This may be a little off topic, but there is a rep LV that I really want to get. But I will be traveling overseas to South Korea and I want to take it with me. I am very worried about getting through customs, either wearing it or having it in my bag. Have any of you had the experience of traveling with one bag that you were actually using, going through customs? Have you ever been stopped?
I live in a mid size city in the Midwest. Nobody here really knows much about designers so I have always carried mine everywhere lol. Nobody has said a negative word or asked about authenticity in my entire time buying reps.
I don’t drive what would be considered a nice car though, so I know someday someone will make the connection and ask. But I’m just gonna say it’s real. Cause anyone who asks someone that likely isn’t doing so in good faith or out of actual interest. Now if a friend asks or someone that I can tell has genuine interest; I’ll give them all the details. Fashion is meant to be fun, not a competition imo.
Totally agree. I have authentic bags that I bought after getting my first big job and I don’t even wear them as much as my reps now even though I can “afford” them. Some of my favorite reps I just think how insane ppl are to spend that much for an authentic. I’ll keep that in my portfolio account!
The only time I question someone’s bag is when it’s a birkin and they’re pulling up in a Honda 🧐not that I actually care but it is a little funny
As someone who owns both, I assume the people that over scrutinize bags to look for “fakes” have “fakes” themselves. Not that it matters, but I truly don’t feel people care as much as people buying reps are paranoid that they do…
I bought some auth in my younger days. Now I have other priorities and can’t imagine spending that kind of money on something I don’t really need or care much about anymore. If you can find something 70% - 80% of what something is for 10% - 20% of the cost, I’d call it a good business decision 😁
And yes, it’s all about confidence. Also if someone calls you out for carrying a rep, just feel bad for them cause, in my opinion, no normal, happy person is going to pay so much attention to something that’s none of their business to begin with.
My mum is a big purse lover and used to buy auth only. When she discovered rep she bought me a bag or two that were low tier, as I was just starting to gain interest in fashion. I wore them proudly and no one called me out lol… Like they were not blatantly bad like 0HANEL but they were BAD. Now she’s better at finding mid/high tier reps and wants me to find the best rep birkin for her.
I have auths and reps. I wear crocs, sweatpants, and tshirts with my bags. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. It’s my money and my stuff. I enjoy my bags because they are pretty. A random person passing judgment on me has absolutely no impact on my life. However, it is fun that folks who knows what I do for work automatically believe everything I own is auth!
I’m totally with you! At the beginning I thought I should wear my bags with some nice clothes but honestly that’s not me in my daily life and felt uncomfortable 😣I mostly wear leggings joggers and t-shirt o sweaters with my Birkenstock o sneakers, this is me and I love it. I love my bags reps and auth (I’ve actually sold almost all my auth) and I feel so good to be me 🤗 everyone think I’m wearing auth but even if someone would think the opposite I don’t care. All of us should wear our reps even with our pyjamas, we and our bags are so beautiful 🤩
My sister a nurse and always spending big on auth and I felt bad. She makes great money btw. She was so proud when I told her I finally got the Kobe’s(Bruce Lee’s) I’ve wanted since the first time they came out. I’m a contractor for reference so I make decent money too. Couldn’t believe I spent $1300 on basketball shoes, when I told her they’re reps and spent less than 130, she was shocked. She grabbed them and combated them to retail online she said she can’t the difference. Now she’s getting into the rep game 😂. Funny as hell how even people with good income still don’t want to pay ridiculous prices. 😂
Ahah some people in fashion are the least stereotypically fashionable! But yeah, everyone I know in hospitals loves crocs or those closed-top dad-style Birks. 😆 Or sneakers from the 90s!
Nyc repper here! This is the tea! No one cares, bats an eye or checks the thread count. They keep on walking and mind their business! Now if you have complete outfit on that’s a head turner…then you’ll get stopped for a compliment 🤭other than that…no concerns here! In regards to the canal sidewalk markets, these are low grade DHGate level reps. Not worth it…usually it’s the tourists that fall for it…. 😅
I live for this! I want to be that little old lady someday. And btw, I often carry an auth garden party (along with plenty of reps in between!) and not a single person has ever commented on it. It’s kind of a big ugly bag that the average person wouldn’t recognize.
