Fake purses are the solution for many women that want the latest fashions in designer purses but also want them cheap and don't want to pay retail. There are a lot of questions though about fake bags, not the least of which are (1) are they illegal, (2) who does it hurt, and of course possibly the most important (3) will my friends be able to tell that it's fake? Deciding whether to buy a fake Mulberry or save money for an actual Christian Dior purse is a question as old as handbags themselves. Where does an obsession with fake merchandise end? What's next after imitation purses? Will we not be tempted by fake wallets, fake luggage, fake totes, fake belts, fake sunglasses? Will we one day look in the mirror and wonder how our entire style became one big mess of fake fashion? Think about that the next time you're sifting through what you justify to yourself as authentic fake purses. Before getting all depressed because your small budget can't properly support your large fashion sense figure out if it really matters what type of bag you have. Ask yourself why the brand name is so important to you.
Maybe it's because celebrities on TMZ are running around wit the bag you want or you want the latest Dior bags you saw on Gossip Girl. Whatever the case may be think about what style means and how it allows you to express who you are. A common issue is that women often feel unsatisfied with their looks and think that by covering themselves in pretty things they too will be pretty. This might come as a newsflash but no amount of shoes and purses are ever going to make the people that don't love you start loving you but the good news is that fake shoes, real shoes, or no shoes the people who do love you unconditionally will continue to do so is you have a Fendi Spy bag or are making purses yourself. Purses don't have to be expensive to be as unique as you are. Maybe instead of all trying to look like whoever the latest Farrah Fawcett/Britney Spears/Jessica Simpson/Kim Kardashian every women starting when she's just a teenage girl should live by the mantra that making unique purses makes unique beautiful women. Is there anything wrong with discount purses, bags on sale, or even buying knockoffs? Not really unless you're the owner of one of the major labels or you find yourself getting caught up in a legal crackdown on counterfeit merchandise (try to avoid shoot outs). We can all understand why big name designers don't want us buying knockoff purses or even wholesale purses for that matter. If the large companies that make the bags had their way nothing would ever go on sale and everyone would fight to pay double full price. Okay, maybe I'm getting a little unrealistic to make a point (have you seen the videos of women fighting for wedding dresses in new york?) but in all sincerity companies like Fendi and Marc Jacobs spend a lot of money on creating a brand and image. It's not surprising that they don't want replica purses floating around your local Chinatown.
If you're shopping for real Christian Dior bags or fake designer bags it's important to know what you're looking for. The last thing you want to do is to buy a handbag knock off when you think you're just getting a wholesale price for a Dior handbag. The main rule when it comes to fake purses is that if deals on new Fendi bags seem to good to be true they probably are. While this should be no surprise a lot of women get so caught up in the moment of shopping and finding a good deal that they let their guard down and forget that what they're thinking about buying may in fact be a faux handbag. For better or worse a lot of ladies would rather buy stolen or hot handbags at a cheap price rather than either knowingly buy a fake or spend the money for the real thing. This brings up an important question as to whether or not it is illegal to buy stolen property or even to possess it. Whether it's illegal to buy a designer inspired handbag that is a knockoff is actually a different conversation than stolen authentic designer handbags at similar cheap prices. One issue deals with stolen property while the other deals with an imitation handbag that may infringe on copyright or trademark laws. Laws regarding brands are not consistent from country to country. Another issue all together is currency exchange and the price points that retailers use in different parts of the world. This is part of the reason that many people while on trips to Asia or specifically Southeast Asia can many times find great deals on fake clutches and other bags. So the three issues we have to discuss are (1) owning stolen purses that were bought cheaply from people who stole authentic designer handbags, (2) buying designer handbags that are actually fakes and the laws about trademarks and branding, and (3) buying a real purse in another country for a cheaper price than you can find in the country you live in. The fourth topic for discussing is actually everyone's goal and what they're hoping for when either buying a stolen purse or buying a cheap fake purse and that is that the hand bags are actually authentic wholesale purses. It's true than many people actually do have connections and are able to buy authentic wholesale purses. Sometimes these hook ups come from people that own stores or even just get businesses licenses and buy in bulk whenever possible. Be weary of friends of friends selling what they claim are authentic purses / handbags at discount prices. Top designers like Fendi, Christian Dior, and other luxury purse makes are very particular about what distributors they work with. Sure there are sales and occasionally you can find discount designer purses but by and large it's in the best interest for companies like Marc Jacobs and Louie Vutton to keep their price points high because that is the basis for their perceived value. Of course there is something to be said for the quality of the bags including the stitching, design, durability, materials, etc. but even those high end components can't justify the outrageous purse prices that are found in department store and boutique shops in places like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
