Gekko..

"Plus, what about the free advertising? Presumably the people (many tourists) who purchase the bags take them back to their homes where all kinds of people are exposed to the designer label. How much is that worth to the originator?"

sorry..but...
The more the label is dilluted by cheap knockoffs.. the less anyone wants to spend for the real thing.

I dunno about that Leona. A friend has a fake Rolex Oyster so good the only way I can tell the difference is to feel the weight. Someone has said the fake second hand jumps rather than sweeps...but are you ever going to look that hard to spot it?

In response to OliveOyl's comment, the quality of counterfeit goods, whether its watches or handbags, varies. It's smart to compare before purchasing.
For example, I've seen "Burberry" scarves in the winter that were perfect replicas of the original.

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Really Dick? Care to cite some authority for your presumably baseless assertion that counterfeit goods "dilute" brands?

Fake Rolexes have been available for decades -- has its label been diluted? Are Rolex buyers willing to pay less due to the available imitations?

I'd argue that brand awareness increases due to imitation merchandise; after all, "there's no such thing as bad publicity."

Gekko.

I am speaking from the experience of a retailer and merchant.

Sticking with your example of bags...people get these knockoffs as gifts and think they have the real thing. Then when the bag has problems they blame the poor desinger qaulity. Further when the bags become common their status diminishes.

As for no publicity is bad...perhaps you should exlain that to the people that produce Tylenol.

You wnat a source...try The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition ( http://publish.iacc.org/teampublish/109_476_1673.cfm)

As someone who owns the real thing and a few fakes, yes, I can spot a fake a mile away.

The fakes are very poor craftmanship and very cheap fabric.

I really don't have an opinion about them one way or another but, as pointed out, you can buy the real thing at many discount places at great prices.

OliveOyl,

The fake Rolex (or as I like to call it, the Folex) doesn't fool you! My point exactly.

About 20 years ago, I bought a fake Piaget from a street vendor in NY. I thought it looked great - until I went to a party a few weeks later and another guest noticed and said to me, "Oh, you have one of those too?". She then held up her arm to show her copy off! I never wore it again & never bought another knockoff anything!

But it's not all bad if you have to ask the other person if you can hold his watch before you know for sure it's a fake! I agree though, it may be foolhardy, but I don't like fakes either. I once had a fake Cartier tank watch and felt guilty wearing it...like I was lying. Just me though, I have no objections to others doing it.

Hey, I wanted to follow-up on the Dacquiri regional pronunciation in this thread.
So, is it only NY'ers of a certain generation that use the word 'pocketbook' instead of 'purse' or 'handbag'?
Being 40-something and a lifetime NYer, I still use the word pocketbook instead of purse.

In the South, I called it a Pocketbook.
Now in NY, I call it a purse or bag.

I have a real brand name watch, the kind they sell on the sidewalks (although mine came from a jeweler
I cannot tell the difference when I see someone wearing the same watch, if it is authentic or not.
To carry a little bag that says Prada, whatever on it, why would anyone care that much if it was real and who would look that closely?

My mom (a NYer through and through) always called them nothing but pocketbooks, so growing up that's what I called them too. I still live in NY but now call them purses or bags. Maybe it's a generational thing? I think that "pocketbook" is too long a word anyway!

On the street last week someone tried to sell me what they said was a Ferrari. It said Ferrari on the rear end. It had a jumping horse even. The seats looked leather. It looked genuine and sounded even better. The price was low, maybe too low. I'm begging to think it might have been a knock-off. Was it stupid of me to pass up the deal over a little thing like that? It did say Ferrari, and I just bet it would have fooled folks if I'd kept them outside. No, you cannot take a ride, and driving it is not possible. But you may look at it if you don't get too close.

Thanks for the input. It is much appreciated.