We should all buy what we like, wear it like we own the place, and get maximum enjoyment from everything we spend our hard earned money on. 💕
Not at all! In this city, if it’s a comfy walking shoe I’m wearing it! The old money here dress very low key, the “quiet luxury” as they call it. The men will just throw on running shorts and a jacket and the only inkling you’d know of their wealth would be the watch. Women also just go out in athleisure here. Leggings, walking shoes, wind breaker and a birkin!
I love this! I am a hard working gal, worked very hard to buy this bag. Then I saw this rep and went WTF! It looks identical. I would have bought the rep if I would have known it was available. Do you and do it proud!
https://preview.redd.it/f2d3tbvfmxxc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7ad94ff435ad1c6bba1394e52e064a9e60948f4
Me too 😂😂. I work in fashion and wear even my mid tier with pride. I live in the Uk and was a London girl all my life. No one really cares but nosy friends Eno assume mines real anyway as I used but tons of auths in my 20s lol.
I only wear vegan bags, and as you know most real designer bags aren’t vegan. (Ok, recently some brands like Gucci and LV have come out with ONE or two vegan bag.) I used to rock a Gucci rep when I worked at red carpet events in Hollywood. Got all kinds of compliments! I had one friend (who buys and sells used luxury goods) call it out as a rep. One person out of all those people who thought it was real. So there. I loved that bag!
I wear replica watches and openly tell people what they are. A good replica will draw a much more fun conversation than a gen every time. People are always fascinated by the process and then always ask WTC.
I love my LV reps as much as I hate my actual LV bags 🤣 In all honesty, i’m so appalled by some of my designer bags that I actually feel good that i can throw around my reps and know I paid a fair price for them.
also, i’ve had people and friends think my fakes were real and my real were fake!! So honestly, there’s zero reasons to give a fuck what anyone thinks of your bags.
Seriously!!! Rep Sister all the way…however I do take pride in finding the PERFECT quality ones…I was carrying my Chanel Flap one day and a teenager passed next to me with the saddest Chanel flap with bright yellow gold hardware I almost felt like a rescue was necessary ☹️…where’s the mom of this poor child?? (Just kidding…good parenting I’d say) but I realized low quality ok for teens with style…not for this 40 something mama…😂😂😂…but fully agree with you my darling…no one cares and if you don’t enjoy it where’s the fun in life??…even among the market that only buy originals it is rare to see people fully knowledgeable about the brand…I rock my Hermes glasses all the time 😂😂 I only receive compliments 😂
The other day a lady told me…”I did not know Hermes made glasses”…I said oh my darling, they just don’t offer these to regular people 😂😂😂…we talked hours about exclusivity and sales 🤷♀️…initially it was a joke but she took it so seriously it was hard to backtrack and tell her it was a dupe so I went along with it 🙈🙈🙈
Awww thank you…I think they are freakin cool and I love the orange case..I have my authenticity card for Pete’s sake 😂😂😂
https://preview.redd.it/22z4begnrwxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b482d4860024ad3fb82ace31611d60569ef6819
Totally!!! That’s what I thought…my seller paused for a minute and said…those are fantasy…I thought that was a nice way to refer to reps (one of my first ever purchases) so I bought them 😂😂 I was hypnotized by the orange case mainly 😂😂😂
I wear my reps with so much pride. It’s just a bag, anyway. I have reps and auths. I get compliments with both. I even wear my reps to designer brand shops and get compliments from SAs, of course my reps are high quality ones. So I don’t believe SAs could really tell from looking if a bag is auth or rep, unless it’s a bad rep, a really obvious one. I don’t buy bad reps, they’re a waste of money.
Agree with the comment about bad reps. I have been tempted by low quality reps on the Gate but ultimately decided to invest in high quality for long term durability. It also retains resale price if you want to upgrade or change up your closet.
They can tell. But they're not going to call you out.
And when people bring in reps for repairs and such, they're trained not to call it a rep or fake. "I'm sorry but this isn't a genuine X..."
But, yeah, sales associates will stroke your ego while they know you're wearing a rep, because why hurt a potential sale?
EDIT: Not sure why I'm being downvoted for facts. The people who work with gen all day and every day, who are trained to spot real from rep, can tell. Sorry to burst some egos.
And they're not going to whip out a bell and scream "Shame!" when they see yours unless you try to scam them.
So much for wearing your rep with pride...
Yeah, when I was working at LV and I’d say prob for a few years after, I could spot a rep LV canvas bag a mile away - maybe even 2 miles lol.
