*Editor’s Note: As we’ve stated in previous confessionals discussing the super fake world, we do not condone the purchasing of fakes. However, we would find it counterproductive to deny the existence of high-quality counterfeits and to pretend that people don’t buy them.
In today’s installment of Closet Confessionals, we’re checking in with a previous confessor! CC 16 shared her confessional with us back in 2018, when we had just started the series. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been sharing these anonymous confessionals with you all for four years. Occasionally we hear from confessors after their submissions have been posted with follow-up information, but a confessor very rarely resubmits a confessional in its entirety.
When CC 16/155 submitted this updated confessional to us, she noted that she “decided to write an updated confessional since [her] perspective on luxury shopping has changed greatly.” At the time of her first confessional, CC 155 was looking to have a Chanel bag personalized, and below, you’ll see what she decided upon. A lot has changed in the last four years, and this vintage lover’s collecting and shopping habits have too. Read the full CC below, and don’t forget to submit your own!
[sc_cc_callout]The Basics
Age: 36
Gender Identity: Female
Location: Orange County, California
Occupation: Genetic Scientist
Industry: Healthcare
Salary: $120,000
Household Income: $120,000
The Bags
Are you a PurseForum member? Yes
How many bags do you own? Too many to count. I’m in the process of selling off most of them.
What bags are in your collection?
- Hermès Birkin 25 in Orange Swift leather
- Hermès Birkin 25 in the color ‘Biscuit’
- Dark green Chanel Crossing Times Flap
- Customized hot pink Chanel medium lambskin Flap
- Dark brown Hermès TTPF Garden Party
- Celine coral pink Trio Crossbody
- Prada mini Saffiano tote in the color ‘Cerise’
- Louis Vuitton Kirigami Wallets
- 3 Longchamp Top Handle Le Pliage
How much is your collection worth? Between $30 to $40k.
What is your most expensive bag? The biscuit Birkin 25
What are the most important brands or pieces in your collection? My Le Pliage bags are currently my ride or die bags.
What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? Does Coach count? I got the monogrammed signature shoulder bag in the early aughts when I was in college.
My first luxury designer bag was the cerise Prada mini Saffiano tote. I bought it when I was 28 years old, after receiving a huge promotion at work.
Is there a specific bag you are looking to purchase next? An authentic one? Not really (I’ll get into more details later).
Any particular bag that holds a special sentimental value? Not really. Buying luxury bags was a phase for me; I’m liking the idea of stealth wealth more as I get older.
In hindsight, spending so much on bags (especially so early in my career) was not a great idea. I want to sell them off and invest the money more wisely.
Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? Well my friends and coworkers probably think I’m materialistic and spend too much, which I won’t deny.
I don’t live in an area where people carry a lot of designer, so I don’t think the general public uses my bags to form opinions of me. There was one time though, when a doctor did a double-take when she saw my Hermès Kelly. That was thrilling.
Have your bag-carrying habits changed since Covid? Well since I couldn’t go anywhere, I didn’t use my smaller, cuter bags as much. I’m also less motivated these days to switch bags.
The Shopping
How often do you buy new bags? I was buying about 3-4 a year.
Has the Coronavirus pandemic changed your shopping habits or overall attitude towards luxury? I’m less interested in luxury, but I think that’s due to growing up, not Corona.
Which stores do you frequent the most? I mostly shop online. It’s easier to buy exactly what you want online than in store.
Do you ever buy second-hand bags? Where do you buy used? Most of my collection is secondhand. I’ve bought from Yoogi’s closet, Fashionphile, Rebag, Ann’s Fabulous Finds, and Christie’s Auction house.
Do you sell old bags to pay for new purchases? No, I sell them to recoup my losses.
Fortunately, it’s a seller’s market right now. Second-hand prices are insane. It’s easy to make some profit if one has patience.
I’ve had great success selling vintages on Etsy. The key is great customer service: be friendly, reply promptly to messages, give as many details as you can, and provide additional photos if requested.
Also, list bags way above the price you’re willing to sell them. Then give buyers a “discount”. Nobody buys anything at the listed price, and no one knows the true value of what they’re purchasing.
