"The Rich New York Women Who Love Their Fake Birkins" article in The Cut - thoughts?

[papertiger]

This thread is only commenting on and discussing points made arising from the article in #1 post, discussing Hermes:

For general discussion and debate on fake bags please read/post here: Why do people wear fake bags?

For a discussion on the 'gray (or grey) market: What is the gray market for HE handbags? It's not a fake...

 

[dingobeast]

Let's play conspiracy here.
Perhaps this article was written with the purpose to drive more traffic to this RepLadies subreddit.
Perhaps even written by someone is already in the subreddit.
Perhaps even written by someone who is influenced by someone in these fake bag network to help sell this lie.
Perhaps to lend some credibility to these so called "super fakes".

I mean, she went and sold her fake bag as auth, so she is definitely about that fake bag life. It was basically an ad for fake bags.

 

[nostalgists]

I thought a lot of good points were made about this article basically being fake news and I’m sort of convinced now that it’s fake. But before I read the thread, my main takeaway from this article was the immense pressure these people feel to keep up with others. I can relate to the intoxicating rush of chasing down a bag and know firsthand how it can lead to addict-like behavior. It’s ironic how the pressure to keep up with their “friends’” bag collections has led them to purchasing fakes, creating a scenario where the very thing they’re trying to keep up with is fake. To me, it showed how shallow and unfulfilling shopping can be when you’re just doing it to keep up with others. It’s like a never ending cycle. I also think social media can contribute to this frenzy of wanting H bags, something that take a lot of time and care, immediately. It makes people feel an unrealistic urgency if you’re inundated by influencers and/or your social circle constantly touting new and seemingly impossible-to-find bags. They may be fakes but it can still make you feel “left behind”. I can see how this may lead people to just resort to fakes because they can get them more immediately. It definitely makes me sad because it shouldn’t be a competition to get as many real or fake H bags as possible. I think what’s special about H specifically is that they don’t take shortcuts so buying a fake really is like the antithesis to the experience of shopping at H. The fact that a person in the article talks about how close the community of people who buy fakes is makes me think that what these people were really in need of was friendship?

 

[I AM GPT]

I thought a lot of good points were made about this article basically being fake news and I’m sort of convinced now that it’s fake. But before I read the thread, my main takeaway from this article was the immense pressure these people feel to keep up with others. I can relate to the intoxicating rush of chasing down a bag and know firsthand how it can lead to addict-like behavior. It’s ironic how the pressure to keep up with their “friends’” bag collections has led them to purchasing fakes, creating a scenario where the very thing they’re trying to keep up with is fake. To me, it showed how shallow and unfulfilling shopping can be when you’re just doing it to keep up with others. It’s like a never ending cycle. I also think social media can contribute to this frenzy of wanting H bags, something that take a lot of time and care, immediately. It makes people feel an unrealistic urgency if you’re inundated by influencers and/or your social circle constantly touting new and seemingly impossible-to-find bags. They may be fakes but it can still make you feel “left behind”. I can see how this may lead people to just resort to fakes because they can get them more immediately. It definitely makes me sad because it shouldn’t be a competition to get as many real or fake H bags as possible. I think what’s special about H specifically is that they don’t take shortcuts so buying a fake really is like the antithesis to the experience of shopping at H. The fact that a person in the article talks about how close the community of people who buy fakes is makes me think that what these people were really in need of was friendship?

Too much TRUTH for a Saturday.

 

[caruava]

I find it hard to believe that the truly wealthy would be out to seek bargains by buying fake Hermes. Seems like rubbish to me.

I'm priced out of Hermes. I can't even get non quota bags in store in the last few months that I've tried visiting. I don't have the disposable income to spend to get offered a quota bags and no matter how much I would like new bags, I am surely not going to go get fakes. I'll enjoy what little I have.

Maybe I'm naive but I truly don't believe the wealthy seek out fakes like the article suggests.