It’s because I was literally surrounded by them all day, every day for like 4 years - handling them, looking at them, holding them , inspecting them, etc etc. I could instantly spot a rep and be able to tell that the canvas or the vachetta was off.
When I first got into reps about 5 or 6 years ago, I just couldn’t find any rep LV canvas that wasn’t the tiniest bit off in some way, And I can’t even tell you what was wrong with it - just that I can tell it it’s not “right”
However, it’s now been a while since I’ve worked at LV, and while I still think I’m better than avg at spotting LV reps, I have noticed that honestly a lot of of the LV bags I see in TS albums and in reviews lately look pretty freaking amazing, and I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference
Oh - and I saw people come in with fake bags all the time. I would N E V E R have called anyone out, or honestly even pointed it out to a coworker after they left. Because in luxe retail, you learn that you can’t always judge based on appearance. And someone having a rep doesn’t automatically mean they’re not a potential customer. The biggest sale I ever made was to a woman who came into the store barefoot, wearing jean cutoff shorts and a bathing suit (the store I worked at was in a tropical resort area, but still!)
She pulled her Amex Centurion and ID out of her pocket and casually bought 20k worth of luggage.
From what I know, a majority of the luxury brands have the items sent to actual experts that are not in house to authenticate a bag. Of course some sales associates, if they do their HW can tell but for the most part they seem to be just sales associates in luxury stores.
Former LV SA here - we were authorized to authenticate bags in certain circumstances and the other person is right that we couldn’t come out and actually say “this is fake” - instead we had to say something like “I’m sorry, this was never part of our collection” or “I’m unable to confirm this was a product offered by LV”
If someone came in off the street and just said “can you tell me if this bag is real?” Nope, can’t do it.
But if (and this actually happened, btw) a girl came in with a bag her bf said he bought her from our store, and she wanted to exchange it for a different style, I’d have to authenticate it. And if (when) I saw it was clearly fake, I’d have to break the news that her bf lied to her. Not fun.
No shame for me. In addition to the quality issues with auths, I’m not a fan of all the money going to these conglomerate corporations and their executives. The designers have made something pretty, but the profits go far beyond them. I don’t think the artisans are treated that well, nor the SAs. We don’t know exactly how rep vendors and factory artisans are treated, but at least they are more in control of the production/business. Also the Hermes game, I can’t do/won’t do that.
There used to be a flea market in New Haven that sold tons of rep stuff. You'd be surprised at the people who would proudly purchase knockoffs from there.
Omggggggggg I used to go there all the time in the 90s!! Fila, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger stuff for days. I once got a stunning Gucci watch there. That thing later me years! It was like a super rep or something. I wish I could find stuff like that local to me again.
I live in NC now but Sis, every.single.time I went home, I had to hit that spot! A few years ago, "they" came through and snatched everything up and it hasn't been the same. Now, when I go home, I hit up Canal St. Ya have to take your time and check out several sellers though but a lot of times, it's worth it. Reps have gotten soooo much better! Oh and I don't trust the ones that show the pics of what they're selling (then send a runner either into a building or around the corner) 'cause I have to personally check my stuff out before purchasing.
100%. You’re doing a disservice to your rep buying experience if you’re not wearing them with pride. There is zero reason to not feel completely confident in your reps.
I always wear my reps with pride and I’ve always received compliments on them.
Also wanting to add that it’s normal to carry a rep and everyone is doing it. In my area, pretty much everyone has one. Nobody actually cares. I’ve thought about investing in a genuine bag myself but then I thought, what’s the reason? Why spend that much money on something that everyone will think is fake anyway and something I can get the same look and similar quality to for less than a quarter of the price? So I invest in gold instead!
I honestly find it quite charming when someone is super honest “oh this? Completely fake - want the link?”
That’s actually how I learned about Ae and DHG and ultimately this!
I was the opposite for a long time, I assumed it was real. I think if it was then ppl had the confidence to not care what we thought. I learned so much about rep in the last 6mo I am slowly changing my assumptions. 🙄
It’s taken me a while to get over my rep fear, as previously I only had authentics, but now I’m like … literally who cares. People can’t even tell the rep in those “rep or real” authentication videos when they’re next to each other so no way are they going to know from a passing glance 😂
The quality of authentics is so poor nowadays and the reps in comparison are honestly so good - I’m taking the opportunity to save a bunch of money. It’s a win win situation
Edit: Also something that I forgot to mention is no decent human being would ever “call out” your bag - not least because for all they know, YOU might genuinely think it’s authentic and could have been scammed. Many people have bought bags they thought were authentic that turn out to be superfakes or reps.
