DEAD
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A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
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TABLE OF
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1FAKE 2 BE 3 FAKE 4 REAL DEAL 5 WHY YOU SHOULDN’T
BUY A
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BUYER
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HOW TO
SPOT A
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HOW TO TELL IF IT’S A
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HOW TO AVOID FAKE ONLINE SHOP
SCAMS
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DEAD GIVEAWAY
A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T
BUY A
FAKE Many times you may covet a designer handbag that is out of your price range, but don't run off to the flea market to get a replica. Instead, save your pennies and look for an authentic bag on sale from a reputable retailer. Let's take a look at some of the reasons that you shouldn't buy a fake designer handbag. 7
1. LEGALITY Selling fake designer handbags is illegal. Counterfeit bags infringe on the copyright and trademarks of the designer and brand. By purchasing these bags, you are supporting these illegal acts. Instead, put away some money each month into your handbag fund and buy yourself the real thing for Christmas.
2. CHILD LABOR Most designer replicas are produced by organized crime and illegal enterprises. They are made by young children in very poor working conditions. By supporting organized crime, you aren't just supporting and contributing to child labor, but also to their other crimes including human trafficking, child abuse and prostitution.
3. APPEARANCE Most fake bags look cheap. They are made from low quality leather. The colors and dyes are oftentimes uneven. The stitching and general construction are poor. Authentic designers take pride in their workmanship. Sweatshops don't. Who wants to look like a poser anyway? If you can't afford the real thing, don't buy it.
4. DESIGNER By purchasing fake bags, you are hurting the designers and the manufacturers. The time, effort and creativity put into producing a bag is extensive, from the initial sketches through the time it goes on the shelves. Additionally, if designers and brands are constantly having to spend money in court protecting their designs, the cost of their bags will rise too. 8
DEAD GIVEAWAY
A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
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DID YOU
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RFEITERS
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LABOR 11
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BUYER
B E WARE Spotting a knock-off is more difficult than you may think. Use the tips as a checklist to avoid buying a fake.
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1. LOCATION First and foremost, purchasing luxury goods at a brand’s boutique, website or authorized dealer is your best bet to insure buying a genuine product. Items at flea markets, home parties, from street vendors, or unauthorized websites are likely to be fake.
2. THE PRICE IS RIGHT Quality and exclusivity account for the high price of luxury goods. Thus, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
3. CONSTRUCTION SITES Craftsmanship is a main point of distinction with luxury goods. Sloppy stitches in less visible areas—such as the underside of a product or inside pockets—is likely the result of counterfeit production.
4. PACKAGE DEAL Luxury retailers meticulously package their products, including tissue paper, authenticity cards, product care information, superior quality boxes, and shopping bags. If you see a plastic wrap covering or a flimsy dust bag, it's probably a fake. For example, counterfeit manufacturers will often wrap the handles of handbags in plastic.
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A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
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A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
5. SPELL CHECK Counterfeiters will often misspell designer names. Check for letters that are swapped or a letter that is capitalized that shouldn’t be, and vice versa.
6. CHECK THE HARDWARE With most luxury accessories, you will find the logo on all the metal pieces, such as zippers, latches, snaps, and buckles.
7. READ THE LABEL In a genuine article of luxury clothing, most often the label is stitched in, where as counterfeit clothes are likely to have a less expensive hang-tag. Also, check the country of origin on the label.
8. TINY TIPS Makers of fake watches may not replicate unusual features, such as a helium relief valve. If the feature is available, often times it does not function.
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HOW TO
SPOT A
FAKE A new designer bag is a joy but discovering it’s a fake is not. If you’re in the market for a designer bag, this will help you spot replicas, fakes, and genuines.
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A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
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DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE PRESENCE OF A HANG TAG, ANYONE WHO CAN COUNTERFEIT A HANDBAG CAN FAKE THAT, TOO. Train your eye to spot a counterfeit by looking at the real thing in person – at a boutique or an authorized dealer, before you buy a bag from another source, give it the once over. Here are the features for you to consider.
1. MATERIALS Not all designer bags are made of leather. For example, Louis Vuitton is coated canvas with leather trim. If the trim is supposed to be leather, it should feel dry not oily, slippery or sticky. The hardware should be heavy not hollow. If it’s imprinted with the designer’s name, make sure it’s supposed to be.
2. WORKMANSHIP The stitching should be perfectly even, with no loose threads or back-and-forth stitching at the end of a seam – that’s a sign of sloppy construction. Check the seams for matching– whether of the quilting on a Chanel bag, or the pattern on a Louis Vuitton. A company like Louis Vuitton, which values its logo, wouldn’t divide the letters in a seam. And where the pattern appears on either side of the seam, it should match precisely.
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A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
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A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
3. LINING Counterfeiters rarely have a good view of the inside of a bag. Typically they are working from photographs, which tend to distort color. So if you have gone to a boutique and seen the color in person, you immediately have an advantage. It should be precisely the same shade as the real thing – not a close approximation.
4. POCKETS Here too, it’s easy for counterfeiters who are working off photographs, rather than copying the real thing, to get it wrong. One of my friend has a fake Chanel tote on which copyists omitted the pocket on the back, and a Coach on which they included the back pocket but added a zipper.
