Knock off purses. Why?

[Gabes_mommy]

I would have to disagree with this. The main reason I buy a designer bag (well Coach, which to some is still a cheap bag) isn't for the prestige, it's for the quality and the reputation of the company.

I had a Coach purse that I have used almost every day for the past 18 months. It had a small tear on the top. I was at the Coach store looking at purses and the sales lady saw it and said "your purse has a tear, would you like a refund?" I was shocked, I told her I'd carried the bag for a year and a half it was probably just normal wear and tear. She said it didn't matter, she would either refund me the entire price of the purse (I didn't need the receipt) and she would take the purse or I could keep the purse and get 40% off a new purse. I doubt I could take a purse I bought at Kohls or JC Penny back after 18 months of constant use, no receipt and get a refund.

I still stand by what I said. I am not bashing at all. I love Coach bags and am lucky enough to own about 5. I bought them because I was attracted to their style, colors, and materials, but I paid more because they are a well-known brand. I feel proud when I carry them, more so than when I carry my Target purse.

I have no problem with how anyone spends their money. I just think people who buy fake designer bags calling those who buy real designer bags "materialistic" is silly since the goal of buying both is pretty much the same.

 

[Miss Ree]

Omg, I was the 20 year old soldier, and it was sold to me by a Korean person. It put food on their table and was probably made in their little shop (you could usually get anything made up because they had the fabrics right there). It is a crime in America; not in every country. It may be a crime in Korea today, but I don't think it was back then--we were outright told we could transport a reasonable amount of stuff like that for personal use back the the states, but that they wouldn't ship large quantities (so even the us govt didn't seem to care.)

First Thank you for your service.

But what about the food it took off the table of the Person that was actually working for the company?

 

[Purseval]

First Thank you for your service.

But what about the food it took off the table of the Person that was actually working for the company?

He was in Korea, which probably didn't have many LV stores at the time. He was also a soldier, which means he didn't have the money to buy the real thing even if there was a store. So if he skipped the Korea buy the Korean table would have had no food and the LV employee table would have had exactly the same amount of food as before because he never would have contributed to the food budget.

 

[LovableGluttons]

Purses, plastic surgery, cars.

Often once purchased, the monetary value drops. So you splurge on something and it no longer has much value other than to impress people, most of whom don't have an opinion that matters much anyway.

I know nothing about designer handbags other than some have letters plastered to the sides, some are HUGE, some are quilted. Most, to me, are hideous, sorry.



I'm a working professional, earn a nice income of my own, and have my own guilty pleasures I splurge on (travel). I can't judge.

That said.....

I'm on my second year on a $13 Tignanello red leather bag bought on sale from Amazon.com!

I'm rough on purses and this one won't die!

 

[mumom95]

I still stand by what I said. I am not bashing at all. I love Coach bags and am lucky enough to own about 5. I bought them because I was attracted to their style, colors, and materials, but I paid more because they are a well-known brand. I feel proud when I carry them, more so than when I carry my Target purse.

I have no problem with how anyone spends their money. I just think people who buy fake designer bags calling those who buy real designer bags "materialistic" is silly since the goal of buying both is pretty much the same.

Oh, I agree, you pay more because they are a well-known brand, no doubt about that. And like you, I get a lot more pleasure out of carrying it than I do a Target purse. I just wanted to point out that the brand name isn't the only reason people carry the purses, and the higher price isn't just because of the brand name.

 

[Scurvy]

Omg, I was the 20 year old soldier, and it was sold to me by a Korean person. It put food on their table and was probably made in their little shop (you could usually get anything made up because they had the fabrics right there). It is a crime in America; not in every country. It may be a crime in Korea today, but I don't think it was back then--we were outright told we could transport a reasonable amount of stuff like that for personal use back the the states, but that they wouldn't ship large quantities (so even the us govt didn't seem to care.)

Okay. No one is saying you are a bad person because way back when you bought a counterfeit bag. Maybe you were naive, maybe you didn't know any better, maybe it wasn't illegal back then in that place. None of that matters. The point is, you know now that it is illegal. I assume now that you know that it's wrong you wouldn't do it again. If someone really, truly doesn't know that it's illegal then I'm certainly not going to say that he or she is a horrible person for supporting the counterfeit/stolen bag trade. It still doesn't make it right, of course, but it doesn't make him/her a bad person. But once you know it's illegal, that's a different story. Someone earlier in the thread said that people ought to be judged by their own values rather than the value of the bag that they carry, and I agree with that. You can carry a $15 bag or a $1500 bag, and I won't care one bit. I certainly won't be judging you for it. However, I think if you (general you, not tasha99) are willing to knowingly support criminal activity like counterfeiting, that says quite a bit about your values (or lack thereof) and I won't feel at all bad about judging you for that.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Love that!

