that owned a very popular trademark. The legal department would pursue vendors that were sellling in high volume under the trademark but there was just no way to keep up with every vendor that used our trademark... So yes, purchasing a knock off eventually increases the cost of the original. This company also mfg products that were under a trademark they did not own, and you bet they paid top royality dollars to use that mark. Trademarks are big business.

 

I could never understand purchasing a knock off anyway.... It is not the outside label that you are purchasing when you buy an original, but the quailty of the product. With a knock off, really, all you get is something that is going to fall apart fast and just throwing your money away.

 

For thoes of us who cannot always afford originals I think it is better to buy a quailty bag(or whatever) that has some of the same design elements of the more popular originals. This way you are not aiding in cost increases, and still end up with something of a half way decent quality, a style you like, without breaking the bank.

[sail7seas]

I am fortunate to have some 'real' purses by the major designer names mentioned here. I used to visit a local flea market from time to time looking for household odds and ends and they always had lots of copies of known designer handbags. No more. I think the police successfully caught onto the vendors and the fines/arrests/penalties must have been severe enough they put an end to seeling the copies.

 

I don't see copies of any of those sorts of things in our area anymore. No sunglasses, handbags, scarves, clothing.......none of it. Maybe I'm just not looking for it. ;)

 

[barante]

I don't know about knock-offs on St. Maarten but the prices overall are great. We were in March and will again be there in two months. Terrific looking black canvas bags with embroidery on them for $4. T-shirts are a steal; baseball caps five for $10.

I don't buy electronics outside the U.S. but compared to other islands prices are good. I don't drink but we alsways stock on Glenfiddich in St. Maarten. This last time it was $25 fo a liter bottle inside a metal container. Since I carried them in a plastic bag they passed the ship's alcohol detectives with flying colors!