5. PLACE OF MANUFACTURE Some counterfeiters routinely mark Louis Vuitton knockoffs “Made in France.” But as it happens, at least one line was made in Spain. An example: a collaboration between Louis Vuitton’s creative director Marc Jacobs, and the artist Takashi Murakami featuring cherry blossoms with whimsical smiley-face centers against the company’s classic brown toile background.
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— C OC O C H A N E L
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BEING COPIED IS A RANSOM OF SUCCESS
DEAD GIVEAWAY
A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
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HOW TO TELL IF IT’S A
REAL DEAL Knowing the difference enables you to make an informed choice about the purchase of any handbag.
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1. UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A KNOCK-OFF AND A GENUINE BAG. A GENUINE DESIGNER BAG is made by the original well-known designer; it can also be made by a less-known designer but the main focus is on high-end designers. The bag’s logo, charms, attachments, etc., are all part of the original design down to the exact positioning and number of such features. Tags, signatures or marks stating the designer’s name form an integral part of the bag’s overall design and authenticity. Price is determined by what the consumer is prepared to pay for a designer label. A LEGAL KNOCK-OFF/IMITATION is “designerinspired” but not a direct copy. Provided such a bag does not claim to be the original designer’s bag and does not attempt to use the trademarked symbols, logos, or features. In most cases, it can legally imitate the style and colors of an authentic designer bag while taking care of any defining features deviate in evident ways in order to avoid copyright. Although it may suggest the bag’s similarities to the brand that it’s inspired by, it won’t claim to be an actual designer bag. Without close inspection, the additions can be easily mistaken for the real thing, sometimes causing you to spend too much on it in the belief of the original designer’s bag. However, if you know what to look for, you should be able to spot the differences.
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ILLEGAL, FAKE BAGS put themselves across as being the genuine designer’s bag, right down to the very last logo, tag, charms, etc. Fakes copy everything about the designer bag, and pass themselves off as the original brand with no attempt to distinguish themselves as look alike. Prices for fakes can vary considerably from cheap to trying to sell the bag for high amounts. It is illegal to make fake merchandise, and while buying it, doing so supports illegal activity. BE AWARE that designer-inspired bags can carry the blessing of the original high-end designer where adequate compensation has been paid and contracts exchanged allowing for lower-end knock-offs in chain retailers, etc. Usually the store will proudly say something along the lines of “as licensed by X brand for our store�.
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DEAD GIVEAWAY
A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
2 BE STORE WISE. THE BEST PLACE TO PURCHASE A DESIGNER BAG is to go to a renowned store to for designer bags. Suitable stores include stores that carry the same name as the brand and quality department or boutique stores. The staff should be knowledgeable when questioned about the pedigree, quality, and guarantees concerning the bag. Assume that any designer bag being sold at a flea market or street vendor is suspect. Designer labels do not authorize street vendors to sell designer bags or purses. It would be a rare occasional find to have a cheap designer bag being thrown out at a flea market; it’s possible but improbable. Know all you can about designer bags if you’re purchasing from estate sales, thrift stores, online auction sites, etc. Apply the following steps to any purchases of designer bags made at such places. Ask trusted fashionistas you know where they purchase their designer bags from. They’ll be wise to the good stores.
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3. BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE PRICE. DESIGNER BAGS COST A LOT OF MONEY because they are well crafted and they’re status symbols. If the price is too good to be true, then it is, and the bag’s a fake. If you do buy legal knock-offs, be sure you don’t pay much and double check the quality.
4. ASK THE VENDOR IF THE BAG IS REAL, A COPY, OR A FAKE. JUDGE FOR YOURSELF the ring of authenticity from the answer; keep your emotions in check and your common sense at the forefront. Sellers who avoid answering questions or are evasive have something to hide. Ask if you can return it if it’s faulty or fake. Naturally, don’t expect street vendors to agree to this. Ask if there are any certificates of authenticity accompanying the bag.
