Class is everything in American society today, and this is nowhere more apparent than in the rage for designer labels on virtually everything. Where there is fad, however, there is also greed. Avoid being taken to the cleaners by manufacturers of designer "knock-offs."
According to one reputable source, approximately 90% of the handbags listed on eBay as “designer” are actually fakes. Do you know how to tell the difference? If not, you might be better off avoiding the rabid designer market entirely or saving up for that one great bag (or scarf, belt or other accessory) from a designer’s approved retail location.
If you are really into saving money, however, you can occasionally find actual designer items on eBay and elsewhere if you know how to identify them.
Designers most often copied
The most popular accessory designers among the knock-off artists are:
Louis Vuitton
Coach
Kate Spade
Prada
Fendi
Chanel
Cole Haan
Ralph Lauren
Others are also imitated, but these top-of-the-line makers are currently highest on the hit list. Why so many fakes? Because the current designer-branding fad has buyers fighting tooth and claw to outdo each other, and because finances have not kept up with fashion. All of the makers listed are at the high end of the scale and boast easily-recognizable labels. It’s pointless to join the labeled throng if no one knows you’re there! A recent special report by the New York Times on “class” in the US reported that older buyers—Baby Boomers and their parents—are more interested in flaunting their wealth (real or imaginary) by purchasing personal services. Personal chefs, for instance, numbered only 60 nationally a few years ago and are now in the hundreds due to the increased demand. Younger buyers, however, are all about the bling, and have created a huge river of cash flow for the scrupulous and unscrupulous alike.
Why buy designer at all? In a word, quality. A real Coach bag is incredibly well-crafted of top-quality materials and likely to last for a long, long time. Coach and Vuitton both offer amazing lifetime warranties on their products. This is a fact worth noting, as it is possible to pick up a returned bag at a legitimate outlet for half or less of its original price, and the return probably had nothing to do with quality or workmanship, but more with the currency of the style.