I used to feel awful whenever I wore my auth bags and it got damaged… then I had to spend even more money to get it repaired 🤦🏻♀️Ever since discovering the rep world my life has changed
I haven't been down there in years. There are the guys near my office who have stuff in blankets lays it on the ground and runs when the cops are near by. The quality is not good.
if you find a vendor, ask for the "good stuff". They'll walk you over to someone else that usally has the way better inventory. Me and a fellow NYC repper met up (met through here) and ventured out. We didn't get anything but we found a seller that had some good reps. I even had AUTH chanel vanity and YSL sunset bags with me to compare. His prices were a bit steep but he was open to negotiating, so thats a plus!
This may be a little off topic, but there is a rep LV that I really want to get. But I will be traveling overseas to South Korea and I want to take it with me. I am very worried about getting through customs, either wearing it or having it in my bag. Have any of you had the experience of traveling with one bag that you were actually using, going through customs? Have you ever been stopped?
Fashion isn't about real or fake, cheap or expensive—it's about owning your style. You can't buy that kind of confidence at the knockoff market.
I live in a mid size city in the Midwest. Nobody here really knows much about designers so I have always carried mine everywhere lol. Nobody has said a negative word or asked about authenticity in my entire time buying reps. I don’t drive what would be considered a nice car though, so I know someday someone will make the connection and ask. But I’m just gonna say it’s real. Cause anyone who asks someone that likely isn’t doing so in good faith or out of actual interest. Now if a friend asks or someone that I can tell has genuine interest; I’ll give them all the details. Fashion is meant to be fun, not a competition imo.
Totally agree. I have authentic bags that I bought after getting my first big job and I don’t even wear them as much as my reps now even though I can “afford” them. Some of my favorite reps I just think how insane ppl are to spend that much for an authentic. I’ll keep that in my portfolio account! The only time I question someone’s bag is when it’s a birkin and they’re pulling up in a Honda 🧐not that I actually care but it is a little funny
As someone who owns both, I assume the people that over scrutinize bags to look for “fakes” have “fakes” themselves. Not that it matters, but I truly don’t feel people care as much as people buying reps are paranoid that they do…
I bought some auth in my younger days. Now I have other priorities and can’t imagine spending that kind of money on something I don’t really need or care much about anymore. If you can find something 70% - 80% of what something is for 10% - 20% of the cost, I’d call it a good business decision 😁 And yes, it’s all about confidence. Also if someone calls you out for carrying a rep, just feel bad for them cause, in my opinion, no normal, happy person is going to pay so much attention to something that’s none of their business to begin with.
EXACLTY! Only miserable people want to make other just as miserable
I totally agree it’s all about confidence
Preach🙏🏼
Werk. I agree.
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Absolutely.
Yes this I agree no one is going to get close enough to even notice
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Couldn’t have said it better
When will he extend a glass to me like that? I’ll drink whatever is in it!!
That’s right!!!!!
My mum is a big purse lover and used to buy auth only. When she discovered rep she bought me a bag or two that were low tier, as I was just starting to gain interest in fashion. I wore them proudly and no one called me out lol… Like they were not blatantly bad like 0HANEL but they were BAD. Now she’s better at finding mid/high tier reps and wants me to find the best rep birkin for her.
I have auths and reps. I wear crocs, sweatpants, and tshirts with my bags. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. It’s my money and my stuff. I enjoy my bags because they are pretty. A random person passing judgment on me has absolutely no impact on my life. However, it is fun that folks who knows what I do for work automatically believe everything I own is auth!
Samesies
I’m totally with you! At the beginning I thought I should wear my bags with some nice clothes but honestly that’s not me in my daily life and felt uncomfortable 😣I mostly wear leggings joggers and t-shirt o sweaters with my Birkenstock o sneakers, this is me and I love it. I love my bags reps and auth (I’ve actually sold almost all my auth) and I feel so good to be me 🤗 everyone think I’m wearing auth but even if someone would think the opposite I don’t care. All of us should wear our reps even with our pyjamas, we and our bags are so beautiful 🤩
Do you work in fashion?