Do you ever feel societal pressure to purchase more bags? No, nobody in my circle really purchases designer. Marketing is tempting, but nowadays I can’t fathom spending $2000+ on a bag.
Do you consider your bag purchases investments? That’s the kind of mentality that caused me to spend so much on bags. I’ve at least broken even selling my bags, but I would’ve had much better returns if I invested in the stock market.
Who influences your buying decisions? Instagram marketing. Scary how it knows what I like.
Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? No. I find the whole idea of building a relationship with an SA just to be able to spend more money to be pretty ridiculous.
Why do you enjoy shopping, beyond just acquiring something new? The only time I used shopping as retail therapy was when I got my wisdom teeth removed.
I’d say I have a shopping addiction (which is something I probably denied in my first confessional). I get a rush regardless of how much I’m spending, whether I’m buying a designer bag or drugstore eyeliner.
Have you ever felt like you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity or gender? Definitely when I made my first purchase at a Chanel boutique. I was out of my element, and the rude SA knew it. Without my asking, she stated the price of every item I eyed.
Chanel is stuck up; LV and Gucci are friendlier.
The Money
Who pays for your bags? Me.
Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? No. I never went into debt buying bags and was able to pay my credit card off in full every month. I just didn’t save up as much as I should have.
The Taboo Topics
Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? I have 2 fakes: a gold Togo leather Birkin 25 with gold hardware and a Goyard Senat MM (which I purchased after seeing the lovely header photo in PB’s article on document pouches). I have another Birkin 25 on the way: Gris Tourterelle Togo with gold hardware.
Both Birkins are high-tier reps costing $1,700 each. I purchased them after visiting ‘that’ Reddit subforum. I connected with a ‘trusted seller’ on WhatsApp.
It is insane how much the Birkin looks like the real thing; even the bottom corners are exactly identical. The fake bag industry is dubious, but considering how well high-tier reps are made, I don’t think factory conditions are that bad?
I have no good justification for buying reps; it’s just amazing that you can get near-identical quality at a 10th of the price.
Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? I don’t have one.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to afford a bag? I had to purchase my biscuit Birkin in 2 credit card transactions because my credit limit wasn’t high enough. So I made a deposit, immediately paid off the credit card bill, then paid off the rest.
Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? Definitely. I’m trying to overcome this by not being so impulsive. After I see a product, I wait a month or so to see if I still want it. I’m always going to want to shop, but giving myself some time to think slows my spending, and waiting sometimes helps me find something better.
The Rest Of It
Any other expensive hobbies or passions? I love to cook and bake, so lots of kitchenware. I also don’t mind spending a little extra on classic, quality clothing that will last a long time.
Anything else you would like to include? Buying and selling bags will not be a good financial investment for the average person. It’s ok to make ‘fun’ purchases, but don’t be impulsive.
Never knew why people buy fakes. If you can’t afford or get it, then don’t buy it? Like I can’t afford the Himalayan but I’m not going to the distance to get a fake. Can afford it but don’t like the price, again, why buy it? Why not buy a bag in your price range or a Birkin derivative from a cheaper brand like YSL.
It just seems like you want to look like you’re part of the crowd, played the game, and look like you’re rich, but at least the people buying authentic are approaching status signaling and etc honestly.
Replicas don’t satisfy any aspect of luxury bag buying IMHO.
People who buy designer to flex – What if someone figures out it’s a fake? Inside their head they know it’s not the real thing.
People who buy for the quality/craft – Would someone like that be satisfied with a replica? Doesn’t it make more sense to go for lesser known but quality brands or handmade artisan items?
People who buy bags as symbols of achievements – Doesn’t buying a replica belittle the very thing they’re celebrating? Who wants to commemorate that big promotion or their firstborn with a fake Birkin?
“What if someone figures out it’s a fake?”
Ive told my friends that my fake birkin is fake, and they are astounded by how real it looks.
”people who buy for quality/craft”
Again, the quality of the fake is impeccable. I kind link it here, but I did a review on Reddit last July comparing my fake gold birkin to my real biscuit Birkin.