So who makes the best sunglasses? As in...best for your eyes? Which is, at least for me, the whole point of sunglasses...

It's been a few years since I ran that store, so things may have changed. But I will say that at the time the best for your money were Oakley (not everyone's style, though), Maui Jim, and, as someone already mentioned in this thread, Serengeti.

The funny thing is that other than Oakley, none of these are "vanity" brands. So, in this case you are paying for the quality, unlike the Gucci brand.

I guess what most people are seeing as an issue, is when people say that carrying a certain label makes them feel "proud" or something. A lot of people see that as meaning, deep down, you feel better than others because of that bag/purse/accessory. Because, let's face it, there are a lot of designer brands out there that don't carry the quality of their cheaper counterparts, so what other reason would there be to purchase them?

 

[dzorn]

Really? So when you talk to your kids about importance of education, so they could get a better job and have a better life, what exacty do you mean? It is up to you to spend your money on education of future generations, or vacation, or wine, food, bags, houses, cars, retirement, charities, but the key word is SPEND.

Yep I found it very sad. Spending does not equal happiness. Education no matter where it takes place involves hard work and determination. We also emphasize want vs need. I am just not very materialistic (sp?).



Denise in MI

 

[KellyNY]

Yep I found it very sad. Spending does not equal happiness. Education no matter where it takes place involves hard work and determination. We also emphasize want vs need. I am just not very materialistic (sp?).



Denise in MI

So when you SPEND on your vacations, and you do that a lot according to your signature, it does not make you happy or it falls in NEEDS category? You dont watch youtube with your kids, you SPEND on Disney vacations.

 

[Robinrs]

Oh please, who cares if a purse is real or fake? If you like it and it holds your stash, what's the big deal?

There are more important things in life.

My sister only buys high end high priced purses. She HATES me because I always find her stuff at 95% off at thrift stores or wherever I might find them. The retail prices are inflated to line a designers pocket, why should I send their kids to college for "status"?

It's assinine.

 

[Ember]

Okay. No one is saying you are a bad person because way back when you bought a counterfeit bag. Maybe you were naive, maybe you didn't know any better, maybe it wasn't illegal back then in that place. None of that matters. The point is, you know now that it is illegal. I assume now that you know that it's wrong you wouldn't do it again. If someone really, truly doesn't know that it's illegal then I'm certainly not going to say that he or she is a horrible person for supporting the counterfeit/stolen bag trade. It still doesn't make it right, of course, but it doesn't make him/her a bad person. But once you know it's illegal, that's a different story. Someone earlier in the thread said that people ought to be judged by their own values rather than the value of the bag that they carry, and I agree with that. You can carry a $15 bag or a $1500 bag, and I won't care one bit. I certainly won't be judging you for it. However, I think if you (general you, not tasha99) are willing to knowingly support criminal activity like counterfeiting, that says quite a bit about your values (or lack thereof) and I won't feel at all bad about judging you for that.

Really well said.

My sister only buys high end high priced purses. She HATES me because I always find her stuff at 95% off at thrift stores or wherever I might find them. The retail prices are inflated to line a designers pocket, why should I send their kids to college for "status"?

It's assinine.

Some people find the amount Disney feels it can charge for a family vacation to be asinine. Your argument, really, could be made about just about anything. From cars, to movie tickets, to baby strollers. If designer goods aren't your thing, that's just fine. If they don't mean anything to you, then it would be silly to spend money on them.

 

[KellyNY]

My sister only buys high end high priced purses. She HATES me because I always find her stuff at 95% off at thrift stores or wherever I might find them. The retail prices are inflated to line a designers pocket, why should I send their kids to college for "status"?

It's assinine.

Sorry but it seems like you care about status and labels more then your sister. When she buy it at the full price or maybe slightly discounted price, she has what to choose from. She probably goes for some particular style. You on the other hand grab whatever is there you found, and there are not much to choose from. So you get those bags for the lable.

