I remember the first time I went shopping in Chinatown, NYC. It was incredible, the plethora of goods being sold. The smells and the sounds in Chinatown still linger in my memory. One of the most interesting things I noticed was the proliferation of imitation designer handbags. It felt like every corner I turned there were someone selling these fake bags.
I wasn’t sure if I should buy one or not. I mean, sure they were cheaper than the real ones, and I was particularly attracted to one Louis Vuitton bag, but I had a feeling that it was a fake. I ended up chatting with the seller for quite some time, and it was obvious that he knew these bags weren’t real. He was completely unapologetic about it, too.
I decided to purchase the bag anyway. It wasn’t easy to tell it was an imitation and I figured that it was just a nice thing to have. I knew I wasn’t paying for a genuine designer item but I looked at it as if it was an experience in itself. That first bag might have actually cost me more than it was worth in terms of money, but it was definitely worth it in terms of the experience. It was like I was buying something out of the ordinary, something not obtainable anywhere else.
The skeptic in me knew that these bags weren’t real and I was also aware of the risks; for all I knew, it could have been made of cheap materials and it could have easily deteriorated after a few months. So instead of splurging again, I made sure that I only purchased quality replica handbags from then on. Rather than buying from street vendors, I made sure to purchase from a reliable source.
Fake bags in Chinatown is still a thriving business, and it’s funny to think that these cheap imitations can look so close to the real ones. It’s becoming harder and harder to spot the differences and I guess it’s up to the consumer to be particularly discerning about it. In the end, it all depends on the individual’s judgement and personal preference.