1 of 5

Write now Article Tools

So you've been eyeing up that Fendi Spy bag for months, trying to justify the couple thousand you can't afford to drop on another purse. Then it hits you eBay! Although it may be tempting to log on and bid $200 for a purse that retails for $2000, you can pretty much bet that it is not an authentic bag.

Duplicates, "authentic reproductions," and the like are simply fancy ways of saying that the bag is not genuine. Mr. James Moody, former chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Organized Crime/Drug Operations Division declared that counterfeiting would become "the crime of the 21st century."

Reproductions are causing such a stir in the fashion community that a coalition was fashioned to take action and inform customers The International Anticounterfitting Coalition (IACC).

According to the IACC, a projected 7% of the world trade is in counterfeit goods and the counterfeit market is worth $350 billion. In 1982, they estimated counterfeiting and piracy losses at 5.5 billion. In 1996, that number stood at $200 billion. (Bank robberies, by contrast, involve less than $50 million per year, but seem to garner more public attention and more law enforcement resources).

But the IACC might just be dealing with much bigger issues. They disclose that "Federal authorities have several investigations under way examining evidence suggesting that Hezbollah, Hamas and other terror networks might be selling counterfeit products to pay for their worldwide activities. . . . FBI, Customs Service and other agencies are investigating the sale of stolen or counterfeit computer software, T-shirts and handbags that are suspected of benefiting terrorist networks...U.S. officials said there is particular concern that a region in South America famous for counterfeit products may have ties to terrorism."

Raya Premji, owner of Rodeo Drive Resale, an upscale consignment boutique, receives numerous items from the community that people would like to sell at her consignment shop - it is her job to separate the fake from the real.

"I feel like fakes are a major problem in the high end designer industry. Not only are fakes made of inferior quality and represented as genuine, but cause confusion to unsuspecting buyers which over time damages the reputation of a design house," offers Premji.

According to Premji, top fake items are handbags, sunglasses and jewelry.

Patricia Handschiegel, editor of StyleDiary.net, agrees. "Top imitated items are of course handbags, with Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton being

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about How to spot fakes on eBay?
We want to hear your view. Write now!