”people who buy bags as symbols of achievements”
I don’t do that generally, so it doesn’t apply to me.
yes, I detest fakes, but these people are able to maintain that cognitive dissonance to justify them.
Not to mention the factory conditions may be sweatshops.
And you don’t own any items made in sweatshops? Get off your high horse.
What a poor argument. So if everything I own is not absolutely 100% ethically made Im not allowed to call out sweatshop manufacturing?
especially when it’s literally impossible to buy everything 100% ethically made in such a globalized and capitalistic society?
what I am doing is doing my BEST to be an ethical consumer, which is includes not buying fakes
Stop thinking in absolutes XuXu, it’s not becoming
I really dont care about this issue either way, but aren’t you the person thinking in absolutist terms? saying that buying a fake is unequivocally wrong, and that it’s 100% better to buy authentic or not at all?
And I do my best to be an ethical consumer by buying less things in general, whether they are rep items or anything else. Because sweatshops are involved in the production of literally every item, so we can mitigate our support for those practices by buying less.
You can also mitigate your support of these practices by not buying fakes at all 🙃
(and opting for brands that engage in transparent and ethical manufacturing processes)
but ok
You do you, and I’ll do me
Then don’t bother reply to my comment if you and I both know we agree to disagree 🙃
Ah ok, you’re one of those people who has to have the last word. Go ahead and reply to this comment if it’ll make you feel better.
I’m not that person, but I don’t know why you’re being so pugnacious all of the sudden but it really seems sad you need to confront other people for their justified opinions against counterfeits in a forum with a lot of people against counterfeits.
And I don’t even care if whether or not a person’s stuff is fake or real or whatever.
I know, not my best moment. Their last comment was petty, so I was being petty right back.
I infer what she means by saying “the factory conditions may be sweatshops” is that she does not knowingly buy anything that “may be made in sweatshops”. In the case of handbags, many of these fakes have a high probability of being made in sweatshops, than not. She makes a valid argument.
I know. It’s so tragic that people buying reps can steal this status level that doesn’t belong to them. How dare someone infringe on the exclusivity of luxury goods by buying reps. They steal my status. So tragic. So so tragic. My heart is shattered.
“It’s so tragic that people buying reps can steal this status level”
I wish somebody had the self awareness to say that here earnestly.
the steal your status? that’s a tragic thing to say….
I. Honestly don’t think you got my sarcasm? If so, my comment is intended to be very sarcastic. Like, very. Terribly, in fact. I thought I’d made that clear enough. 😅
This is blatant sarcasm, but this is clearly not what I meant,. Perhaps do some introspection instead of going to various purse blog posts purposely maligning and misconstruing the comments of people
thats obviously what ppl mean and probably the reason why ppl get upset over fakes.
It’s not, more like they support creative/intellectual property and ethical behavior. Just like how the CC author told people to not make blanket statements about rep buyers, don’t make blanket statements about people against reps.
You did say, “buy a bag in your price range” though. And that only rich people who buy authentic are actually *honestly* signaling their wealth to the outside wolrd, implying that people that buy replicas are dishonestly stealing that perception of “I have the money to buy this” for themselves. Which part of my comment that you consider people wearing reps as stealing social status by touting rep luxury goods without having paid the authentic price tag do you take offense at, precisely? How did I malign your statements? Do correct me.
I mean, I get it. It’s probably infuriating having paid 20k or more for an Hermès bag after carefully cultivating a real relationship with your SA, spending tons on twillies, clic clacs and tea cups, and then finally being offered one, all just to see that there’s people that take the easy route and simply pay 1k on the black market while freely choosing their leather and colour and hardware, to get a perfect replica that looks just like yours, from the slant of the saddle stitching to the pearling.
You.Are.Amazing.
