Stop Buying Crap #12 – Louis Vuitton
Posted by Cap on July 31, 2006 |Stop Buying Crap #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14
Status Symbol That Cost More Than Your Car
Argh.
A week ago, I was trolling along the fashion district in Los Angeles with six other nice ladies. No, I’m not some hot-shot player. They’re family, & I was the bag holder for the day.
As we stroll through the retail stands, I spotted a handful of counterfeit Louis Vuitton handbags at one of the stand.
“Oh man, they want $40 for this fake?” I made a remark.
“The really good counterfeits cost over $100.” my sister said.
Flippin’ barnacle. Over a hundred bones for fake stuff. If it wasn’t for the excruciating heat, I would have made a big fuss about the craziness of these luxury goods. But alas, it was a hundred and six degree and I didn’t want to carry even more bags.
“I’ll never get why girls spend so much money on these kind of things.” I said instead.
“And I’ll never get why you won’t shut up about those lightweight rims you want to get for your car.” said the loving sister.
Touché.
21 Comments to “Stop Buying Crap #12 – Louis Vuitton”
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July 31st, 2006 at 5:38 am
I heart your sister. ;-)
When it comes to bags, you get what you pay for. The signature LV is a timeless design. When I buy one, it lasts a lifetime. If it’s ever damaged, LV will replace it for FREE.
July 31st, 2006 at 6:31 am
Seriously though, rims > bags
July 31st, 2006 at 8:47 am
So one of my insanely wealthy friends from college (oil family from UAE) has told me that the super-rich no longer want LV or Burberry now that they’ve become middle class aspirational brands. She says people preferred it back when the middle class thought the brands were ugly.
July 31st, 2006 at 12:21 pm
Why would anyone want to travel with “designer” luggage? To me, that would be telling say the baggage handlers that were interested in stealing stuff out of a bag “Hey, I can afford expensive stuff, look in here!”
August 1st, 2006 at 6:45 am
I don’t know about ‘designer’ luggage, but my Tumi rolling carry-on has survived over ten years of abuse with very little damage to show for it. Some things are worth spending the extra cash on; I expect to be able to leave my Wusthoff knives to my grandkids.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:45 am
hmm I didn’t realize they’ll replace them for free.
I gotta agree w/ Skye on this. I remember seeing a lady with a full set of LV luggage at the airport. I didn’t realize it cost a fortune at that time, but now that I think about it.. it totally is a “hey check me out” sign.
anyway I understand that a lot of quality goods comes w/ a price, but you gotta admit most of the price isn’t due to the craftsmanship of the actual goods.
kinda funny how they’re not as much in style anymore, sorta.
August 1st, 2006 at 7:06 pm
I am a bag fanatic, but I don’t understand the infatuation with designer *expensive* bags. Personally, I think the LV designs are ugly. I try not to buy bags or clothes that have names on the outside.
On the other hand, I DO appreciate quality. A nice, leather handbag can last years versus a cheap Tar-jay brand that will last one season. I bought a nice leather bag (and wallet) in Italy a couple of months ago. They were a great purchase! I hope to use them for many years.
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:16 pm
Well, if you consider what real luggage used to be, i.e. LV footlockers and cases that opened up with pull out drawers, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that still makes that sort of thing. For that reason LV and Hermes are still coveted brands. I would love to travel on the Queen Mary with fine luggage like that. But I’d also have on a fur, a hat, gloves, and travel with a companion. (In my dreams of course!)
As for S/100/30′s comment, that might be true. LV is less of a luxury brand now that it’s devalued itself for the mass market. I really can’t stand the multicolored logos on white. I also find myself oversaturated with the Coach C-logo fabrics, but that’s because I’m old school and I miss the truly old styles like the station bag with brass fittings.
High end brands like Coach will redo the trims when they get worn, etc. They actually once offered really good service that way. I’m not sure they still do now that their bags are so trendy they’re not worth keeping for 10 yrs. Does anyone still take advantage of the service these days? (I still have my original Coach Dinky Bag and British Tan somewhere. I got in high school 15 yrs ago!)
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:26 am
So the super rich monitor middle class fashion trends to make sure the ridiculously expensive stuff they buy isn’t getting too popular? I can’t imagine a bigger waste of time. Or money, since they have to keep buying stuff that’s even more expensive. Why not skip that perfectly designed, hand made italian leather bag and buy some lucky kid a semester of college.
