Question: With So Many Fakes Around, Is it Still Worth it to Buy the Original?
They look like the original at a fraction of the cost
--
People say that it’s the manner you carry your clothing or bag that matters. It’s not whether it’s authentic or fake. If you are lousy or ugly, the amount of money that you used to buy your luxury item won’t make you an instant goddess. That’s how “beautiful” acquaintances argue.
In this day of dirt cheap fake products flooding the market, more people are using copies of the original because of affordability. You will just be drowned in the sea of fakes, so using expensive originals won’t matter. Buying originals will just be a waste of money because it’ll just be suspected as fake. That’s how broke acquaintances argue.
I don’t agree.
I’m now in a position where people would assume that all my belongings are authentic. With the “attorney” title appended before my name, most would assume that I am capable of buying expensive things. I could easily buy a class A copy of a Louis Vuitton bag and pair it with my existing tailored suits, and voila! Who would suspect that I’m using a fake? But I can’t!
We don’t buy a bag, we buy an image and self-esteem
I can’t and I just can’t! If I use a fake, maybe I can fake other people around me but I can never fake myself. If I know deep inside that I am carrying an imitation, I will feel awkward and it will lessen my confidence. For most ladies, bags are expressions of personality and the image that we want to project.
At the end of the day, nothing beats carrying the original. Hence, it is still worth it to buy authentic items.
This story is not meant to advocate buying expensive branded products or endorsing the brand of my bags. Don't get me wrong. I know that we have different tastes aside from the fact that not all have the money to spare. But as an Intellectual Property professional, I always advocate buying legitimate products or those that have a brand of their own. NEVER buy imitations, class A, high-end copies, mirror copies, or in short, fakes.
In the case of bags, there are a lot of local artisans producing high-quality products. I buy from them, too! Better to support locals than those syndicates producing fakes.
Stop buying fakes. Thanks for reading my friends!