The rise of the designer handbag began in the early 14th century as a small leather pouch used to carry coins. It was usually a small bag created by cutting out a circular piece of cloth, sewing a thin leather strap around its circumference and pulling on the strap to create a drawstring. The pouches were quite small, holding only a few coins and were worn tied around the waist.
Today, designer houses such as Gucci, Coach, Kate Spade, Prada and Dior are an integral part of the designer handbag fashion world. While historically handbags were utilitarian, In the world of high fashion, a handbag’s real value and purpose is the fashion statement that it makes.
The Cost of a Designer Handbag Original
Designer handbags are big business in the fashion industry, Hollywood and in the world of wealth and privilege. These designer handbags bags often cost much more than an average American car and are clearly out of reach for the general population. But for the chosen few who can afford such luxuries, a designer purse is a status symbol. In the highly competitive fashion world, wealthy women will place their name on a waiting list for a designer handbag that costs thousands of dollars and anxiously await the day that their bag is available.
The Cost of a Replica Designer Handbag
There is hope for those who cannot afford the prices of the designer house handbag. A huge counterfeit industry exists in the creation of knock-off or replica designer bags. These handbags are sold for much less and are readily available to the general public. The replica designer handbag market is so lucrative that the demand for the knock-off is often higher than the comparative market for the designer bag. Sometimes, the replica designer handbag so closely resembles the original that it requires an expert to tell the difference.
This illegal plagiarism costs the American government well over $200 billion revenue annually because these illegal sellers don’t pay taxes. Additionally, many times the profits gained from this scam are diverted toward terrorist activities and/or providing support for other nefarious operations.
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