And as long as I’m here, I’d like to complain about the financial websites’ (Money, Yahoo Finance, etc.) obsession with what the super wealthy spend their money on. The Ten Most Expensive Homes, The Ten Most Expensive Cars, What $1 Million Will Buy, What the Rich Eat, Private Jets of the Rich and Famous, Paradise on $25,000 a Day. What a waste. I’m wealthier than most of my friends and coworkers, but if I lived like this, I’d be broke in a week. What is the point about writing articles about stuff even a modestly wealthy person can never dream of having?
August 22nd, 2006 at 2:35 pm
If LV will replace for free, exactly how much is their markup?
August 23rd, 2006 at 10:06 pm
it must be advertising-why else would anyone purchase a quality leather handbag for $400 made in China? Coach comes to mind-although a Coach bag wasn’t always made in China. I go to discount stores and buy a beautiful leather handbag for less than $40-and they last for years. The real kicker is that they’re made in Italy or Spain……
August 23rd, 2006 at 11:24 pm
interesting how everyone says the rich are no longer interested in LV because the brand has become more middle class….well one bag costs close to a thousand dollars. most middle class could only afford such an expensive bag by DEBT!! but I guess that is the middle class way in America…..But majority of lv bags seen around are not the real deal… So, the counterfeit is middle class, while the real deal is still hi-class…LV bags are still sported by the rich… however, there are lv bags with out the logo all over the bag. So, you would only know it’s an lv bag if you know the line.
August 24th, 2006 at 7:38 am
Honestly, the brand name bags are over-rated. It’s okay to have maybe one nice bag, but in the end it’s not like you’ll carry the thing into judgement day when you meet God after you die. Even if they burry the LV or Burberry bag in your grave your spirit man will not take it to heaven or to hell. There are many other things that the money could be used for that bring more worth, like saving the money for your kids college, donating it to the charities or homeless help organizations.
December 28th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
the one who say lv is not worth it is the one who can not ever have one and for the one who do have one we know what we pay for and its well worth it so dont cry that you can ever have a lv you can alway see ours
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I wish I could say the same about the quality and service of LV. However, my experience with LV is far from that image. I purchased a wallet at LV and the hardware broke within one month of use. I took it to the store, and I was told that it would be repaired for “free” within 4 to 6 weeks. It’s been over four months and I still haven’t received my new wallet and I have contacted LV in numerous occations! Next time I will save my money and buy a good quality product in china town :)
January 31st, 2007 at 7:54 am
Just like with anything, you have to do your homework. Just because it is expensive does not mean it’s well made. That said, some bags can be worth the price because of the longevity (think Kate Spade, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana). I’d rather have a few of the nicest things I can afford than a whole lot of junk.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:41 am
As a former assistant to a product manager for a national retailer (who shall remain anonymous), I no longer pay full retail price for anything (expensive or otherwise). Most times, the product/item is made overseas in an Asian country where the retailer pays .002 (yes you read that right, half a cent) on the dollar for each item/embellishment that goes on the garment which makes the overall finished product very low cost (for the retailer). Once it makes its way back to the good ‘ol USA, the markup EXCEEDS 50% in many cases. It’s funny (and sad at the same time) to read comments like the one made by S/100/30 because that shows not only blatant arrogance but also a total ignorance of good fiscal stewardship. A GOOD leather handbag (designer or otherwise) shouldn’t cost you more than $70-80. Exotic skins such as snake and eel will run you a little bit more but its a lifetime investment. A colorful (or floral) LV will be out of season no sooner than the popular tv sitcom that touts it is cancelled.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
At least the LV bags are painfully ugly. I want a good sturdy attractive bag (no logo – I would think that “attractive” would make that clear, but maybe not, these days) that will last. That’s why I frequent thrift shops and consignment stores, keeping an eye peeled for the older Coach bags, which are durable and appealing.
Please, don’t buy the fakes! There’s plenty of evidence that links counterfeit bags to terrorist organizations. At the very least, you’re supporting criminal activities. Yes, those knockoff bags are illegal, and there are countries where you can get into a lot of trouble just entering the country toting a counterfeit bag! It’s not worth it.
If you have any doubts, please check out Susan Scafidi’s http://www.counterfeitchic.com/ – and Stop buying crap!!
July 1st, 2014 at 7:18 pm
I wrote an article regarding this topic. See below.
https://medium.com/@scottgabrielson/all-that-glitters-aint-gold-9fc1c7e37a9c