Real Designer handbags vs. knock–offs?

I want a Coach or a Louis Vuitton handbag and was at the mall yesterday and
looked at both but I just can't spend that much. Well, I could splurge for
the Coach, but definitely not the LV. I looked online for bags and came
across a lot of websites that offer knock–offs (not that they actually call
them that), but I don't know how to guage these websites for honesty, etc.
And I was wondering... If I were carrying around one of these knock–offs
(let's just say either Coach or LV) could someone eye it and tell that it's
a knock–off? And how so?
What websites out there are relatively good for such shopping?
Thanks.

<em...@email.com> wrote in message
news:2Sdtf.4682$Or5.4...@tornado.southeast.rr.com...
Wait! You're asking people to recommend "honest" sellers of knockoffs?
cofarb

I bought a "Hermes" knock off on Ebay. The seller had pictures of the
bag from almost every angle. It looked beautiful. The seller had good
feedback so I bought it. It arrived from Hong Kong very quickly. I
was really pleased with the bag. It was all leather, it had all the
hardware of a real Birkin bag. On close inspection the only flaw I
could see was the hardware was a tiny bit crooked and it had a gold
stamp Hermes on it. In the ad there is no mention of "Hermes" and no
picture of the stamp. (I didn't want a bag stamped Hermes).
I showed the bag to a family member who works for a French fashion
house. She pointed out the flaws, like the stitching but over all she
said it was good fake.
I used the bag for almost two years until the trim started to peel.
High quality leather was used for the bag, except the trim LOL.
I paid just over $100 dollars and I have been happy with it. Everyone
knows I can't afford a ten thousand dollar purse. I would still use it
today if I could figure out how to fix the orange trim.
I did buy two Kate Spade bags off of Ebay. One bag was a damaged. The
item came from a small shop. The owner told me that someone tried to
remove the security tag and it and put a tear in the lining. Since the
tear wasn't noticeable from the outside I bought. It came with all the
paperwork, box and care card.
I bought a Coach bag that had a flaw. The strap was missing the hole
to put the buckle through. No big deal. It came in the box, with
paperwork ect...... I saved a lot of money.
My family member that works for the fashion house told me that their
bags are destroyed if they do not pass inspection. A few years ago
they had to fire several people for taking the bags out of the
production plant and selling them on Ebay. A coworker of my family
member was fired for stealing the bags and accessories. They were
selling them on Ebay.
I have heard good things about the Bagshop.com. They carry a nice
selection of handbags.
Good luck on your search.
Miss J
kittenwtw.com

I can spot a fake at 10 paces. Fakes just don't look or wear the same.
Buy what you can afford and you'll wear it proudly. Otherwise you'll
always be wondering who knows that it's fake and the answer is:
everybody.
A real Coach or Kate Spade is better than a fake LV anyday.
melanie

Having sold fake bags (not counterfeit, but designer–like bags), I can
spot a fake anything from ten paces now. Frankly, I got so turned off
by the whole designer looking stuff and the knock off stuff, I just had
to stop doing it. I came to the conclusion that real is better if
that's what you really want.
Susan
http://susansspa.blogspot.com/

<em...@email.com> wrote in message
news:2Sdtf.4682$Or5.4...@tornado.southeast.rr.com...
I tend to think anyone who owns the real thing or seriously wants to own the
real thing can spot a fake easily.
Once you become familiar with say the LV range the fakes really stand out.
For the most part the majority of people fooled would probably have little
to no interest in the product anyway.

"Lipgloss Junkie" <lipglossjun...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135982762.751416.302...@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
I think most of us are in this category now. I bought fakes in Europe
for my girls and me, but when I saw a man carrying fakes in central CA,
I knew this had gone too far :) I won't consider fakes any more. There
are lovely inexpensive leather handbags at affordable prices that look
and wear better than the fakes. My girls still have a few of the fakes
but they don't use them. My Suarez Birkin style handbag is one of the
more expensive handbags I own but in no way is it intended to be a fake
Hermes. It is a beautifully crafted handbag in the style of the Hermes
Birkin.
Audrey

"Spud" <...@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:43b5df3e$0$4150$5a62a...@per–qv1–newsreader–01.iinet.net.au...
the
I'm interested in the real thing, but I really can't tell the difference
between the fakes and the real thing. I guess I have an untrained eye.
I've always been interested in being able to tell the difference. I'm going
to google AF, because I am sure there was a thread at one point that
delineated the differences.

The real deal is so worth it. My mom gave me a real Coach bag this year
for Christmas, and I am SOOOO happy with it. I should look up the exact
style, but it's brown leather, a sort of carryall bag. Coach bags are
way better than fakes – the quality of leather is nice, the designs are
beautiful and classic, they have excellent hardware and stitching, and
always look classy and fashionable. I hope to buy a nice evening bag
from Coach eventually, but I doubt that will happen sooner than later.

On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 17:10:22 GMT, em...@email wrote:
That's like attempting to judge the members of the Axis of Evil for
honesty.
Pirates by definition ALL suck.

I think the biggest tip off for the LV fakes is the natural leather
part of the bag on the trim and handles. On the fakes which are often
vinyl, the leather that should be a tan color often is beige or even
kind of a pinky blush color. The vinyl will crack over time. On real
bags the tan leather will darken and the whole bag's leather will
soften. The fake bags look too shiney new and plastic–y.
I love my real papillon and speedy bags, they looks worn now in the
handles but it's kind of a badge of honor of having a true LV.
melanie

The most important quality (to me) of a handbag is the durability and some
of those "fakes" have kind of crappy workmanship, having to deal with 2
fakes I have that are brown signature LV's. I broke the zipper of my large
LV and the straps are coming off of my round LV purse. I have to get both
of them fixed. And my fake LV wallet feels cheap to the touch and it will
crack and break in time I am sure coz the vinyl is cheap/it is cheaply made.
I don't believe in spending a lot (and "a lot" has to be defined by each
person) on a purse, but fakes are not always worth the money because of
their workmanship. I don't know if anyone on AF would actually rec a
website or place that would sell you a fake though, but good luck with your
hunting. I wouldn't buy a handbag off a website that was a fake because I
would need to actually see it to see if it's cheap vinyl/cheaply made.
––Kristin