zippy

<BR> I have seen this question answered before but now I just can't find it. We will be in Venice and also in Florence in Aug. and I want to buy a nice Louis Vuitton bag. Not a fake. Will some kind shopper please help me? I need an address for a shop ( not necessarily the most expensive, I don't appreciate it unless I think that I've gotten a deal. Paying full retail gives me hives.) Thanks.

Don

My wife bought some in Venice from street vendors-they are everywhere and will drive you nuts! She also bought some in Florence-they are all over.

elaine

zippy <BR>I would not assume that the ones sold on the street are genuine, since you mentioned you don't want a fake. <BR>With LV being a French company, I would not have thought that that you can get <BR>a bargain on one in Florence or Venice, although Florence does have some bargains on local leather goods.Maybe others have some suggestions.

Mary

I loved shopping in Florence and Rome, but no question - if you want Italian designer bags or clothes, try L.A. or New York - prices are much better at home. But do visit the Ferragamo store in Florence, it's a great field trip!

no

LV shop on Via Tournabuoni in Florence. The only deal you'll get is your VAT refund.

Eileen

Hi. LV leather goods can only be bought at the LV boutique and LV never offers discounts. I agree with the previous posting: you can only get a VAT refund. <BR> <BR>I think it is more practical if you buy Italian-made goods such as Gucci, Prada, Fendi or Ferragamo in Florence/Venice. <BR> <BR>If you prefer LV, then Paris is where you should get it. It is definitely cheaper to get it in France.

Su

A correction to Mary's post- there is no way LA/New York is cheaper for Italian designer goods. To give you an example: From previous experience, prices in Italy (with the tax refund)are typically 20-30% lower than London (for Prada, Gucci etc..). A bag I bought recently at Prada in New York for US$500 was only about 200 pounds in London- I hate to think what the price in Italy was.

Don

You'll see when you go that many on here have no idea what they are talking about. Check it out and report back!!

Su

And Dan, what data do you have to back up what you are asserting???

cheryl

Elaine certainly knows what she's talking about. The bags you buy on the street are knock-offs, you can buy them on streets in some US cities as well. I've always assumed that people knew they were getting fakes when they bought them.

Su

I agree with Cheryl. It is also true that LV never goes on sale. Perhaps the bargains others have found are either stolen goods or fakes from Korea/Shenzhen- both places are sources of excellent fakes with identical lining, labels, brass details, even the fabric storage bags that make it difficult to tell the difference from the real thing. Often the giveaway is a tiny detail such as the absence of a serial number stamped on the underside of the shoulder strap fastening at the side of the bag or a small difference in the width of the shoulder strap.

Debi

We recently returned from the Mediterranean and I agree with most of the previous posters. I happen to have a "thing" for purses and my goal on this trip was to buy several new Italian designers I did not have. There are no LV deals - it's definitely a French thing - and I went there last year and depending on the value of the dollar and VAT - that was the only way you could get better prices. I did find some great Italian designers you don't see much in the US while I was in Rome and got 3 there (I had the Custom's agent in hysterics about my spending habits.....). In Venice, they have the typical shops - Gucci, etc - and the VAT and value of the dollar will determine how good a deal you get. As for the street vendors, we saw them intermittently as they ran from the police strolling down the walkways..... The LV I have I got at Saks in NYC and it was exactly the same price in Paris, Rome, etc. At least if you go to Saks, Neiman Marcus - or whoever else carries LV - if you don't have a credit card there sometimes they give you a discount if you open a charge.... just an idea..

Katy

Try the Prada outlet outside Milan. Could be worth the drive. Tons of Prada for cheap prices!