Designer Fake Handbags - A Multimillion Dollar Business
Posted: Sunday, July 25, 2004
by Henrietta Timmons
Henrietta's Handbags
According to the New York Times (June 4, 2004), approximately 17 men were arrested in a "sting" to catch sellers of replica handbags by famous designers. Smugglers paid one million dollars to undercover operatives posing as corrupt customs agents. Forty foot shipping containers were loaded with fake Louis Vuittons, Cartiers, and Gucci handbags made in factories in China. These purses were then sent to stores in Chinatown in New York City through ports in New Jersey, where custom officials received $50,000.00 each time a shipment was cleared.
Smuggling operations were conducted out of a storefront on Canal Street where a second, hidden back room was filled with designer fakes. The display wall in the "legimate" store contained a remote controlled door leading to the secret storage filled with bags.
There is a difference between handbags that are obviously not an original. For example, there are the designer fakes that have an "LV" almost exactly mimicking a genuine Louis Vuitton and a purse that has different initials but a similar design. Usually, the craftmanship is inferior in a knockoff designer bag - puckered seams, low quality leather, and large and uneven stitching. Another giveaway for fakes is the price. Real Louis Vuitton handbags sell for about $500.00 to $1,000.00 and a knockoff can be purchased for around $100.00 to $200.00 each. Also, if you buy your purse out of the truck of a car, you can pretty much bet it's not real!
Another raid was recently conducted in Conneticut at a local flea market in Wellingford. Nine people were arrested for selling counterfeit items including handbags and watches. A total of 4,483 items were seized. Another raid took place in Dallas, Texas and $250,000.00 in goods were confiscated. This store has over $100,000.00 in sales per month! 
So what harm does it do to purchase a fake designer handbag? There are a multitude of reasons to NOT buy knockoffs, beginng with the fact that we, as taxpayers, carry the burder for this tax-free business. According to government sources, 200 billion is approximately the amount that counterfeiters do not pay - this means that honest taxpayers make up the difference!Another reason is organized crime. By purchasing a designer fake, we are supporting illegal activity. There is even some evidence that part of the money for bombing the World Trade Center came from the sale of counterfeit goods.
There is also documentation that these purses are made by child laborers in unsafe conditions. How do smugglers get around the law? One way is for designer fake handbags to be imported without the labels. Customs will not seize these purses without the designer labels because then there is no proof. The tags are then added on the goods in this country.
Fines of not more than $250,000.00 and no more than 5 years in jail await these smugglers. The profits range in millions of dollars per years. If you want to help stop counterfeiters, you can report these replica handbags at the genuine websites of all the handbag designers such as Coach, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Dior, Gucci, etc. http://henriettashandbags.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)I was a little upset to read this article and the reason why is that i just came back from new york .. where in china town there are shop ever where that are selling the fake handbags in the open ... most of the shipment are coming in threw custom in new york how ever i am aware that it is very hard to track down all the shipments on the hand bags but there too many shop for no one to notice what is going on. and it is sad to say but on most of the name brand handbags web site there is no where to report the fake handbags i wish there was something that could be done . but the truth of the matter is no one will take the tine out to shut down these shops
ok i have recieved one of these handbags as a gift from afamily member who lives in new jersey, she is an older woman and probably did not realize she was purchasing something from someone who is breaking the law. could she be fined for purchasing property that is against the law to be saleing to begin with? the reason i am asking is because she it is my grandma and she i can tell you probably dont know any better?
If the item is a fake that is promoted as an original or left to your imagination then that is ILLEGAL. If the item is a replica, and you are told it is a replica, then it is legal. If you own a replica and say it is original that seems to be a grey area, and I've not heard anyone getting in trouble for that.Most officers at least that I know would have no need to arrest some poor old lady that thought she was purchasing a real handbag. Most law enforcement officers are not out there to arrest honest working citizens because of a legality. If there is some old woman trying to sell these bags that would be a different story.
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