The manufactures of luxury purses take special care to to be very picky about which stores they let sell their purses. This is part of their branding and reputation building. I have no problem with Wal-Mart, but you won't find extremely expensive purses for sale at Wal Mart. The top purse companies only allow fancy stores to be the distributors or to sell their products. This includes not just purses but wallets, belts, totes, etc. For this reason you should be weary if a friend says that they have a connection or business license that allows them to get the most expensive luxury bags for cheap. The truth is that top companies like Hermes and even Coach don't want just any mom and pop store selling their expensive bags. Is owning a stolen purse a crime? Stolen items whether they are televisions, cars, or handbags are commonly referred to as hot items. If you notice me use the term hot purse or hot purses when talking about stolen items that are for resale this doesn't mean I'm talking about a hot pink purse. We're talking about criminals that for example rob a shipment truck that is delivering real purses to a store. These criminals will then take the boxes full of actual brand name purses and try to sell them on the street. Even if the thieves only sell the brand name leather bags for a fraction of the retail price (like 10% of what you'd pay in a store) everything they make is profit. The robbers just want to unload the handbag purses as quickly as possible because as soon as they get rid of all the suede purses and purse accessories that they took and turn that into cash the harder it will be for the police to catch them. People buying messenger purses or any other kind of stolen handbag know that what they're doing doesn't seem completely legit. Most ladies or men buying purses for wives or daughters have the attitude that they're not the ones who actually took purses from stores. Most of these people would never shoplift a purse in a department store but they have no problem supporting criminals who steal items like Italian purses and jewelry. In effect if people didn't buy hot purses the industry would stop existing because they're wouldn't be any money to make it worth it for the crocks to risk getting caught. Sure there would still be criminals but they would focus their attention on stealing other things like electronics or other soft goods. While laws certainly vary from country to country in the United States buying stolen property when you know that it's stolen is actually a federal crime but it is seldom enforced for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that it's very hard to prove that someone actually knew it was stolen. Of course there's something to be said for knowing that buying a brand name handbag for a fraction of what it would normally cost is probably too good to be true and something must be wrong. The other reason is that not only are police never going to be able to even suspect that the bag you're carrying around the mall or grocery store was bought from someone that stole it but they have bigger concerns like finding the people behind the organized purse stealing crime. They aren't interested in the bottom level consumers because it's not worth their time. The law enforcement is worried about cutting off the problem at the root so that dkny purses aren't being sold in back alleys and out of trunks of cars. The bottom line is that buying a stolen handbag is against the law but it's a law that's not really enforced a lot. If you were ever caught red handed the police would probably at worst let you go in exchange for your cooperation. The cops know that it would be almost impossible to prove that you knew what you were buying was stolen and it would be such a small dollar amount that it wouldn't be worth their time. They would appreciate your help with aiding in their investigation to stop the guys that are taking stolen handbags in the first place. Morally it might be a tough call for some people when it comes to dealing with a stolen recovered brand name handbag. In the end the decision is a personal one but even though the top manufactures like Fendi make a lot of money you're still hurting their business when you buy stolen purses. Big companies Like Marc Jacobs employ a lot of people around the world and supporting criminal elements is almost always wrong even if you're pretty sure you won't get caught. For some women toting around a modestly priced handmade purse with a clear conscious is more important than having a hot purse around their shoulder (and I'm not talking about a hot pink purse - below).