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5. KNOW THE SIGNS OF A FAKE OR KNOCKOFF BAG There are numerous signs that can point to a bag’s lack of authenticity THE STITCHING Look closely at the stitching of the bag. Sloppy, slanted, and uneven stitching is a sign of a poorly made, and therefore, a fake bag. Designer bags will always have quality stitching because it is part of the designer’s reputation to produce a quality item. CHECK THE TAGS OR LABELS Check the inside tags – are they stamped into leather or hand-stitched? An obvious fake will have no name on the inside tag. CHECK OUTSIDE TAGS Many designers include authenticity labels on the outside of the bag. CHECK THE MATERIAL If it’s leather, it should smell like leather. If it’s supposed to be durable canvas, it should be strong and well stitched. The material can tell you a lot about the bag’s quality. If the real bag normally has a pattern inside then the fake bags with mainly have just one colour throughout the inside. CHECK THE LOGO Logos are often a slip-up area for copies. They may have spelled the name slightly differently, such as Carter instead of Cartier. And, the more popular the “knocked off” bag, the greater the need to be careful bec ause 42
DEAD GIVEAWAY
A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
it’s easy to be taken advantage of. When you look at the stitching on the sides and you see the “LV” it should be continued onto the other side of the bag and this also goes for the other symbols on the bag. And most knockoff Chanel bags have interlocking Os instead of Cs, which actually makes it legal to sell but is, of course, a fake. They snip it to make it look real when it comes out of a dust bag. LOOK FOR A SERIAL NUMBER This is a stamp inside that says the brand (it may not be in all bags). CHECK THE LINING I f t h e i nt e r i o r s ou n d s li ke p a p e r r ub b i n g t o gether, then it’s not the real thing. A real designer bag will be lined, and often with leather. Again, check the stitching of the lining if relevant, and observe if it is double stitching (not always the case). LOOK FOR COLOR VARIATIONS Although some variations will be blatant, others may be very subtle. Be sure to have a close inspection. NOTICE WEAR BREAK-IN Although this is post-purchase, how your bag wears in can be a sign of its authenticity. For example, the leather on the handle, after a few weeks, should look like a good worn leather jacket does. It should have an “aged look”. Stitching should stay intact and not begin to fray. Zipper handles that fall off early on indicate a fake.
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6. DON'T CONFUSE A DESIGNER BAG WITH MAKING A PURCHASE OF VALUE. With a designer bag, you're buying the label as much as the bag and it may not be to your budget's benefit unless money is not an issue. ALWAYS CHECK THE BAG designer or ordinary brand, for its quality before its style. That way, you'll soon learn that even some designer ranges make compromises that aren't aceptable for the price asked. It hardly makes sense to spend $1000 on a plastic bag with a designer label over a well-made ordinary label leather bag at $200. Investigate and keep your head in charge of your wallet, not your fashion-hijacked heart. LOOK FOR YOUNG, UP-AND-COMING DESIGNERS whose designs show incredible promise but aren’t yet fetching huge prices. They may be selling online through a site such as Etsy, on consignment in a quality clothing or gift store, or in a local craft market, etc. Learn how to spot quality and style and support a new designer.
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DEAD GIVEAWAY
A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
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HOW TO AVOID FAKE ONLINE SHOP
SCAMS Forget stampeding to sample sales, the internet is now the go-to place for those seeking a designer bargain. But increasing numbers of savvy fashionistas are being conned into buy fake knock-offs.
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High-profile seizures of counterfeit goods and shutdowns of websites selling fakes demonstrate that the business has moved from street to form a sophisticated online world. And forget dodgy looking websites with spelling mistakes and grainy pictures. Websites selling fake products often appear professional, even featuring photography drawn from the brand’s own advertising campaigns. Criminals also increasingly price their fakes in line with what might be offered at a wholesale or end of season discount on the real product. Discounts are often offered at 25 to 50 per cent of the full retail value, which, while steep, is comparable to those you might find given legitimate goods. Because these prices are plausible, bargain hunters are much more likely to snatch up counterfeit goods thinking they’re purchasing their longed-for designer product.
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DEAD GIVEAWAY
A GUIDE TO BUYING LUXURY BAGS
1. PRICE If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Counterfeiters are clever, and this means consumers have to be extra vigilant. If the item is half the price of the one on the genuine company’s site, it’s probably a fake, so consumers should search around for the recommended retail price (RRP). Even if the item has a smaller discount, such as 20%, it is worth checking other elements of the website to see if they stack up. Counterfeiters are wising up and realising that sometimes it can be more convincing the less the product is reduced.
2. THE SITE ITSELF Consumers should not be blinded by the look and design of the website; a fantastic, professional-looking site does not mean its law abiding. Some websites may look professional at first glance, however counterfeiters aren’t always so careful about the ‘About’ or ‘FAQ’ page. Bargain hunters should peruse the entire site and check the ‘small print’ areas such as delivery details and delivery options, as the less reputable sites are far less likely to bother with these. Also, it is a good idea to look at where the company is based and examine whether it matches up with the genuine company’s details.
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3. RETURNS AND PRIVACY POLICY Reputable sites should spell this out up front and a sound returns policy is paramount to buying online. If the item doesn’t fit or is damaged, it will need to be sent back, a bona fide seller should provide an option of how to cancel and where to return goods. Also, counterfeiters won’t usually invest the time to craft a clear, strong privacy policy, so it should be a stark warning sign if there isn’t one on the website. The description of the policy and the language used should be clear and concise, any glaring spelling errors or lack of detail should be cause for concern.
4. THE REPUTATION Consumers can do their research before buying goods on a website. Check whether the site or seller is mentioned on any of the scam warning sites. Do a search for ‘vendor+scam’ and see what comes up.
5. CHECK THE WEB ADDRESS Impersonation of a brand’s website, referred to as ‘cybersquatting’, is on the rise. When doing an initial search for the brand name, the link should be checked for spelling mistakes on both the website and the URL address.
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Copyright Š 2013 Sathit Nualchawee All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission. Designed by : Sathit Nualchawee Printed, and bound by : Blurb.com Printed on Color-White Uncoated (60# text) Contact e-mail : verygong@yahoo.com (415) 710–8057 www.sathitdesign.com
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