Are Hermes bags like legal tender?

[BlackCatGreyWhiskers]

So I’m not sure where my algorithm went wrong but I keep seeing videos of people buying and exchanging their Hermes bags in a shop - “prestige bliss” is the video channel. Obviously now I’m generating them as I’m viewing them.

So from what I’ve gathered you can’t just buy a Hermes bag - you have to go and buy other stuff first, to win the affection and respect of the sales assistant. Then if you’re lucky and they do offer you a bag you’re expected just to accept it - but you don’t actually chose it? And we’re talking like the equivalent of a Range Rover for a bag. Then you can go and exchange/sell these bags at shops like the one in the video.

What the hell is this? Like you’re buying the privilege of being privileged? And they are just bags. I mean they might be nice, but they’re bags.

What’s your AIBU, @BlackCatGreyWhiskers ?

I don’t really know what the question is….

Ultra luxury brands have always been this way.

There are plenty of models in the Porsche range for which you have to have a “buying history with Porsche” before you can even place an order. Think GT3, S/T models in the range. Same with Rolex - you might see them on the website with a price, but good luck trying to walk in and buy a GMT Pepsi without a buying history of jewellery or even other Rolex.

AIBU in my understanding? I suppose it was more of a discussion, I’m obviously too skint to know all this - hence the post. 🙄

I find those bags non-descript, considering their price.

@Dangermoo same - they must be a statement of wealth rather than any functional advantage.

Luxury depends on scarcity—or perceived scarcity—so “lucury” brands sell exclusivity and faux rarity.

I don't rhink the quality is there so I am not buying a bag just for the label

Yeah it’s a thing. As previous poster says, buying a Rolex is similar. You’ll probably have to whack a fair bit on a necklace or three before they’ll let you look at a Pepsi!

And that is why people turn to replicas probably. (Err not replica Porsches’) Replica handbags are so good in some cases that the high end fashion houses have withdrawn their authentication services because they can’t tell the difference between real and fake a lot of the time (and no, I’m not talking about a knock off you’d get down the market)

I have one replica (ok, fake!) handbag. Always said I never would, but Christ, once you go down the rabbit hole of proper replicas your mind Will be blown

How can the top houses justify their prices if they can no longer offer verification? That is a disgraceful state of affairs.

I was watching a video about how to tell an authentic Chanel from a replica. The woman had a torch out and was examining the inside pocket to point out the stitching was uneven. If that’s what you have to do to tell real from a good fake then give me the good fake any day

Some people are so obscenely, pointlessly wealthy these days, that brands have capitalised on this by creating false scarcity. I've worked with people who have more money than they could get through in several lifetimes, people who spend tens of thousands every month on designer clothing (but penny pinch over their staff members' legitimate expenses).

The bags are no better quality than the affordable (but still expensive) ranges, but these people need to find things to spend their money on. They have to believe in this level of "prestige", otherwise what's the point in being so wealthy?

They also spend insane amounts on fancy quacks and snake oil salesmen promising that "bio-hacking" will make them live forever.

Finding ways to siphon off their money is a clever grift really.

It's a well known thing - aka flipping and big in luxury markets, but others too.
Most notably - Rolex, steel Patek, Porsche, LR/RR, Hermes, Swatch moonswatches, drop culture bags and sneakers, the list goes on.

Buy something at retail - sell at 2 or 3 times the price.
You have to spend though before you can start getting goods at retail from source, but its often worth it.

@TheOtherAgentJohnson
yes no hate to the players I guess!

Because if you buy it from them, it’s authentic.
If you buy it second hand, there’s no profit for and no motivation to enable grey market trade. Caveat emptor.

Personally, I think this is a fair position.

My handbag is a Loewe puzzle bag. I have an authentic one. I also have a replica one, made for me abroad and shipped to me. The authentic one was £3000 (a big treat for a special occasion!) and my replica one was £200.

Try as I might, and believe me, I’ve spent hours here - I can see NO difference in the bags. None. Both are lamb skin leather and the same hardware was used for both (as the replica is a mirror image) - they feel the same. The stampings are the same. Alignment the same. It is an identical bag in every way.

would I buy authentic high end again? No.

I think the question is though how do they verify the authenticity of the stock they then sell?

The shops also don’t allow customers to open a new bag - seems totally bizarre to me that such an expensive item is so vulnerable to damage being used in the way it’s intended.

I’d love to know where you got the duplicate made!

Me too. Especially if the duplicate was that good.

Some people are so obscenely, pointlessly wealthy these days, that brands have capitalised on this by creating false scarcity.

These days? It has always been the case. Look at diamonds. They are not a naturally scarce resource. There are quite literally millions of them sitting in warehouses around the world. But the diamond companies, particularly DeBeers, create an artificial shortage so that they can be sold as a luxury item at three months salary for something that would only be worth a pound or two if they sold them as they pulled them out of the ground.

Me three!

Yes but without the authentication certificate, what's the resale value? Since I can't prove to any potential buyer that my bag is genuine.

@ChocolateBiscuitsandaCuppa@Lolopolo @SillySealI did a ton of research as like I said, I honestly thought I never would. Didn’t seem right and when I think of a fake handbag, I’d think of some really obvious plastic Chanel thing from a market stall.

Reddit is a good starting place - specifically the repladiesdesigner subreddit. So I read on there first for months. And learned about mirror image, and A quality and factories and sellers. Because that was the other thing to overcome … I assumed anything made in China would be.. shoddy. Oh and that I d never see my money again if if I sent someone off of WhatsApp 200 quid based on some stuff I’d read from strangers on the internet.

in the end, I identified a seller who’s bags I liked the look of and based off her reviews. Messaged back and forth for a while to further get my head round it all.

Sent her 200 quid (and nope, not by western union or anything! I chose business PayPal so was protected anyway) and waited about ten days. She then sent me a video of my bag once made,’taking questions from me if I wanted to see something close up. I gave it the OK and it was shipped (free shipping) and arrived 9 days later. Hilariously, in legitimate Loewe packaging and dust bag. And like I said - it is just the same bag. I can’t stress that enough - it’s the same. Drop me a PM if you want the actual name and number of who I used - it seems a bit weird to just share it here - like I’m some sort of fake goods dealer 🤣 And there’s a lot of people doing this - all with excellent reviews and it’s a really ‘nice’ experience

I’ve got a list of bags I’d love to have made up now but my next hurdle to overcome is squaring it all in my mind. Is it super unethical? Morally wrong? Err probably.

but have a look on the subreddit I mention and you’ll see what I mean. It’s a whole new addiction just to follow it all tbh

@BatFaceChops thanks for that. I’ve seen someone on Facebook that makes beautiful bags. If I was in the market for one I’d probably approach someone like that.

I don’t see it’s unethical. A bags a bag a bag, Hermes weren’t the first to invent bags!

@BlackCatGreyWhiskersi think for me it’s the whole ripping off of a designer brand. Stealing someone’s design. Although you’ll note that didn’t stop me 🤣

but then I think - who is the fool here? How are Hermes, Balenciaga, Chanel etc justifying their crazy prices? Judging by what I have seen with my own eyes and felt with my own hands, there’s no justification

@BatFaceChops thing is that won’t hurt the brand as the target customers aren’t those considering buying fakes!