First of all, let’s talk about the original single. The so-called original single refers to goods produced in the original OEM factory in China. Regardless of the reason for entering the market, this type of product is considered authentic. These goods are very rare, and even if they are available, the price is ridiculously high. Those who claim to have a large supply of original single goods are mostly fakes. Therefore, if a genuine single is sold for $1,500 and then resold for $500, it is not credible. Such goods cannot be exactly the same as those in the store. If you still don’t understand, I want to say that factory shipments are exactly the same as genuine goods, and they can be sold at high prices in second-hand stores. Why sell them to you at an attractive price?
Back to the goods themselves. The market is very chaotic, at least from the perspective of an outsider. The real market price and quality are mixed unevenly, from early one-to-one imitations, to later original leather, top-notch replicas, to the current smuggled goods, parallel imports, European goods, leftovers, foreign orders, genuine original goods, and so on. Imitations can be said to be made of good materials and have exquisite craftsmanship, and they can even be called fake originals, but imitations will always be imitations. It is unethical to try to make smuggled goods, original single-origin goods, and other labels make imitations pass as originals. However, for us, customer satisfaction is the only criterion.
In this industry, imitation products are indeed graded. Good imitation products require high-quality materials, excellent craftsmen, and exquisite craftsmanship. Good imitation products are not cheap. However, it is difficult for imitation products to deceive customers through special channels.
What is original leather? The answer from Google is: original leather is imported in its original form, directly colored, with a natural texture, and not pressed. The texture of the original leather is clear and irregular, like a fingerprint. Genuine leather is durable and becomes more lustrous with use. It is the highest grade of leather and cannot be compared to ordinary leather.
In the world of 1:1, the meaning of genuine leather is very simple, that is, it is very close to the original genuine leather. Genuine leather is defined as being completely identical to the original material. 1:1 emphasizes the appearance and hand-made patterns, not the material, while genuine leather is more refined on the basis of 1:1 and pays more attention to the strict requirements of the material. Ordinary consumers are satisfied with 1:1 imitations, and the quality is not bad! But now, because everyone is more and more picky about the luxury goods around them, the term top-of-the-line imported genuine leather or top-of-the-line replica has appeared.
To understand the meaning of 1:1 LV original leather and the price of an LV bag made from original leather, we need to start with the origin, development, and manufacturing inspection of LV. The price of an authentic bag from a general store ranges from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, and the price of an important bag is over ten thousand dollars. As one of the world’s most famous luxury brands, only a few people could afford to use these bags in the beginning. From 1998, imitation products gradually emerged, because of their low prices, they could satisfy the dream of the general public to own brand luxury goods, and therefore were loved by many low- and middle-income people.
Initially, the materials and craftsmanship of imitation manufacturers and merchants were very rough, and the prices were mainly in the tens of dollars. After 2003, some manufacturers began to try to make high-quality imitation products, and the quality gradually became more and more similar to that of the genuine products. Now, the main production and wholesale base for LV replicas is still in Guangdong. Through the development of the past few years, there are currently 50-60 large manufacturers, but only about 10 of them can produce replicas that are comparable to the real thing.
If you ask me if there are really good replicas, the answer is definitely yes. A really good high-quality replica bag has real stitching, and all the accessories are sourced as much as possible from their original places of origin.
Let’s talk about CF. The criteria for identifying a high-quality CF are as follows:
- The quilting must be full and shiny.
- The cutting line must be aligned, so that when the flap is folded down, it can be pieced together with the quilting below to form a complete quilting.
- The rhombuses on both sides are aligned, and the pattern is axially symmetrical.
Among all the Chanel bags, the CF is the most difficult to make, and the lambskin in the CF is even more difficult, especially the large-size (30 cm) lambskin. The CF has many complicated processes, and a little negligence can ruin a rhombus. If the padding is not done properly, the overall shape will be ruined. It must be just right, and this requires many years of experience.
Why is lambskin more difficult? Because lambskin is softer and more delicate than caviar leather, it is more difficult to shape. As a shaped bag, Chanel CF requires extremely strict production processes and alignment cooperation for its soft lambskin, which is also verified in the classic Leboy model. Leboy has many bright colors, which are more popular with young girls than the dull black of CF.
According to statistics, only 3 out of every 10 CFs sold by Chanel are colored, and the rest are all classic black. Like Hermes’ orange and Iv’s old flowers, they have become conventional, so at the counter, you won’t find black CF on the counter, they are all in the warehouse, and the windows are always fashionable, avant-garde, and bright.
