Which handbags are counterfeited the most often? This article explores which are the hottest fakes. While hundreds of famous handbags are counterfeited by Chinese manufacturers, there are a few handbag companies and styles that stand out as the most common bags that are copied.
These replica Hermes bags are usually the ones that sell the best. As supply and demand go hand in hand in the market of fakes, the most common fakes are the ones that most people ask for. Counterfeiters can have a difficult time choosing the exact handbag to copy, as most genuine manufacturers make a lot of different models, but in the classic just-in-time approach, many counterfeiters will produce a large set of sub-quality prototypes and then see which ones sell the best. With that data-set, they then mass-produce those styles and flood the market with a higher quality version of the fake until the original manufacturer changes the style again. Many original manufacturers will often stay with a particular model and style, such as Hermes who has stayed with the famous Birkin style Hermes replica bag, for over 30 years, making it very easy for counterfeiters to perfect their production of the fake, down to the finest detail.
List of The World’s Top Five Most Counterfeited Handbags
Number 5: Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)
Genuine Yves Saint Laurent Hermes replica bag,(also known as Saint Laurent or YSL) typically sell for $1,000 to $3,000. The Monogram Mattelasse Leather Chain Wallet is by far the most frequently replicated bag by YSL and can be seen hanging in shops all over Canal Street in Chinatown, NYC. Unfortunately, the quality of fake YSL handbags can sometimes be pretty horrendous and can look cheap or tacky. Because Yves Saint Laurent designs the handbags with a focus on highlighting the quality leather, fakes just cannot compete. Saint Laurent’s genuine leather has a satin sheen, while the fake handbags have a shiny plastic look. YSL knockoff bags are rampant on eBay, and usually, employ a “Y8L” logo instead of the classic “YSL” logo as ebay is not very aware of knock-off listings. A handbag similar to the one pictured can be found on eBay for as low as $10, or sometimes even lower if you snag a good price at the eBay auction, but the look and the feel instantly give it away as fake Hermes
Number 4: Hermes (The Birkin Bag)
Award Winner: Biggest Price Differential Between Real and Fake
Hermes makes a wide range of handbags, but only one is really the focus of the counterfeiters. The Birkin bag, the darling of Hermes brand, is only one of two Hermes handbags that are only for sale in select boutiques and never online. Genuine Birkins typically sell anywhere from $10,000 to $150,000, with a typical handbag costing roughly $25,000. A diamond-encrusted Birkin even sold at auction for over $377,000, a record price for a handbag. While real Birkins are so expensive, the knockoff equivalents can be found for around $50. The only handbag by Hermes that comes even remotely close to the popularity of the Birkin is the Hermes Kelly, which is also only sold in stores, and looks strikingly similar to Birkins. Birkins have become a signifier of wealth and status, and have been proudly displayed by A-list celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham (who reportedly has over 100), Lindsay Lohan, and Jennifer Lopez. Even though Birkins are so highly regarded, they are not as often counterfeited as other handbags on this list because genuine Birkin handbags cost so much money and most people would assume that only the super-rich could actually afford them. Birkin bags owned by regular people would normally be assumed to be fake. After all, most people cannot afford to buy a Birkin bag that costs as much as a car or small house.
Number 3: Gucci
Genuine Gucci handbags typically sell for around $1,000-$5,000. Gucci corporate has made it a mission to attempt to take down as many counterfeiting handbag websites as they can. Multiple websites dedicated to counterfeited handbags have been smacked with a “Take-down Notice” by Gucci’s corporate lawyers. They then go after the hosting provider with a “Cease and Desist”. If this does not work they then put a claim for damages in front of a federal judge. When a website gets taken down by Gucci, the website is then changed to become an advertisement for the genuine Gucci, and redirects visitors to the real Gucci website at www.gucci.com. Gucci even sued a credit card processor for processing credit cards for fake handbag websites. While many websites fear stocking counterfeit Gucci’s, there are plenty of fake Gucci handbags for sale on the street. Check out Canal Street in Chinatown, NYC for some great fakes as they are pretty common there. Seems that Gucci did not get the research that indicated that fake handbag buyers do not get upgraded to the real thing when the cost is over 100 times the price of the fake. It seems that Gucci’s lawyers haven’t yet got their visa’s approved to come South of Houston Street for fear or reprisals from some very angry Chinese traders.
Number 2: Chanel
Award Winner: Most Counterfeited Handbags on Canal Street in NYC
When it comes to Canal Street, Chanel dominates. The iconic double C logo can be spotted on top of garbage bags, in the back of stores hidden away from the eyes of police officers, and on fliers advertising the handbag selection in the back of a vendors van. Chanel has begun to improve its game in terms of protecting their brand, and they have come out with designs that would increase the cost to manufacture a fake handbag. For example, their newest experiment has been light-up LED handbags that can be programmed to flash a variety of designs on the outside of the bag. It is yet to be seen if these genuine bags will catch on as many people describe the handbag design as “Ugly”. Most genuine Chanel bags are worth around $4,000.
Number 1: Louis Vuitton
Award Winner: – Most Counterfeited Handbags Online – Easiest To Copy – Most Varieties of Copies
Louis Vuitton is by far the most counterfeited handbag company in the world. Perhaps it is the easy to replicate pattern, or perhaps it is the recognizeability of the design. The price tags on the real bags typically range from $1,000 to $10,000. The Monogram Canvas material is typically the most counterfeited, but the Multicolored Monogram pattern is often copied as well. Counterfeiters often make never-before-seen Louis Vuitton creations by mistake, by combining patterns and styles in ways that were never made by the original designer. For example, Hermes replica bag has never put out a Multicolour Backpack, but Multicolor Backpacks can be obtained through counterfeiters, which makes this hybrid handbag more of a social statement/experiment, than a straight knockoff. Louis Vuitton denies that they put out a multi-colour Backpack as a market test and all those so-colored backpacks are in fact fake.