Honestly whether or not you’re the same Anon from the Chanel thread, you have a problem with being antagonistic to a simple antagonistic comment. It’s sad.
not “antagonistic comment”, “innocuous comment” 🤦🏾♀️
“You did say, “buy a bag in your price range” though. ” which is literally sound financial advice that’s repeated ad nauseam for any person buying a bag. There is nothing wrong buying a bag from Hermes, nor Goodwill, (I have done both) why you seem to have a problem with that statement reflects more on you than me.
How does one STEAL social status? I never used the word STEAL. It’s clear people who are buying fakes seek intend others to believe that they are someone who ARE able to purchase the real thing, and lots of it. There’s a notion here is that they supposedly think authentic buyers are foolish for paying too much for these items (I.E YOU per your second paragraph), but they also really want strangers to believe that you’re one of “those” people. So yes, they are engaging in STATUS SIGNALING DISHONESTLY. Because they’re using counterfeit goods.
Like Yolanda said above, if you genuinely cared about the bag’s design and craftsmanship, there are any number of mass market, custom indie designers, and talented craftspeople that can deliver on the the qualities you want, significantly more affordable than Hermes, much better superfake manufacturers, and much more ethical to boot as you’re not stealing designs nor engaging in possibility unscrupulous manufacturing processes.
I’m not infuriated. But I’m not understanding why you think the Hermes game is stupid, but you are okay with you yourself wanting people to think you’re a top player in the game.
You and diffanon must be the same people or split personalities since you both have a consistent pattern of purposely misinterpreting and misconstruing comments. This is middle school literary comprehension, again, do some introspection.
Definitely two different people I can assure you – though perhaps read your comment before posting to see if it comes across as “better than thou” some people including me (Diffanon) find this grating. Whatever your standpoint on fakes (personally I wouldn’t buy them) but I don’t feel qualified to pass broad ranging judgements regarding why other people do. I remember a girl from college owning a rip off LV Murakami inspired pochette and genuinely didn’t know it was LV, she just liked the pink. Anyway I digress…the fact that you were so quick to throw accusations and then also to say maybe it’s a split personality is ridiculous and the blatant throwing around of mental health terms but sensitivity over snowflake is also hypocritical.
The CC author was more than willing to pass judgement on buying authentic as does Anon. As did the other Anon in their two-paragraph response. I find it so interesting how you find a persons largely general condemnation of fakes to be holier than thou, yet take no issue with others, perhaps they are more receptive to fakes. I find THAT hypocritical. I had no sensitivity over being called a snowflake (I don’t care) unlike how I had hoped many people wouldn’t be sensitive over being criticized by buying fakes 🙃
And I also see the CC author has now become combative over the largely negative response to her post. So I hope people who want to feel welcomed when engaging in the practice of buying/wearing fakes go to THOSE forums that discuss fakes because it’s clear PF doesn’t support fakes despite this tonedeaf CC.
Not sure where you got the idea that I judge those buying auths. If anything, people have been making untrue assumptions about me: that I laugh at those that spend money on auths, or that I sell fakes as real. What will everyone say about me next? That I sell drugs to little kids?
Really? Selling drugs to kids? You’re being critiqued for buying fakes, stop victimizing yourself. It’s disgusting.
Just seeing what else will people will make up about me
I think you can do better than this poor slippery slope defense. You chose to give your experience a platform, yet get mad when people respond with their own (no matter how illogical you perceive them) opinions to your experiences.
It’s the internet.
I was responding to your assumption I was the original commenter rather than your general comments. Moral issues aside, I don’t necessarily agree regarding your thoughts that people buy fake stuff because they want to look rich, for some it may be true for others maybe they like the general look etc
My comment was clearly speaking in regards to the context of the post which the author admitted to “look like you’re part of the crowd” as the reason. So I don’t know why you’re bringing other factors in to this.
If you are suggesting this is the anon from the Chanel thread it’s not – there can be more than one anonymous poster fyi
Mind: blown.
This is the first time I ever commented on a Purse Blog anything, but everything’s a conspiracy if you want it to be, I guess.
Beware of my mean, mean sarcastic comments all over this site apparently. 🤣🤣
Mine too! Lots of snowflakes who clearly can’t converse without trying to manipulate the narrative or accusing you of being unhinged, sick, toxic, whatever – mind blowing indeed!
