I was thinking that maybe I should post this in the Authentication Thread, but since it isn't exactly about authenticating a particular bag, I chose to start a new thread over here.
Late last fall, when I was first learning about Chloe and drooling over Paddingtons online, I saw an acquaintance at an event carrying a chocolate brown Paddy. I complimented her on the bag, and she told me she had gotten in on ebay, that it was "supposed to be real" but that she had gotten it for a pretty low price and had her doubts. At that point, she had carried the bag for a few weeks at the most, and it did look quite pretty. (In fact, it was seeing her bag that propelled me into buying MY first Paddy!)
Well, I saw the same woman again at the gym about two weeks ago. She was still carrying the bag, but guess what? It looked like
. The stitching had come loose in several place. The stuffing inside the handles was pulling out a little bit. The color of the metal had turned. The whole thing looked dreadful! We talked about buying on ebay, and how you have to be so careful about knowing your sellers, checking feedback, etc. before you plunk down your cash.
I felt so bad! Here she is, out $250 or so, with absolutely NOTHING to show for it. I would so much rather save up and spend the ~$1K and get something that I KNOW is good and real and will last. (Besides all of the connections between counterfeiting and crime, child labor, drug trafficking, and terrorism.)
Moral of the story: Do your research first and don't buy unless you KNOW you are getting AUTHENTIC!
Hey... would it be alright for those of you who have pics of bad fakes to post them here? Or share your own stories?
Late last fall, when I was first learning about Chloe and drooling over Paddingtons online, I saw an acquaintance at an event carrying a chocolate brown Paddy. I complimented her on the bag, and she told me she had gotten in on ebay, that it was "supposed to be real" but that she had gotten it for a pretty low price and had her doubts. At that point, she had carried the bag for a few weeks at the most, and it did look quite pretty. (In fact, it was seeing her bag that propelled me into buying MY first Paddy!)
Well, I saw the same woman again at the gym about two weeks ago. She was still carrying the bag, but guess what? It looked like
. The stitching had come loose in several place. The stuffing inside the handles was pulling out a little bit. The color of the metal had turned. The whole thing looked dreadful! We talked about buying on ebay, and how you have to be so careful about knowing your sellers, checking feedback, etc. before you plunk down your cash.I felt so bad! Here she is, out $250 or so, with absolutely NOTHING to show for it. I would so much rather save up and spend the ~$1K and get something that I KNOW is good and real and will last. (Besides all of the connections between counterfeiting and crime, child labor, drug trafficking, and terrorism.)
Moral of the story: Do your research first and don't buy unless you KNOW you are getting AUTHENTIC!
Hey... would it be alright for those of you who have pics of bad fakes to post them here? Or share your own stories?
Shame on bluefly.
ush: