Why Do People Buy Fake Designer Bags Or Fake Designer Anything?

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#2,161
Here Comes Mish said:
To answer the previous question...yes, MANY celebs buy fakes! I have a friend who was a personal assistant to a well-known actress and my friend ordered a replica Hermes Birkin for this celebrity. True fact. You can believe it or not, but it is not uncommon. In fact, I bet you'd be surprised if you could get a list of wealthy and famous people carrying replica bags.

As to the issue of proving that the money doesn't support nefarious activities...if someone is making that argument, the burden of proof falls on that person. I don't have to disprove something I didn't claim. In fact, as was suggested to me, google search it and you will find all sorts of information stating that the concept of terrorism, drug trafficking and other criminal activities linked to counterfeit items was simply a ploy to guilt people into spending the bigger bucks for the "real thing".

I honestly find it humorous/sad/telling that some of you analyze people around you and determine whether or not they are worthy of carrying real bags and based solely on what else you see, decide that their purses must be fake. That is the epitome of snobbery to me. People choose to spend their money on all sorts of things. You can't decide just by looking at someone how much they are worth. A college student might spend every penny on a real purse and eat beans for a month. A wealthy woman might buy a replica and save her money for retirement. You.just.don't.know. I live in one of the wealthiest areas in the US and I can tell you from experience, some of the "wealthiest" people around are in debt up to their ears. And some of the folks who are walking around wearing more modest clothing, carrying more modest bags and driving more modest cars, have oodles of cash in the bank and in investments.

As far as whether or not people will assume your bag is real based on what you wear, honestly, who really cares. Really. I carry my bags the same way whether I'm dressed up or not. I wear diamond earrings almost every single day too...sweats or a gown, I'm wearing my diamonds. I'm guessing if some of you saw me in line at Starbucks wearing my diamond studs and carrying my LV while wearing jeans and a t-shirt with my 3 kiddos in tow, you'd assume that it was fake. But I believe that says more about you than it would ever say about me.
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Bravo! Well said!
 
#2,163
wyllowdaemon said:
Bravo! Well said!
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Amen, whoever said this LONG post needs to take a bow. Why are you or any one else for that matter so worried about what OTHER ppl are doing?? Go read a book or something GEESE!!!

Your bags won't follow your casket on the way to your grave. If you died tomorrow no one will remember your handbag!! LOL.
 
#2,164
There have been a lot of good posts here, from all sides. I tend to think that buying a fake comes down to personal preference, and if you buy one you're not necessarily fitting into any category that was mentioned. I don't think that MOST of us can really afford these bags, we just learn to balance our desires and needs. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many wishlists on the forum, and we'd just have all the bags we want.

That being said, I was considering getting a fake balenciaga city GGH. I just bought a real LV manhattan GM so I can't justify going to get the real balenciaga, especially since I'm going to med school next year and will HAVE to be in debt. The reason I want it? I need/want a black bag and I really really like the way the city ggh looks, I just love that bag. If I am going to get a black bag, I'm thinking I might as well get one I like. I was recently offered a real (different bag) balenciaga for really cheap and I didn't want it, so it's not completely about owning the name.. and NONE of my friends or probably 99.9% of people I would run into, know what a balenciaga is (or would know that mine is a fake of it, or CARE what it is, or if it's real or not)...but after reading some of the posts on this thread I think the main reason I'm not going to get it is I don't want to give someone like some of the people on here, the satisfaction of thinking that they are better than someone just because that person is carrying a fake. Seriously, who are you to judge ANYONE, especially when they are a complete stranger to you. They are carrying a fake, and that's it, no other assumptions needed. If anything, you should just be grateful that you can afford the real thing.
 
#2,166
One of my dearest friends just got a fake Coach. She said she can't bring herself to pay $200+ on a bag.
I asked her how much she paid for the fake Coach, she said $80. I told her that we could have gone to an outlet or TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc and found her a nice bag for that price.
Her answer is that she likes the style of the Coach.
I left it at that, because I value her friendship and don't think its worth having a huge fight over.
 
#2,167
chickety said:
One of my dearest friends just got a fake Coach. She said she can't bring herself to pay $200+ on a bag.
I asked her how much she paid for the fake Coach, she said $80. I told her that we could have gone to an outlet or TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc and found her a nice bag for that price.
Her answer is that she likes the style of the Coach.
I left it at that, because I value her friendship and don't think its worth having a huge fight over.
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That's sad. It just takes time and digging. My local Coach outlet has nice Coach bags all the time for $80. Signature bags AND leather bags!
 