Yes, I’m the snowflake for replying to a comment overreaction and intent is l misinterpretation to my condemnation of fakes. Both of you need to get a grip.
Don’t sweat it. You know, I’m always happy when people throw out ‘snowflake’ as an insult, because then you know immediately that they’re not worth your time.
Snowflake in my understanding is someone who is overly sensitive which by prior comment it seemed this poster was. I personally find people who can’t take a different view without resorting to accusations to be “not worth my time.”
lmao they were sensitive but not the various comments of people getting aggy over people not blindly condoning fakes through comments of “LET HER BE LET HER BE!!!1” or the sarcastic on from the Anon? Please, seems like you and many others can’t handle the difference in opinion
Maybe people could try CURIOSITY rather than judgement – why is someone compelled to buy a Hermes fake for the price of a real Chloe?!? While I’m human and I fall into my own judgements, I also try very very hard to have an open mind. Liking luxury purses does not have to make you a snob who judges others. I assure you I can handle a difference of opinion.
Unethical and illegal behavior is not something as trivial as difference in opinion like ice cream flavors. Hate speech is a difference in opinion for you too huh since you love to use dogwhistles.
lol okaaay
Snowflake is also a dogwhistle that’s co-oped by conservative/alt-right groups, so I’d be careful and choose a less politically-charged word. Just saying
Sure my bad, I don’t identify per above.
Ugh, typing on a phone is hard, what I meant was “overreacting and intentionally misinterpreting my condemnation of fakes”
“It just seems like you want to look like you’re part of the crowd”
Yes
This post is disturbing. I am not sure if permitting this post is akin to giving your approval for super fakes to be bought and sold with no respect for copyright and cheating innocent people who ” don’t know the true value of what they are purchasing”. I was repulsed by this confession, not because I agree with the dubious sales practices of luxury fashion houses but only because of the callous attitude of the writer towards their behavior
Thank you!! Seriously, just because purseblog themselves don’t condone buying/selling fakes doesn’t mean giving a platform to a person who buys fakes is any better, if anything purseblog is galvanizing a crowd of people to possibly check out/buy these fakes.
Gross.
Pretty sure more people are checking out fakes after reading the Cut article
So what? That’s them. that doesn’t mean this confession isn’t doing that either.
Hear that, everyone? Write a confessional, but don’t include things that Genny doesn’t want to hear.
The more you post, the more you lack credibility due to your continued defensiveness.
lmao, imagine knowing well the negative response a post including fakes will incur and getting salty when people voice their thoughts at the bad logic and arguments.
Not getting salty at all. Nothing wrong with having a problem with fakes, but don’t advocate silencing those that want to share real, actual experiences.
LOL no one is silencing your freeze peach Norma Rae
This is purseblog, which has been against fakes despite this questionable CC. No one is silencing your
experiences. You’re more than welcome to bring your experiences to another platform with no issue.
There are various platforms (Reddit) that will welcome your experiences of buying fakes.
PB literally asks confessors if they’ve purchased a fake, and I elaborated.
I don’t think the question directly implied including advocacy of fakes. But you do you. I’m not sure why you needed to reply to my comment in the first place.
Just because I shared my experience buying fakes, doesn’t mean I encourage others to do the same.
You’re not directly encouraging, but the words you are using such as the ease of buying, the “craftsmanship”, the “price”, makes for something encouraging to at the very least check out fakes. EG. “Cheap at “EXACT” SAME quality?!”
I mean, an advertiser can also say they aren’t encouraging people to buy an iPhone because they never directly said anything in the ad, but the features presented makes it something someone will check out or keep their mind on to buy later.
I don’t know why you can own up to your reasons of buying a fake, yet can’t own up to your rhetoric of talking about how amazing your fakes are.
I don’t know how you have the patience and bandwidth for this person, especially they made the effort to pivot your points and change topics to make it like they’re in the right.
you voicing the dislike of this post by purseblog and how it can influence people to buy fakes -> 16/155 makes an unrelated comment about how that Cut article influencing people about fakes as purseblog has no readers or influence either??