 

[Ember]

Sorry but it seems like you care about status and labels more then your sister. When she buy it at the full price or maybe slightly discounted price, she has what to choose from. She probably goes for some particular style. You on the other hand grab whatever is there you found, and there are not much to choose from. So you get those bags for the lable.

I couldn't say for certain, but I doubt this is the case. Unless the poster is scouring the stores and shelves just to make her sister feel bad...

I have no illusions at all that a designer purse is an investment but it will retain some of its value, even in resale. Unless it's falling apart, you won't find a high end designer bag at 95% off its retail price, even used. (Okay, it's possible if someone didn't know what they had or its value, but not very likely...)

I'm not sure anyone who shops regularly at a thrift store could be said to care overly much about labels. (Unless you're talking vintage goods.) However, the poster probably uses the money saved on clothes and spends it on something that does matter to them. We might look at the posters discretionary spending and wonder what on Earth she was thinking, but again, that's just because we have different interests, likes, and dislikes. As was said before, different is good!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Sorry but it seems like you care about status and labels more then your sister. When she buy it at the full price or maybe slightly discounted price, she has what to choose from. She probably goes for some particular style. You on the other hand grab whatever is there you found, and there are not much to choose from. So you get those bags for the lable.

How in the world can you draw this kind of assumption? I have found two genuine Coach bags at Goodwill in the past couple of months. Both are in excellent condition and a really nice style. They were expensive for Goodwill standards-$6.99 each. Would I have purchased this bag at full price if there were another one I liked better in a store? Of course not, I would buy the one I liked best. But like ANY place including Nordstrom's down to thrift shops, you get to choose from the selection they have on hand. The outward appearance and condition of the purses attracted me first, when I looked inside and saw the authenticity (yes, they are genuine, serial numbers and all), that just made the deal sweeter. It's not like they have a signed section at Goodwill that says "Coach". You have to be attracted enough to look at it before you know.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Some people find the amount Disney feels it can charge for a family vacation to be asinine. Your argument, really, could be made about just about anything. From cars, to movie tickets, to baby strollers. If designer goods aren't your thing, that's just fine. If they don't mean anything to you, then it would be silly to spend money on them.

When we spend on a Disney vacation, though, it is something that we're sharing with the entire family, or group of friends that we are going with. If I go out and spend $200 on a pair of jeans, when $25 jeans do the same job, I'm the only one benefiting from it, and my family loses out on that $175 we could have spent together.

 

[Goofy'slady]

I'm really surprised that this debate still wages on. I didn't realize that people cared so much about purses or felt so strongly about telling others how much they don't care about purses.

T.

 

[Scurvy]

I'm really surprised that this debate still wages on. I didn't realize that people cared so much about purses or felt so strongly about telling others how much they don't care about purses.

T.

People can have very strong feelings about their purses. I would have thought you would know that, in light of your tag!

 

[Goofy'slady]

My love of a Coach bag is not gonna have me judging others for what they buy with their own money tho.

T.

 

[Mickeyherewecome123]

Hey it could be worse, my SILs try so hard to "keep up" with me that they try to pass off purse party purses as the real thing. Even after telling me they got them at a purse party. I don't care if it's fake or real, but at least own up to thefact that it is, ya know?? Heck I don't buy purses for the label, I buy them for their look (like my Disney Dooney )

I'm freaking out at your post.....I didn't know that Dooney had Disney bags. I just recently got into Dooney bags I've purchased two and now I think I know what my third one will be. Do you know if D&B still sells the Disney ones?

Thanks
Fran

 

[KellyNY]

I couldn't say for certain, but I doubt this is the case. Unless the poster is scouring the stores and shelves just to make her sister feel bad...

I have no illusions at all that a designer purse is an investment but it will retain some of its value, even in resale. Unless it's falling apart, you won't find a high end designer bag at 95% off its retail price, even used. (Okay, it's possible if someone didn't know what they had or its value, but not very likely...)

I'm not sure anyone who shops regularly at a thrift store could be said to care overly much about labels. (Unless you're talking vintage goods.) However, the poster probably uses the money saved on clothes and spends it on something that does matter to them. We might look at the posters discretionary spending and wonder what on Earth she was thinking, but again, that's just because we have different interests, likes, and dislikes. As was said before, different is good!

Many peple shop at thrift stores only to find labels. One of my friends works next to such store. She checks it regulary. She actually found some, not much of couse and condition is questionable but she is ok with that, she cannot afford full price but loves lables.