Yesterday a van coming from NJ was stopped for a traffic violation. The driver mentioned he was in a hurry to get to a flea market to sell his handbags. The officer checked them out and found thousands of fake designer handbags, including Dolce & Gabbana. The driver was arrested for intent to sell counterfeit goods and police report they will be increasing patrols of flea markets, as well as Chinatown stores, in search of more counterfeiters. (As reported from a local TV station.)

So - anyone looking for bargains on designer goods - be sure you know enough to tell the real from the counterfeit - and assume anything ridiculously cheap (a $2000 bag for $100) is a fake that will quickly fall apart. (For real designers at bargain prices try bluelfy.com or Century 21.)

He was actually arrested by Thin for lacking refinement and good taste.

The police recently raided 3 weekend flea markets here in NH and arrested several "out of staters" for intent to sell counterfeit handbags.

Its good to see them cracking down on this.

Good one, Aduchamp1!

With all the serious crime in the US, why obsess on fake bags?

Anyone buying a bag on Canal Street knows its fake unless they are really missing serious marbles.

Let the handbag companies sue the manufacturers of this dreck rather than wasting police time with it. Who ever did serious time for selling fake handbags? Again, it is a waste of resources.

Anyone who lives or works in NYC knows that the handbags at the flea markets and street corners are fakes. Some are better than others, but we know that if you want the real thing you have to go into their store or a department store.

"why obsess on fake bags?"

There is big money from the sale of fake handbags and much of it goes into organized crime, some even into funding terrorism.

Good for the police. But no real benefit will come of the arrest unless they follow the fakes back to the source, to find out who's behind these schemes and where the money's going.

Precisely - the whole thing is linked to organized crime - which is extremely difficult to deal with. (Remember, no matter how many murders Al Capone committed the ones that finally got him behind bars were the IRS.)

Anything that can led to reducing the power of these families is worth it.

(And yes, obviously people should know that these bargain bags are fake, but a surprising number of people don't realize they're just throwing their money away - thinking they're stolen rather than fake.)

With all the serious crime in the US, why obsess on fake bags?

Do you also not beleive in copyright infringement?

There is a whole network of manufacturing, distributing, etc. Do you think these people are getting wages and protection under the law?

I think people do not care is because they personally benefit and benfit in the most superficail way-fake status.

There are always postings that parents want to take their children to Canal Street for shopping. First, they blame their children for their own inability to stop their children from buying the stuff. Second, they then complain about crime in the United States.

It is a serious crime. Read Dana Thomas's excellent book, Deluxe, How Luxury Lost its Luster.

Want to know how many counterfeits are produced? (This is from the book - she's quoting a criminal investigator):

"I remember walking into an assembly plant in Thailand a couple of years ago and seeing six or seven little children sitting on the floor assembling counterfeit leather handbags ... the owners had broken the children's legs and tied the lower leg to the thigh so the bones wouldn't mend."

And, if you want to stop the fakes coming into the US, you stop them at the ports, not by arresting some hapless vendor.

No, you stop buying them and not acquising to teenagers udner the guise of getting a bargain.

And I will never understand why people want knock offs when they are cheap and false status symbols. How many people do you think you are fooling wearing junk on your arm? What does that say abut your values?

Apple

It is very interesting that you think purchasing and supporting illegal activities is not trying to impose your values on others.

When someone disagrees with you it is an imposition of values, when someone agrees, I guess, it is a sign of a like genius.

Just as I thought.

http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news..._page/027.html

Sorry I forgot to post the link to the article about the man getting arrested for transporting fakes in New Jersey.

applepiecookie, what you call free enterprise is better described as BREAKING THE LAW!
And, for the reasons stated in this thread, it's definitely worth publicizing the negative aspects of the situation.

who buys this crap anyway - so tacky!!
id rather spend $200 (or less) on a no-name leather bag - so many great styles out there....why would you want to look like everyone else?

"People have a right to buy whatever they want." Not exactly; certainly there are many things that people may not legally buy.

No one is suggesting that tourists will be arrested. Obviously they won't.

It does point up the fact that these bags are everywhere - not just Chinatown back rooms - and someone is buying them. Besides the fact that they infringe copyrights (which IS illegal, but I'm not worried D&G aren;t making enough) - it's like prohibition - in that selling illegal goods promotes organized crime overall. (And a lot of what they're doing is not harmless.)

I think it's worthwhile pointing out the problem to those who may not be aware.

As for being advertising - well that's simply ridiculous. Yes - I've been posting here for years so that I would be able - eventually - to list the name of a legitimate discount website as an alternative to buying fake junk.

I remember seeing fake bags everywhere in Paris some years ago, out on the streets. Anyone would know that the real thing wouldn't be laid out in the weather on blankets. A tourist would be crazy to buy these when not being au fait with the country's law. In some countries no doubt it is a criminal offence (in others maybe not). Better to be safe than sorry!