cigalechanta

A friend of mine went on a cruise with several ladies. they left their pocketbooks on the chair to go to the buffet. One had a^$600 gucci, no obvious logo, the others expensive other brands all in the $300 range. My friend's was a LV fake. My friends cheap bag was the only one stolen.

mendota98

Having been in Florence and Rome over the holidays I just had to post. There were thousands of knockoffs: in Florence at the San Lorenzo market, at the stalls outside the Leaning Tower of Pisa, on the bridges in front of the Vatican.
Yes , my wife bought a LV bag at Pisa. It proved to be perfect for me to carry 6 bottles of duty free scotch from the Rome airport to my home. No problem with customs.

==Mike

ThinGorjus

Hi, Mimi, I am posting from my aunt's house in Devonshire right now. It is VERY damp and I miss my Jackie O. (Notice I didn't say I miss my husband )

Why, oh, why would you go all the way to Paris or London to buy a cheap, ersatz Louis Vuitton pocketbook?? You can buy one on any street corner in the US. I see thousands of fake bags everyday on my way to work in Philadelphia.

Louis Vuitton is out of vogue, by the way. Goyard is now being adopted by the fashion cognoscenti.

Cheers, John G.

girlfriendred

Surely you folks don't think I am going all the way to Europe to buy a fake handbag!! !!!! I am going in March for VACATION. I live in a small town in Ga and we don't have knock offs. By the way, Mathieu, I wasn't talking to you when I mentioned the "war". I was talking about the people who were freaking about knock-offs. Jeez, don't you folks know they are everywhere with just about every product? I just happen to like the STYLE of this pocketbook. It could have been a LV or someother brand. I know it is a popular style with LV and I liked the STYLE -not the fact that it was a LV. (I love this web-site). Everybody likes to get their panties in a wad! Lighten up people!!

mollyjar

Just a question for girlfriendred, how old are you? I don't want to sound rude, but I think the thrill/style of knock-offs might be lost on some after a certain age... We know that they are of lower quality, and if you look closely you can tell, but we don't care. I'd rather not spend tons of money on a bag that will be out of style among my generation in a matter of months. Among my friends it's almost a competition to see who can get the best/cheapest knockoff over vacations. Over Christmas I won with the half a dozen "pashminas" I bought for 4 euros each in Paris. The all time winner is the girl who bought a bag in Times Square and was asked by the vendor if she wanted Gucci or Prada. When he accidently glued the logo on slightly off center he gave it to her for $5. So while there may be some question as to the fashionable nature of a knock off bag, the fact that it is a knock off may very well make it more stylish but it's something you can get in the US, spend the time in Paris buying inexpensive accesories that aren't in style at home yet, but will be in a year or two. As for the ethical issues, look for a Louis Vuitton style bag instead of an exact replica and just thing of it as the generic version.

Marilyn

Sorry, girlfriendred, but this is a very sore subject with anyone who has ever worked to build a brand name, whether it is as well known as the designers mentioned here, or a very small company like the one I used to own. It's easy to have no sympathy for a big concern like Louis Vuitton, but what about my little company, whose designs and products were also knocked off? All part of the same mentality.

It has been said already, but I will say it again: KNOCK OFFS ARE THEFT, pure and simple. You are an accessory to a crime when you buy one.

Your statement "the knock offs ( which are everywhere with every brand) are not going to hurt them or their reputation" is patently untrue. Knock offs cost these companies millions of dollars every year in lost sales and legal costs. Wouldn't you want to protect your own creations?