 

[Tykhe]

As a fellow Asian, that did stuck out to me as well. Playing devils advocate here , but since this article was written about super fakes from China, I believe they were trying to tie that in to a whole black market. Sorta like insinuating there is some vast network of manufacturer + sellers that are mainly Asian (or even Chinese in this case). Also Cindy in this article is also mentioned to be from Flushing, a place in NYC that has a high population of Chinese Americans. The article also mentions Canal Street (located in Chinatown) which is where fakes were / and still are sold on a daily basis.

I didn't want to say it before, but I would not be shocked if a good number of the people on this repboard is Asian, consider how they are even teaching other members how to communicate with this black market dealers.

It's fine to have an attitude of "i dont care about what the next person has". But keep in mind that developing negative stereotype like "Asians uses fake bags, " (which is a narrative that this article seems to be playfully pushing) may impact the ones that do work hard, save up and purchase real bags.

Honestly I will give them the benefit of the doubt that that sub is all Asians. I think most Asians, especially if they can speak Chinese, already know where they can buy good fakes. They don’t need to subscribe to a Reddit sub about it.

that being said, I am glad The Cut decided to write about this Reddit sub. The more light we shed on this issue the higher the likelihood Reddit will shut it down. The more we publicize this issue, the harder it will be for those sellers to operate in the dark.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with my cousin back when she was visiting New York and wanted to buy her first Chanel bag. Back then I was clueless about luxury brands and had no idea why anyone would spend that much on a bag (a classic flap was all of 2,000 dollars!). So I said to her in passing “why not just buy a fake? There are plenty of fakes in China that are very well priced.”
My cousin replied “nooooo you can’t do that! In China everyone can tell if you are carrying a fake. At your job, on the street, with your friends. They can all tell just by glancing at it.”
I think in America we have the luxury of assuming all brand name bags we see are real. These counterfeiters seem to think if they flood the market with fakes, that we will start to devalue the real bags. I think differently. If reps become more widespread, I think we will all become much better at differentiating the fakes from the real ones. The truth will always come out eventually.

 

[daisy913]

I thought a lot of good points were made about this article basically being fake news and I’m sort of convinced now that it’s fake. But before I read the thread, my main takeaway from this article was the immense pressure these people feel to keep up with others. I can relate to the intoxicating rush of chasing down a bag and know firsthand how it can lead to addict-like behavior. It’s ironic how the pressure to keep up with their “friends’” bag collections has led them to purchasing fakes, creating a scenario where the very thing they’re trying to keep up with is fake. To me, it showed how shallow and unfulfilling shopping can be when you’re just doing it to keep up with others. It’s like a never ending cycle. I also think social media can contribute to this frenzy of wanting H bags, something that take a lot of time and care, immediately. It makes people feel an unrealistic urgency if you’re inundated by influencers and/or your social circle constantly touting new and seemingly impossible-to-find bags. They may be fakes but it can still make you feel “left behind”. I can see how this may lead people to just resort to fakes because they can get them more immediately. It definitely makes me sad because it shouldn’t be a competition to get as many real or fake H bags as possible. I think what’s special about H specifically is that they don’t take shortcuts so buying a fake really is like the antithesis to the experience of shopping at H. The fact that a person in the article talks about how close the community of people who buy fakes is makes me think that what these people were really in need of was friendship?

Reading through the comments, what I’m getting is that a lot of people believe/want the article to be fake news. The reality is, most people outside of tpf do not care about the ethics when buying fakes. Most of the “luxury” bags out in the wild are fake. Just because most of us on tpf feel strongly against fakes, it doesn’t mean that our little corner represents the entire world.

Also, people really need to stop assuming that people who buy fakes want to feel included and/or look wealthy. Not everybody cares about what a stranger, or their friends, think.

I don’t wear or use my obvious luxury pieces (they’re all real) when I’m with friends or coworkers, because I know that most people my age are not in the same financial position as me. If someone snubs me because I’m not wearing/using any obvious designer items like them, I really don’t care what they think. They aren’t worth my time or energy to actually be friends with. I would much rather be friends with a down to earth individual who has only fakes, than someone that’s a snob and only has genuine items.