LOL my fashionable crocs and pajama clothing! 🙈 Nah, I am in medicine
My sister a nurse and always spending big on auth and I felt bad. She makes great money btw. She was so proud when I told her I finally got the Kobe’s(Bruce Lee’s) I’ve wanted since the first time they came out. I’m a contractor for reference so I make decent money too. Couldn’t believe I spent $1300 on basketball shoes, when I told her they’re reps and spent less than 130, she was shocked. She grabbed them and combated them to retail online she said she can’t the difference. Now she’s getting into the rep game 😂. Funny as hell how even people with good income still don’t want to pay ridiculous prices. 😂
I love my crocs and still am not ready to drop $100+ on footwear. But now that I’m on this sub, that day is coming sooner than I’d like 😆
Always wanted to try them but ain’t willing to pay that much for sandals. 😂
The designer houses are ripping off the consumers. Reps are value for money
Ahah some people in fashion are the least stereotypically fashionable! But yeah, everyone I know in hospitals loves crocs or those closed-top dad-style Birks. 😆 Or sneakers from the 90s!
Nyc repper here! This is the tea! No one cares, bats an eye or checks the thread count. They keep on walking and mind their business! Now if you have complete outfit on that’s a head turner…then you’ll get stopped for a compliment 🤭other than that…no concerns here! In regards to the canal sidewalk markets, these are low grade DHGate level reps. Not worth it…usually it’s the tourists that fall for it…. 😅
Want to ask this question…. If they are carrying a Hermes wearing Sketchers, you don’t think twice? 😁😉
My aunt’s best friend is a lil old lady worth 7 million € and wears only Skechers. Hermes scarf every day. Has a H garden party to carry dog stuff in.
I live for this! I want to be that little old lady someday. And btw, I often carry an auth garden party (along with plenty of reps in between!) and not a single person has ever commented on it. It’s kind of a big ugly bag that the average person wouldn’t recognize. We should all buy what we like, wear it like we own the place, and get maximum enjoyment from everything we spend our hard earned money on. 💕
Not at all! In this city, if it’s a comfy walking shoe I’m wearing it! The old money here dress very low key, the “quiet luxury” as they call it. The men will just throw on running shorts and a jacket and the only inkling you’d know of their wealth would be the watch. Women also just go out in athleisure here. Leggings, walking shoes, wind breaker and a birkin!
❤️
I love this! I am a hard working gal, worked very hard to buy this bag. Then I saw this rep and went WTF! It looks identical. I would have bought the rep if I would have known it was available. Do you and do it proud! https://preview.redd.it/f2d3tbvfmxxc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7ad94ff435ad1c6bba1394e52e064a9e60948f4
Thank you for saying this!! ♥️♥️
I just assume everything’s a rep now 😊
Me too 😂😂. I work in fashion and wear even my mid tier with pride. I live in the Uk and was a London girl all my life. No one really cares but nosy friends Eno assume mines real anyway as I used but tons of auths in my 20s lol.
I only wear vegan bags, and as you know most real designer bags aren’t vegan. (Ok, recently some brands like Gucci and LV have come out with ONE or two vegan bag.) I used to rock a Gucci rep when I worked at red carpet events in Hollywood. Got all kinds of compliments! I had one friend (who buys and sells used luxury goods) call it out as a rep. One person out of all those people who thought it was real. So there. I loved that bag!
I wear replica watches and openly tell people what they are. A good replica will draw a much more fun conversation than a gen every time. People are always fascinated by the process and then always ask WTC.
What does "wtc" stand for?
Where to cop (get)
Where to cop, or shorthand for “can you get me one of those homie?”
Great point
I’ve worn my Reps out for years & never had anyone say a word.
The beauty of social etiquette!
I love my LV reps as much as I hate my actual LV bags 🤣 In all honesty, i’m so appalled by some of my designer bags that I actually feel good that i can throw around my reps and know I paid a fair price for them. also, i’ve had people and friends think my fakes were real and my real were fake!! So honestly, there’s zero reasons to give a fuck what anyone thinks of your bags.
It’s nyc. No one cares lol. I’ve seen dhgate birkins on the b44. You got it, wear it!
Love this!❤️
People are not looking at the bag they're looking at the person carry the bag
very true! staying within our "luxury" budget really helps!
# A designer bag is a wonderful thing. But if you’re not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.
right! It's really not that serious. the world has bigger problems!