HowardR

Gee, goshes! Congratulations mollyjar on becoming the Knockoff Queen. Your family must be so proud of you!
I just hope someday you people patent, trademark and/or patent items and then find them being pirated and sold illegally.

bugswife1

This is a little off the topic but.. My favorite bag purchase was in the Santa Croce Leather School behind the Santa Croce Church in Florence, Italy. It is absolutely gorgeous and I get compliments all the time. They even stamped my initials inside in gold & it came with a little mirror in the pocket! Cost: $300 for a handmade, one of a kind bag. When I got home, my label obsessed friend said "You paid $300 for a bag and it isn't even a Prada!" She was apalled. I just grinned. Some people just don't get it, do they?

wsoxrebel

When I was a sweet young thing, all I wanted was a Gucci bag. I went on vacation to the big city of New Orleans and imagine my surprise when the only people I saw carrying them were wearing elastic waist pants and waiting for the bus. That was a defining moment in my life - the whole package counts. If you can afford a real (Gucci, LV, whatever) you will probably look good carrying it. If you can't afford the real thing, you will end up looking like a schmo waiting for a bus in New Orleans.

kk

I really enjoyed reading this thread, to date.
And I love Bugswife's comment...and the anecdote about New Orleans!

macanimals

BTW--You won't ever find a store to buy the knockoffs. Reason--it is illegal to sell them and none of the vendors can risk having a store full of merchandise confiscated. Thus you tend to see flea markets and street peddlers who are agile and fast enough to scoop up their merchandise and run with the approach of any police or official. It's no problem finding this stuff--you just have to live with the consequences as do the vendors. Cheers.

obxgirl

Since it's self-righteous open season on girlfriendred, I'll add my two bits.

I don't buy knock offs because it's stealing.

I'm also one for counting my blessings and enjoying what I've worked for and earned. But I don't make it a point to belittle people who wear elastic waist pants and ride the bus no matter what silly bag they are toting.

M_Eliz

I may be naive, but if knockoffs are illegal, how is it possible that knockoff purse parties are all the rage now? I know quite a few people that have been to them. I think they're legitimate businesses. Think Tupperware parties with purses.

And, wow, the responses got hot and awfully personal on this topic.

wsoxrebel

obxgirl, I'm sorry that you missed my point. Doesn't a person buy a status object to impress other people? When a status item becomes commonplace, doesn't it lose its appeal? That is when the other little details start popping out and become what I refer to as the total package.

With the liberating freedom of aging, I don't feel the need to keep up with the joneses. Like janis wrote in the initial reply, 'If you can't afford the real thing, make do with a cheaper brand', a very honorable way to live IMHO.

HowardR

Sorry to disappoint you M_Eliz, but those knockoff purse parties are not legitimate businesses. Don't laugh, but, in theory the police could raid them, confiscate the merchandise and make arrests!

M_Eliz

HowardR -- I'm not disappointed, just better informed.

wren

ms Eliz...the fake purse/jewelry parties are quite the rage and quite illegal. In fact, here in Florida, there was recently one in which two of the party-goers were undercover police...they hauled the woman away who was selling the stuff, and I think she may be doin' time. BTW, I think she was also selling her fake wares on the internet. Somehow Tiffany's got wind of it and got the police to investigate. They aren't real pleased to have their merchandise sold fraudulently.

Wendy

ok, I can't stand it! I want to play the handbag game too! So while in Geneva and Paris 2 months ago I had my gorgeous new for fall Kate Spade york stripe bag with me. Not one day goes by that someone doesn't compliment the bag. But in Europe it was funny because they don't know Kate Spade and couldn't care less! Everyone I was with there loved the bag but really it could have been a $50 bag from Bon Macy's and they wouldn't have known the difference.

If you buy something, buy it because YOU love it.

p.s. I'm against supporting the fake racket too

obxgirl

wsoxrebel, You said:

"Doesn't a person buy a status object to impress other people? When a status item becomes commonplace, doesn't it lose its appeal? "

OK, if that's your point then isn't the elastic waist/bus riding crowd doing the same thing you are parading around with a knockoff look-at-me whatever bag. It's just that your bag cost more $ and impresses more people because it's the "real" thing. It has currency only because it impresses people, not from any intrinsic value.

I responded to the notion that you denigrated those less financially fortunate than you. Seems like your motivation to impress is the same as those you look down on.

wsoxrebel

girlfriendred, upon further reflection, I applaud you for making the right decision to proudly carry your genuine item. Have a nice trip to London and Paris.