Also, “actual” wealthy people can have personal shoppers, and those personal shoppers can easily buy a real piece, and swap for a fake. If the wealthy person doesn’t know any better, they’ll never know.

 

[cakeymakeybakey]

100% agree. Also I would feel complicit in their crime. I don’t understand why people think telling their friends they are wearing fakes makes the entire practice okay. You are just asking your friend to look the other way and to go along with pretending your bag is real. Isn’t that pretty much asking your friends to lie on your behalf?

but back to the article, I wish they would stop throwing around the word Asian so much even if it were true. Why did they have to point out the well dressed woman selling birkins was Asian? What purpose was that for which couldn’t have been conveyed by calling her a well dressed woman?

As a fellow Asian, that did stuck out to me as well. Playing devils advocate here , but since this article was written about super fakes from China, I believe they were trying to tie that in to a whole black market. Sorta like insinuating there is some vast network of manufacturer + sellers that are mainly Asian (or even Chinese in this case). Also Cindy in this article is also mentioned to be from Flushing, a place in NYC that has a high population of Chinese Americans. The article also mentions Canal Street (located in Chinatown) which is where fakes were / and still are sold on a daily basis.

I didn't want to say it before, but I would not be shocked if a good number of the people on this repboard is Asian, consider how they are even teaching other members how to communicate with this black market dealers.

It's fine to have an attitude of "i dont care about what the next person has". But keep in mind that developing negative stereotype like "Asians uses fake bags, " (which is a narrative that this article seems to be playfully pushing) may impact the ones that do work hard, save up and purchase real bags.

I too felt like there was some racial profiling or stereotyping going on in this article. One thing I discovered when looking into the author of the piece is that she seems to be of Asian or southeast Asian heritage, and she frequently amplifies the tweets and articles by/about/featuring other Asians. I wonder if that was the angle she was going for in this article without overtly stating that.

On her LinkedIn page, the author has numerous prestigious awards, grants, scholarships, internships, and fellowships for journalism, and it also indicates that she has a pre-law background in addition to her journalism studies. I have to wonder if she wrote the article in a style that is adherent to the pieces published by The Cut and it is intentionally written in a hazy, hearsay kind of way.

 

[acrowcounted]

Also, people really need to stop assuming that people who buy fakes want to feel included and/or look wealthy. Not everybody cares about what a stranger, or their friends, think.

So then why do they buy fakes, if not for those reasons? There are millions of legit bags from all sorts of brands and price points. Hardly any bag in the market is so strikingly unique that you couldn’t find a less expensive genuine version of a specific design without having to order an elaborate fake from some shady factory across the world.

 

[cakeymakeybakey]

So then why do they buy fakes, if not for those reasons? There are millions of legit bags from all sorts of brands and price points. Hardly any bag in the market is so strikingly unique that you couldn’t find a less expensive genuine version of a specific design without having to order an elaborate fake from some shady factory across the world.

I agree. I cannot imagine a reason for buying a fake, particularly an expensive superfake Birkin, unless you a) couldn't afford genuine and yet desperately coveted one, or b) you couldn't get your hands on the real deal (at all, or for the price you wanted to pay), and you want people to think you could and that the bag you're carrying is the genuine article.

 

[charlottawill]

I mean, she went and sold her fake bag as auth, so she is definitely about that fake bag life. It was basically an ad for fake bags.

She got an offer for it, but doesn't say if she completed the transaction. Maybe buying the fake and then getting an offer for it was just part of her "research" for the article. But the article does have an "Everyone's doing it, so why not?" tone.

 

[daisy913]

So then why do they buy fakes, if not for those reasons? There are millions of legit bags from all sorts of brands and price points. Hardly any bag in the market is so strikingly unique that you couldn’t find a less expensive genuine version of a specific design without having to order an elaborate fake from some shady factory across the world.