Now that we've talked about why it's illegal to buy a stolen brand name handbag let's address the question: is it illegal to buy a fake purse? The short answer is that although it's not illegal to buy knockoff handbags it can be against the law to sell fake purses. If this sounds confusing let me explain. Vendors are allowed to sell handbags in storefronts, at markets, in malls, or wherever they have permits (I'm speaking specifically about the United States but these rules are largely universal) but it is the responsibility of each individual vendor to not sell bags with logos or designs so closely related to luxury handbag lines that the original manufactures could take them to court over the similarities. As a consumer the only thing you really have to worry about is if someone is selling a bag that they know is fake and are trying to make you pay closer to full retail price than a knock off bag deserves. Be a smart shopper and remember the Latin phrase Caveat emptor which means buyer beware. While the legal answer about buying fake bags is pretty straightforward the ethical dilemma is surprisingly more complex. While top bag brands are publicly transparent the underground companies that make faux bags are usually not under the same kind of public scrutiny. While it's difficult to always prove many of the companies that make fake purses have been linked to child labor and inhumane working conditions. Depending on where these factories are located they have even been tied to domestic and foreign terrorism to various extents. Keep these things in mind the next time you're passing a purse stand with great deals.
Ladies handbags are popular all over the world. It seems that regardless of our cultural differences we can all find a common ground when it comes to fashion bags. Many of the same brands like Marc Jacobs and Fendi and many of the classic styles like jewelry purses and more trendy handbags like seat belt purses can be found in countries that are both rich and poor. Many times when traveling abroad consumers can find a collection of purses at excellent prices. This is because of a combination of factors and when they all come together they create a perfect storm for finding the best discount designer handbag deals. The first factor is sales tax. While sales tax can be as much as 10% in some areas of the United States this tax is often either suspended or doesn't exist at all in many places. Even in the US there are states that don't have state sales taxes and/or will have weekends during which they suspend the tax. Saving 10% can be a significant amount when you're talking about bridal purses that can cost several hundred dollars. That's ten dollars saved for every one hundred dollars spent. The next factor has to do with currency and I'm not talking about a leather coin purse. Currency exchange effects all products and that includes designer fashion. When currency exchange rates are favorable for the US dollar (or whatever your native currency is) then you can get very good deals in other countries. It's like everything is on sale. If you're visiting a rising second world country or a more primitive third world country where the US dollar carries a lot of weight you can find much cheaper deals on wallets, bags, and everything else. In many countries this can mean as much as half off of what you'd normally pay in the United States. To help you understand how this works it might be helpful to think about it in reverse. If you're visiting London where many things are more expensive than in the US and you're converting the weaker American Dollar to Euros (the currently in England) then you'll actually get less value for your dollar after the currency is converted. Taking advantage of exchange rates is a very legal way to get designer goods for cheap. The exchange rate isn't the only reason that many brand name fashion accessories can be bought at discounts in foreign countries. Many brands like the ones that make fine Italian purses (which can be found with this link) face pressure from their shareholders to increase their revenue every fiscal year. In order to show the returns that their boards of directors want these companies have to expand the markets that they sell there items in. This includes everything including not just purses but also wallets, belts, and other women fashion accessories. It stands to reason that the relative prices that these companies can charge in the most wealthy countries will be higher than the amount they can price a handbag in a developing country with less disposable income. For this reason price points are adjusted accordingly. This is a common practice across industries and the same thing is done in the pharmaceutical industry as well as the automotive industry. Global economics can be a complex subject and one that's beyond the scope of this website but suffice it to say that if you understand even just the basics you can take advantage of it and save some coin in your pocket book.
The concept of getting ladies fashion accessories at wholesale prices is appealing to any women regardless of her budget. Sometimes it's the women with the most money that enjoy getting a good deal the most. No matter what level our net worth's reach we all enjoy getting a good deal and feeling like we're on the inside. Think about all of the celebrities that get free gift bags just for showing up to awards shows. A lot of times those bags have gifts like perfume, bath products, and watches that are worth thousands of dollars. There is certainly some irony in the fact that the people that can most afford those items are the one's that get the fashionable accessories for free. Even guys would rather get a free ticket to a ball game rather than shell out hundreds of dollars for a seat. Rich people want their agents and business partners to give them court side Lakers tickets. They don't want to have to pay for them. Getting a good deal can make anyone feel important no matter how much money they have in their bank account or how many designer dresses they have in their closets. Real wholesale purse connections are few and far between. Much like the previous examples it seems the people who need the hook ups the least are the ones with the greatest access to them. Unless you're running in circles with people who own large companies be cautious about wholesale designer purse offers. This is of course the most ideal way to get great deals on fabulous purses because in many instances it can mean buying items like evening purses at cost. Meaning you pay practically what it cost to make it. This way you can get the bags way cheaper than if you had to pay retail. Sadly most of us will just have to wait for our favorite frame purse to go on sale if we want to get a legitimately discounted purse.