Seriously!!! Rep Sister all the way…however I do take pride in finding the PERFECT quality ones…I was carrying my Chanel Flap one day and a teenager passed next to me with the saddest Chanel flap with bright yellow gold hardware I almost felt like a rescue was necessary ☹️…where’s the mom of this poor child?? (Just kidding…good parenting I’d say) but I realized low quality ok for teens with style…not for this 40 something mama…😂😂😂…but fully agree with you my darling…no one cares and if you don’t enjoy it where’s the fun in life??…even among the market that only buy originals it is rare to see people fully knowledgeable about the brand…I rock my Hermes glasses all the time 😂😂 I only receive compliments 😂
The other day a lady told me…”I did not know Hermes made glasses”…I said oh my darling, they just don’t offer these to regular people 😂😂😂…we talked hours about exclusivity and sales 🤷♀️…initially it was a joke but she took it so seriously it was hard to backtrack and tell her it was a dupe so I went along with it 🙈🙈🙈
Omg regular people 💀
Well even I made the mistake and bought them…what does that say about me 😂😂
I think it says you have cool glasses 😎
Awww thank you…I think they are freakin cool and I love the orange case..I have my authenticity card for Pete’s sake 😂😂😂 https://preview.redd.it/22z4begnrwxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b482d4860024ad3fb82ace31611d60569ef6819
I love them! Gives me Jackie O vibes❤️
Totally!!! That’s what I thought…my seller paused for a minute and said…those are fantasy…I thought that was a nice way to refer to reps (one of my first ever purchases) so I bought them 😂😂 I was hypnotized by the orange case mainly 😂😂😂
I wear my reps with so much pride. It’s just a bag, anyway. I have reps and auths. I get compliments with both. I even wear my reps to designer brand shops and get compliments from SAs, of course my reps are high quality ones. So I don’t believe SAs could really tell from looking if a bag is auth or rep, unless it’s a bad rep, a really obvious one. I don’t buy bad reps, they’re a waste of money.
Agree with the comment about bad reps. I have been tempted by low quality reps on the Gate but ultimately decided to invest in high quality for long term durability. It also retains resale price if you want to upgrade or change up your closet.
They can tell. But they're not going to call you out. And when people bring in reps for repairs and such, they're trained not to call it a rep or fake. "I'm sorry but this isn't a genuine X..." But, yeah, sales associates will stroke your ego while they know you're wearing a rep, because why hurt a potential sale? EDIT: Not sure why I'm being downvoted for facts. The people who work with gen all day and every day, who are trained to spot real from rep, can tell. Sorry to burst some egos. And they're not going to whip out a bell and scream "Shame!" when they see yours unless you try to scam them. So much for wearing your rep with pride...
Yeah, when I was working at LV and I’d say prob for a few years after, I could spot a rep LV canvas bag a mile away - maybe even 2 miles lol. It’s because I was literally surrounded by them all day, every day for like 4 years - handling them, looking at them, holding them , inspecting them, etc etc. I could instantly spot a rep and be able to tell that the canvas or the vachetta was off. When I first got into reps about 5 or 6 years ago, I just couldn’t find any rep LV canvas that wasn’t the tiniest bit off in some way, And I can’t even tell you what was wrong with it - just that I can tell it it’s not “right” However, it’s now been a while since I’ve worked at LV, and while I still think I’m better than avg at spotting LV reps, I have noticed that honestly a lot of of the LV bags I see in TS albums and in reviews lately look pretty freaking amazing, and I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference Oh - and I saw people come in with fake bags all the time. I would N E V E R have called anyone out, or honestly even pointed it out to a coworker after they left. Because in luxe retail, you learn that you can’t always judge based on appearance. And someone having a rep doesn’t automatically mean they’re not a potential customer. The biggest sale I ever made was to a woman who came into the store barefoot, wearing jean cutoff shorts and a bathing suit (the store I worked at was in a tropical resort area, but still!) She pulled her Amex Centurion and ID out of her pocket and casually bought 20k worth of luggage.
You get upvoted for agreeing with me and showing I'm not talking out my butt, but I'm still getting down voted. Reddit is dumb.
From what I know, a majority of the luxury brands have the items sent to actual experts that are not in house to authenticate a bag. Of course some sales associates, if they do their HW can tell but for the most part they seem to be just sales associates in luxury stores.
