Counterfeit Treasures

Everyone wants the newest handbag, watch, jewelry, or accessory and if they are designer they don’t come cheap. Luckily, Canal Street in New York City has a plethora of handbags, jewelry, hats, scarves and other wanted accessories for a low price. The reason they can sell them for so cheap and customers can even haggle prices is because the items are fake. If you can’t get to New York City many websites also sell counterfeit goods. Does it mean that because you are getting a good deal that it is ethical to buy counterfeit goods? You may be buying a bag produced by ten year old's in China all because you want to fit in.The people with the real designer accessories can tell the difference between the real and fake so why waste your time and money. People in today's society are addicted to materialistic items and people will go to great lengths to get their hands on them. No matter what they have to do to get them they do not care if what they are doing is right or not just as long as they are carrying the new Coach handbag. 

In today's society all that matters is the label you are wearing. People look at you and see UGG, Coach, Prada, Gucci, Michael Kors, Etc; you are perceived as rich and privileged. People will go to great lengths to get these labels maxing out credit cards, stealing from friends, or buying a fake replica on the street. But those fake look a likes come at a cost. Many fake bags are produced in China where they use child laborers to cut cost of production so that they can cut cost to you as the consumer. Now do you want to go to China Town and purchase that fake Coach bag when you know a little kid may be risking their lives so that you can feel like you belong. I would pay full price any day because, for one they are better quality and last longer and two, I know actual workers are getting paid to produce them not little kids who are just a cheap way of saving a dollar. This has become such a problem that legislature are discussing a law that would make it illegal to purchase counterfeit goods. It has always been illegal to sell but never illegal to buy.  This has also became a horrible but booming business. Counterfeit bags have risen to 2% of the world trade. But the one thing no one knows is where the money goes. It could be going to drugs or crime. Would you want to fund someone that could use your money to harm others.

"The profits from counterfeiting have been linked to organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorist organizations, according to the Department of Homeland Security." (USA TODAY)

When walking into an actual store on Fifth Avenue you are greeted by some of the nicest people in the retail world and get great service but when you go to an alleyway in China Town you are treated like you are only worth the money in your wallet. They want to take your money and get you out so more people can look around. Some of them may not even have shops some of them sell the cheap bags out of vans or out of trash bags on the side of the road. Not to mention, even if you are just glancing at a purse someone will come running over to you and start spitting off numbers: $30, $25.

Then you start to walk away and they scream even louder, $20. It's a good price, it's a very nice bag. Coach Coach. $20. How can you say no? They went from $30 to $20 on a fake bag,you have to buy it. Those bags may save you money but in the end they do not last as long, so you end up buying another one, so why not just spend the money on a real designer bag. Even though it's expensive you definitely will get your moneys worth. in the first place. You get a better experience, you know small children are not being treated like animals andyou know you are getting a bag of quality. 

I went to Canal Street with my friend and her grandmother and we were rushed into a hidden room. Yes, the room was hidden. It was like something from a movie. There was a wall filled with purses on hooks. Behind a row of purses was a door handle. Only a certain amount of people were allowed to enter at a time so it wasn't suspicious. I am not sure if they were real or fake but they were hidden for a reason. I felt very scared in the small room that no authority, like a police officer, would know where to find me. In an article I read, it stated that there was one place that was similar to the one I encountered but the big difference was, they would not let the customers out until they purchased something. 
Buying a fake designer bag may seem like a simple act but in actuality it is a scary and dangerous crime.
If you are ever wandering down Canal Street and are tempted to purchase a bag think twice because you never know where it came from. 
Some of these bags end up in a goodwill store without any knowledge that the bag is not real. Here are some helpful hints to help you rule out if that bag you really want is fake or not.

"If you buy from an authorized dealer, of course, you know you got the real thing. But here's how the experts can tell a designer bag from a dud.

1. THE ZIPPERS: Coach reps teach their employees that their bags have a tiny "YKK" stamped into the little metal piece in the interior of the zipper pull that slides along the teeth.  "And zippers on designer bags slide back and forth smoothly without catching," says McFarlane.
2. HARDWARE: Real bags have heavy, solid hardware that's usually brass. Buckles are stamped with the Coach logo. Fakes may have lighter-weight or even peeling metal or buckles that don't lie flat.
3. THE MATERIALS: Real bags are made from supple leather that is pliable and soft to the touch. Fakes are typically pleather or cheap, thin, brittle leather that's usually stiff — which is especially noticeable on longer straps. Any canvas areas are sturdy and coated for durability.
4. LOGOS: Real bags have perfectly lined up C's that line up perfectly at the seams. Slanted, blurry or crooked C's are giveaways.
5. STITCHING: The stitches on a real bag are meticulously even and straight. There are no loose ends or double stitches.
6. COLORS AND PRINTS: An expert can often spot a fake by the color of the dye. Fake logo Coaches are often darker brown than the real ones, or the letters blend into the background."(USA TODAY)

     So the next time you want  any type of designer accessory maybe you should think twice. In the end you never know where it is coming from and it maybe worth the money to just buy a real one. 

References:

"Counterfeiting: Many Risks and Many Victims." CNBC.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. <http://www.cnbc.com/id/38229835>.

Christine Fellingham, The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal. "Counterfeit Handbags Fabricate the Fabulous." USA Today. Gannett, 14 Oct. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/10/14/fashion-counterfeit-handbags/2984293/>.

"Law Against Buying Fake Handbags Gets Another Push." Gothamist. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. <http://gothamist.com/2013/04/07/law_against_buying_fake_handbags_ge.php>.