Having now covered the basics for finding the best deals on designer purses which included buying stolen purses, buying fake purses, buying purses abroad, and buying wholesale purses let's turn our attention to the all important issue of recognizing a fake handbag so you don't get ripped off. Without taking into account the moral issues of buying fake handbags that were discussed above let's focus just on how to tell fake designer handbags when we see them. While these strategies will vary depending on the brand you're looking at these are the simple ways to tell if you're looking at a fake replica or an authentic purse.
The first thing is that you'll have to do some homework in terms of researching what the authentic designer handbag looks like. If you're not familiar with the real thing you'll miss some of the blatant signs that something's not a real handbag. It's these most obvious feature differences that can make for the most embarrassing moments when a snobby frienenemy points out an indisputable difference in the pocket location that makes it impossible for you to pretend that you're carrying a real designer handbag. Just make sure you know what the proper colors, lining, pocket location, design, etc. should be before committing to any fake accessory that you want to look even half way real.
Look for obvious flaws to tell if you're dealing with a real genuine replica or simply a cheap imitation. Some of the common flaws are so obvious that they should go without stating but they do occur and it's important not to overlook the most obvious things. For instance make sure all of the words are spelled correctly. Does the font of the letters match what's on the real thing? Do the colors fit the normal style of this particular designer? When you're dealing with what's often shabby craftsmanship that comes out of unregulated sweatshops and in many cases child labor camps even the most simple details can be wrong. Speaking of the craftsmanship of these designer handbag replicas check for loose pieces. Many times you'll find loose emblems or logos that would never happen with real authentic bags but do occur with these sorts of knockoffs. Before purchasing anything use your best judgment to feel it out and make your best guess as to if it feels fake. Don't just see what you want to see. If it's a monogram handbag try to look at it through your unbiased girlfriend's eyes and see if it looks like a handbag knockoff or at least can pass for real genuine.
Poor coloring or cheap coloring can quickly discredit any piece simply because the colors fade quickly or don't look natural at all. This is most noticeable when comparing real hand bags vs handbags that are prematurely worn out when they're next to each other. See the picture of the two bags in the right hand column to compare the obvious difference between fake and real when they're next to each other. Finally, the most technical aspect to compare is also the one that truly separates authentic and imitation. How a purse is stitched can be the biggest tell. It's not necessarily a matter of hand stitching or that some stitching patterns are superior to others but just a matter of having a replica bag that's stitched in the exact same manner if you really want to pull off the look a like move. Carefully inspect the stitching patterns both inside and outside if you really want to find a fake purse that can stand up to scrutiny. It's best if you can have a real version with you when shopping for fakes. If you have a friend that has the real version and you're not embarrassed to ask her to come with you ask her. If she's a real friend she'll understand and maybe someday you can return the favor. It's not essential to match up the stitching since it's unlikely anyone will ever scrutinize your purse design so closely but I just want to make sure you're aware of everything that you can do to both know when you're getting a truly convincing replica hand bag and even more importantly I hope that after reading this post you will not become the victim of some low life salesperson giving you a cheap fake designer purse when you've saved up and want to buy a real Fendi Spy bag (like the black purse Jessica Simpson has below).
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Inexpensive fake handbags are easy it find - it's the cheap authentic designer purses that are the real scored. The legitimate thing is easy to find but the real question is how to get the best deals possible. The dream is to get a great bag from a real top of the line manufacturer like any number of Michael Kors handbags or any other premium brand at a bargain basement price. Believe it or not women all over the United States are doing just this on a daily basis and doing it completely legally. Can you imagine how smug you would be if you knew you were paying wholesale when everyone else is paying retail?
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