#2,168
kay87 said:
There have been a lot of good posts here, from all sides. I tend to think that buying a fake comes down to personal preference, and if you buy one you're not necessarily fitting into any category that was mentioned. I don't think that MOST of us can really afford these bags, we just learn to balance our desires and needs. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many wishlists on the forum, and we'd just have all the bags we want.

That being said, I was considering getting a fake balenciaga city GGH. I just bought a real LV manhattan GM so I can't justify going to get the real balenciaga, especially since I'm going to med school next year and will HAVE to be in debt. The reason I want it? I need/want a black bag and I really really like the way the city ggh looks, I just love that bag. If I am going to get a black bag, I'm thinking I might as well get one I like. I was recently offered a real (different bag) balenciaga for really cheap and I didn't want it, so it's not completely about owning the name.. and NONE of my friends or probably 99.9% of people I would run into, know what a balenciaga is (or would know that mine is a fake of it, or CARE what it is, or if it's real or not)...but after reading some of the posts on this thread I think the main reason I'm not going to get it is I don't want to give someone like some of the people on here, the satisfaction of thinking that they are better than someone just because that person is carrying a fake. Seriously, who are you to judge ANYONE, especially when they are a complete stranger to you. They are carrying a fake, and that's it, no other assumptions needed. If anything, you should just be grateful that you can afford the real thing.
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Great post! You're absolutly right!:smile1:
 
#2,170
narcissa:

ahahaha, ummmm, i read your entire post and it has not swayed my position in the slightest. fake bag;fake person. and that is exactly what im going to think when i see someone with one. i dont care if it was a gift, if you got an "awesome deal", there is no need to carry a fake bag. i want a hermes porosus croc birkin 35 with diamonds.... can i afford it now? absolutely not. will i buy a fake so i can pretend? absolutely not. you're only fooling yourself with a fake bag, everyone else knows its fake- and the ones who don't- i wouldn't even care about their opinion.

how dare you presume to know our lives and what we stand for. yes, the purse forum is definitely a part of our lives, but thats just it....its a PART, a fragment. it does not define who we are as human beings. because we choose to spend money on handbags does not make us bad people, or morally corrupt. I have donated not only money, but time with many charities...I am going to India in a few months to help my bf with social work(we're bringing computers to children that would normally never see one)...so don't sit in front of your computer and judge my character based on a few posts you've read on the purse forum....

one last thing: if you're so for fake bags, why are you even on tpf in the first place???
 
#2,172
I completely agree :yahoo:. If it is such as non issue or not important, then why did Narcissa write a multiparagraph long post in this thread? As for who is to judge, we all judge everyday about something. Even when we think "what an ugly outfit" , we are already judging the designer and people who wear the item. Btw, condemning people who oppose fakes is also judging. No ifs, ands, or buts.



lvuittonaddict said:
narcissa:

ahahaha, ummmm, i read your entire post and it has not swayed my position in the slightest. fake bag;fake person. and that is exactly what im going to think when i see someone with one. i dont care if it was a gift, if you got an "awesome deal", there is no need to carry a fake bag. i want a hermes porosus croc birkin 35 with diamonds.... can i afford it now? absolutely not. will i buy a fake so i can pretend? absolutely not. you're only fooling yourself with a fake bag, everyone else knows its fake- and the ones who don't- i wouldn't even care about their opinion.

how dare you presume to know our lives and what we stand for. yes, the purse forum is definitely a part of our lives, but thats just it....its a PART, a fragment. it does not define who we are as human beings. because we choose to spend money on handbags does not make us bad people, or morally corrupt. I have donated not only money, but time with many charities...I am going to India in a few months to help my bf with social work(we're bringing computers to children that would normally never see one)...so don't sit in front of your computer and judge my character based on a few posts you've read on the purse forum....

one last thing: if you're so for fake bags, why are you even on tpf in the first place???
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#2,174
QueenCoco said:
And wealthy people who own fakes? What are they attempting?
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"Wealthy" is relative. Some consider a person who makes $50,000 a year wealthy, for others you're only wealthy if you're a multimillionaire. Spending habits are more about personality and life experience than actual income anyway. Different people have different tolerances for debt and living paycheck to paycheck, also some are proud bargainers and will spend as little as possible no matter what they make while others could care less and spend way over their means b/c they live just for the day. You can take a person from any income level and they could either have the potential for bankruptcy or financial security. Look at Michael Jackson, the guy made millions a year but he was financially insolvent b/c of overspending. It's not how much you make, it's how much you spend relative to how much you make.
 
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