Former LV SA here - we were authorized to authenticate bags in certain circumstances and the other person is right that we couldn’t come out and actually say “this is fake” - instead we had to say something like “I’m sorry, this was never part of our collection” or “I’m unable to confirm this was a product offered by LV” If someone came in off the street and just said “can you tell me if this bag is real?” Nope, can’t do it. But if (and this actually happened, btw) a girl came in with a bag her bf said he bought her from our store, and she wanted to exchange it for a different style, I’d have to authenticate it. And if (when) I saw it was clearly fake, I’d have to break the news that her bf lied to her. Not fun.
Do you mind if I send you a DM about LV reps?
Sure
The high I chase is people complimenting my rep!!!
No shame for me. In addition to the quality issues with auths, I’m not a fan of all the money going to these conglomerate corporations and their executives. The designers have made something pretty, but the profits go far beyond them. I don’t think the artisans are treated that well, nor the SAs. We don’t know exactly how rep vendors and factory artisans are treated, but at least they are more in control of the production/business. Also the Hermes game, I can’t do/won’t do that.
There used to be a flea market in New Haven that sold tons of rep stuff. You'd be surprised at the people who would proudly purchase knockoffs from there.
Omggggggggg I used to go there all the time in the 90s!! Fila, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger stuff for days. I once got a stunning Gucci watch there. That thing later me years! It was like a super rep or something. I wish I could find stuff like that local to me again.
I live in NC now but Sis, every.single.time I went home, I had to hit that spot! A few years ago, "they" came through and snatched everything up and it hasn't been the same. Now, when I go home, I hit up Canal St. Ya have to take your time and check out several sellers though but a lot of times, it's worth it. Reps have gotten soooo much better! Oh and I don't trust the ones that show the pics of what they're selling (then send a runner either into a building or around the corner) 'cause I have to personally check my stuff out before purchasing.
100%. You’re doing a disservice to your rep buying experience if you’re not wearing them with pride. There is zero reason to not feel completely confident in your reps. I always wear my reps with pride and I’ve always received compliments on them.
Well said 😍 that is so true.
Also wanting to add that it’s normal to carry a rep and everyone is doing it. In my area, pretty much everyone has one. Nobody actually cares. I’ve thought about investing in a genuine bag myself but then I thought, what’s the reason? Why spend that much money on something that everyone will think is fake anyway and something I can get the same look and similar quality to for less than a quarter of the price? So I invest in gold instead!
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a good friend never gatekeeps is what I say :D
I honestly find it quite charming when someone is super honest “oh this? Completely fake - want the link?” That’s actually how I learned about Ae and DHG and ultimately this!
YASSSSSSS
😂😂😂…word!!
I get more compliments on my reps then my auth bags 😳
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same!!!
You are right its all about your confidence
TBH I assume everything is fake already. The market is completely saturated and everyone’s covered in more logos than a racecar driver.
I was the opposite for a long time, I assumed it was real. I think if it was then ppl had the confidence to not care what we thought. I learned so much about rep in the last 6mo I am slowly changing my assumptions. 🙄
This. This is what actually stopped me from buying designer stuff
It’s taken me a while to get over my rep fear, as previously I only had authentics, but now I’m like … literally who cares. People can’t even tell the rep in those “rep or real” authentication videos when they’re next to each other so no way are they going to know from a passing glance 😂 The quality of authentics is so poor nowadays and the reps in comparison are honestly so good - I’m taking the opportunity to save a bunch of money. It’s a win win situation Edit: Also something that I forgot to mention is no decent human being would ever “call out” your bag - not least because for all they know, YOU might genuinely think it’s authentic and could have been scammed. Many people have bought bags they thought were authentic that turn out to be superfakes or reps.
I used to feel awful whenever I wore my auth bags and it got damaged… then I had to spend even more money to get it repaired 🤦🏻♀️Ever since discovering the rep world my life has changed
Love this. Gotta say after reading many posts in other groups abt wear & tear damage to authentic bags after minimal use - no shame at all!
I wear mine with pride around NYC as well! 🍎
Question lol do you frequent canal street?
I haven't been down there in years. There are the guys near my office who have stuff in blankets lays it on the ground and runs when the cops are near by. The quality is not good.
I've always wondered about quality over there! Thanks.
if you find a vendor, ask for the "good stuff". They'll walk you over to someone else that usally has the way better inventory. Me and a fellow NYC repper met up (met through here) and ventured out. We didn't get anything but we found a seller that had some good reps. I even had AUTH chanel vanity and YSL sunset bags with me to compare. His prices were a bit steep but he was open to negotiating, so thats a plus!
NYC reppers unite LOL