You saying the Cut influencing readers to check out fakes doesn’t mean 16/155’s post won’t either -> she gets mad and bitter and makes a rude, unrelated comment about how no one should make CC’s with your approval
You call her out being salty for people being against fakes -> she deliberately misinterprets your comment as if it’s in favor of “silencing” her as if her “free speech” is in jeopardy
you tell her to take her pro-fake narrative elsewhere -> she deliberately misinterprets your comment again saying the question asked about fakes
It’s actually disgusting how she continues to do this. Reeks of gaslighting
If anything, my confessional is serving as a warning to those thinking of purchasing second hand. The quality of super fakes is near identical to auths; even reputable resellers might be duped one day.
16/155 – If your confessional is a warning to second hand buyers then why did you object when others stated that rep-buyers might try to sell their fakes as the real thing? It’s believable that some rep-buyers do that.
When did I object to that? I just stated that I and other honest buyers would never do such a thing. It can still happen, of course.
“ Demonizing rep buyers like that is silly.”
“ Unfortunately for you, you have no idea what online sellers choose to spend their money on.”
“ But how do you know which sellers purchase fake bags? Or do you mean that you only buy from boutiques? Or purchase from resellers you personally know?”
These are all your comments that I was referring to.
“Demonizing rep buyers like that is silly.”
I meant that we shouldn’t make blanket statements about rep buyers. A lot of them are buying bags for personal use and agree that it is highly dishonest to sell reps as auths. Unfortunately, you’ll have some awful people who will purchase reps and try to sell them as auths.
I didn’t think I’d have to spell all that out for everyone, but I guess I do.
“Unfortunately for you, you have no idea what online sellers choose to spend their money on.”
The commenter I was responding to said they wouldn’t trust sellers who buy fakes. I thought they were talking about me: someone who sells auths, but purchases fakes for PERSONAL use. So I asked them how they would know what the spending habits of resellers are? They’d either have to know the seller personally, or purchase from companies, such as Fashionphile.
If a considerable number of people are highly dishonest and sell fakes as authentic then you’re going to get people who make these blanket statements, hence why Authentication Services have been launched in almost all major secondhand sites, because of this very prevalent issue.
In which case you should concern yourself with those dishonest sellers rather than careful buyers who are making legitimate concerns and points.
And… I’m telling people why blanket statements would be incorrect in this situation?
and authentication services should be provided regardless of how prevalent reps are… even if the amount of reps a secondhand company receives is 0.01%. It simply makes sense when your dealing with expensive items.
Where did I say authentication services would be unnecessary if the amount of fakes a company receives is less than 0.01%?
that’s a WHOLE NEW sentence.
Ok 😉. i believe you ‘believe’ bragging about the quality of your fakes will allow people to jump to that conclusion you allege.
Lol but what incentive do you think I have to lead people to the “dark side”?
It’s not like I’m giving the rep buying process a glowing review either. I stated that, as good as my rep is, the factory conditions are still dubious. There’s also a chance the rep can be seized by customs.
im not alleging you have any incentive. I’m saying your zealous sentiments towards fakes doesn’t align with the website’s ethos (despite their tone-deafness towards allowing this post to be published) and disgusting as it has the ability to galvanize people into these unethical and illegal acts. I don’t care what you intended with post.
I don’t know how or why in this protracted comment thread you continuously misconstrue my comments as if you have any footing.
That’s something to take up with PB, then. It would make most people here happy if PB did away with the question regarding fakes, but that’s wishful thinking. These type of sites rely heavily on traffic; more traffic leads to more advertisers which leads to more money. And controversial posts like this one create loads of traffic; this CC alone probably generated 2 months worth.
It would have been better if everyone just contacted PB privately and expressed displeasure rather than setting the comments section ablaze.
Maybe better to your delicate sensibilities. But voicing their opinions publicly as well like some comments provide a counterpoint against your largely positive perception towards fakes
barely anyone here was setting the comment section “ablaze” until you argued with everyone btw