High quality fakes can be viewed as “good” value for some people. Most people, when paying for similar quality and craftsmanship, regardless of brand, will prefer a bargain price.

Forget luxury and brand names for a minute: if you were shopping at a craft fair and saw two independent booths that produce the same exact item with the same design and materials, but one was a tenth of the price of the other’s, you would go with the cheaper item. The cheaper and exact same item has more dollar value.

I’m an artist by schooling and trade. If it’s in my specialty, I can create high quality pieces at a fraction of the cost and time it takes someone else to make. Unfortunately, even the .001% do not always see the value in skills and knowledge when they ask for commissions. They care more about the bottom line. The same idea applies to fakes.

People, regardless of status, can favor fakes because they view it as being of higher practical value. Wealth, if you ask me, has more to do with how one carries themself and how they interact with others. A high quality fake on someone like that will automatically look real to anyone who passes them on the street.

As for friends, most people would consider that having friends who don’t judge you for your material possessions as “healthy” friendships. People with fake bags may not feel the need to prove anything to anyone, if they feel their friend group is healthy, and if their friends know they could afford the real thing, if they wanted. People who are comfortable with their finances and social standing tend to not care about what others think of them.

 

[dingobeast]

She got an offer for it, but doesn't say if she completed the transaction. Maybe buying the fake and then getting an offer for it was just part of her "research" for the article. But the article does have an "Everyone's doing it, so why not?" tone.

Exactly! It also deliberately leaves that part unfinished. She doesn’t state whether she left or sold her bag.

 

[acrowcounted]

High quality fakes can be viewed as “good” value for some people. Most people, when paying for similar quality and craftsmanship, regardless of brand, will prefer a bargain price.

Forget luxury and brand names for a minute: if you were shopping at a craft fair and saw two independent booths that produce the same exact item with the same design and materials, but one was a tenth of the price of the other’s, you would go with the cheaper item. The cheaper and exact same item has more dollar value.

I’m an artist by schooling and trade. If it’s in my specialty, I can create high quality pieces at a fraction of the cost and time it takes someone else to make. Unfortunately, even the .001% do not always see the value in skills and knowledge when they ask for commissions. They care more about the bottom line. The same idea applies to fakes.

People, regardless of status, can favor fakes because they view it as being of higher practical value. Wealth, if you ask me, has more to do with how one carries themself and how they interact with others. A high quality fake on someone like that will automatically look real to anyone who passes them on the street.

As for friends, most people would consider that having friends who don’t judge you for your material possessions as “healthy” friendships. People with fake bags may not feel the need to prove anything to anyone, if they feel their friend group is healthy, and if their friends know they could afford the real thing, if they wanted. People who are comfortable with their finances and social standing tend to not care about what others think of them.

But we are talking about luxury brands here and it is part and parcel to the argument. Much of the value in a luxury bag is that it is that brand so to get a fake of it is not “the exact same item at a fraction of the cost”. If one wants a Birkin because it’s a really practical well made tote, but doesn’t want to pay the Birkin price tag, it is FAR easier to go to an independent crafts person/Etsy to make a simple tote from top quality leathers, or a less expensive brand to get a genuine near-substitute than to go on repladies and research which foreign manufacturer has the closest stamping and color dying and stitching to be mistaken for the real deal, all while breaking the law by importing a fake.

People who don’t care what others think of them tend not to pretend they have something that they don’t.

 

[haute okole]

So, for shiz & giggles, I went to that Reddit site and it was both ridiculous and dumb! Here is an example. I will never get those brain cells back that atrophied as I skimmed that stupid site.

 

[charlottawill]

So, for shiz & giggles, I went to that Reddit site and it was both ridiculous and dumb! Here is an example. I will never get those brain cells back that atrophied as I skimmed that stupid site.

View attachment 5393460

Oh dear. Thanks for taking one for the team!