It is precisely because Leboy does not have a fixed symbol like CF that it is more colorful and rich in material changes: acrylic diamonds, Burmese python skin, Thai pearl fish skin, etc. Bright, bright, layered rare leather is often used by Chanel designers to create. And the best carrier for these creations is: Leboy craftsmanship is simple, elegant, both feminine and handsome.
Then back to LV, LV is one of my favorite brands. How to identify a good LV imitation bag? Touch, feel the texture of the bag material, the better the material, the better the feel (not that the softer the better). Genuine products are the same, but as long as they are genuine or better than A-level goods, the leather will become softer and softer with use, and will have a very nice luster. Good imitations will indeed become brighter with use.
Hardware and zippers. Hardware is the most exposed part of an imitation bag, so it is also an important criterion for judging. Generally, good hardware is shiny and thick, without burrs, especially the zipper. The zipper of a good manufacturer is smooth, lubricated and a bit strong. Good manufacturers use imported rubber, which has less volatile acid. The glue with less volatile acid will make the hardware less likely to change color. Genuine goods generally have no obvious signs of fading in the hardware after 1-2 years.
The shape. The so-called shape refers to the unique appearance and curve shape of each style of bag. The shape of the imitation should be as good as possible, and the closer it is to the genuine product, the better. A good imitation should not only have the same shape, but also the same angle of specific parts, and the number of pinholes should be the same as the genuine product. Only when the plate, material, pattern, stitching, number of pinholes, thread strength and thickness are all consistent with the genuine product can the shape be consistent. But not all bags can achieve this, and not even all top-level replicas can. Many small factories just take the products of top-level factories back to make replicas, and it is impossible to get the genuine products from the counters, so this chaotic high-imitation market is really difficult to bring protection to consumers.
Then there is the lining. Often, low-quality imitation bags are not well made because many people have never seen a real bag, and most people only judge by appearance, rarely paying attention to the details inside. Real high-quality imitation bags are made by breaking down the genuine bag to make the plate. In addition to some materials that may be difficult to copy, the general inner compartments and shapes are copied according to the original, so the cost is also higher. The lining of a good bag is made of good lining, which looks crisp, thick and delicate to the touch. The lining and the bag are very well-matched, with no excessive wrinkles or lumps. In particular, the lining and the leather are well-matched, with the leather cut straight and smooth.
When replicas first appeared, I believe many people bought them at street stalls, thinking they were good products. You may not have seen the best high-end imitation bags, but there are always street vendors in your area who have stalls full of low-cost imitations. Even if you don’t know anything about high-end imitation products, you can tell by looking at the workmanship. In addition to knowing about high-end imitation products, there is another shortcut, which is to look at the character of the seller. Choosing a good seller is very important, and her character may be more important than anything else. Education determines quality, and quality is an important point in the realization of character.
What do you think? Buying the right bag at an affordable age is better than wanting to buy it but not being able to afford it. There is a lot of controversy about Prada. There are various quality issues with genuine products, and many insiders are silent about high-end replicas. But I think that everything speaks for itself. Experimentation is the only criterion for testing truth. There are not many brands on the market that can get the original single-brand bags. As for second- and third-tier brands, it is actually not worth the price to spend $400+ on a Coach original single-brand bag. Although the price is over 1000, if you encounter an outlet discount, you may be able to buy a genuine product for around 500 dollars. Some people just do it to make money, regardless of after-sales service. So, ask yourself, do you want a one-time transaction or continuous quality assurance?
By reading this, I believe you have a better understanding of the goods sold by the so-called agents in your circle of friends. These so-called agents have already given you goods that are three times or more, and the price has increased by an unknown number of times. So choosing a good seller is more important than anything else. It is no exaggeration to say that you can’t find the factory gate even if you have money. It is no secret that many stalls don’t know where the factory is. Those who claim to be self-produced and self-sold, basically are talking nonsense. Good equipment is very expensive and not affordable to the average person.
Finally, when you choose a fake, try not to pick a niche or perhaps a cold-shoulder model from a department store. The more classic the better, this is a rule. If you really like niche products, the Issey Miyake diamond bag and Versace Medusa are both okay. Of course, everyone has different tastes, and everyone has their own preferences. My suggestion is to buy light luxury products like Coach. If you have the means, it’s okay to buy the real thing. There are many people who make good replicas of classic Chanel-style products, and replicas are worth a try.
I’m rambling a bit, but I’ll end with a quote I like: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we love.”
