In the spirit of honesty, let’s confess that we have all knowingly bought something fake in China (some argue that pirated movies don’t even count anymore). There are in fact malls dedicated to the trading of fake goods in China where tourists spend 20 dollars on the latest Louis Vuitton knockoff. The industry of making and selling fakes is big and sophisticated in China. There is a widely acknowledged grading system where A plus grade （超A货/chao1 A 货) claims to be almost identical to the real deal (don’t fall for the OEM trick. No LV or Gucci are made in China). Those can set you back at 200-300 dollars a piece. The stuff that you see out in the open are generally low quality fakes marketed to innocent tourists who buy for fun rather than to pose as real.
The length that fake makers go to to fabricate luxury goods is worthy of mentioning. The craftsmanship, the attention to detail down to even the paper box that holds the fake is uncompromising. Only if they could apply the energy to elsewhere…
Now, the ‘fake industry’ has even moved up a further notch. News came out this week that some local ‘official sites’ of LV, Gucci, Chanel, etc have sprung up, of course with crazy domains like gucci.168.cn But some of them are so impressive visually that many consumers fall for the trick and spend thousands of RMB on a fake bag. I did a search on both google and baidu. It didn’t actually return any local fake versions of official sites. But I did saw sites that specialise in custom-made fake bags, i.e. you want a certain model of Chanel bag and one from Hermes, they have all the leather, fabric and metal hardware to assemble one for you. Now, this is taking fake making onto a new level. Sadly, this is something China is too good at.
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July 1, 2009 7:29 am
Strangely enough, I’ve just learned about the Chinese sneaker brand Feiyue, which I hear is really great for martial arts. I was surprised to learn that there is a store in Toronto which sells them and I kinda really am interested in trying some on. I think the culture of imitation in China today is also partly a response to the low desire or cachet of local goods.
I once read somewhere that Japanese artists (photographers specifically I think), remain relatively obscure locally until they make a name for themselves in the western and european markets – and then suddenly, everyone locally is interested. I don’t know how exact it is for sure, but to draw the obvious parallel, maybe Chinese brands may be able to indirectly create local desire only first by generating foreign desire?
Off the top of my head, it’s hard to think of any Chinese brands or products that don’t try and sell themselves here by drawing on cliche stereotypical images of an Ancient, Mysterious Orient no one really cares about. It would take a lot of effort to change peoples conceptions overseas, but it certainly wouldn’t be impossible either.
July 1, 2009 8:45 am
I am waiting for the production of fake Porsches.
July 1, 2009 4:06 pm
@art,
In the meantime, you can buy some Louis Vuitton monogram leather for your car seats. (Yes, there is, fake of course.)
July 1, 2009 4:08 pm
@pketh,
Feiyue is a great success story. It’s a bit awkward, retro, commi, but cool precisely for those reasons. Now, it has in fact boomeranged back to China. Neo-hippies wear them.
July 2, 2009 9:00 am
i have never understood why people like luxury items such as Louis Vuitton and why they want to pay ch So my car seats are safe from being decorated with fake Louis Vuitton monogram leather.
July 3, 2009 6:22 am
fake Chinese iphone: http://cultofmac.com/marvel-at-the-ingenuity-of-the-chinese-iphoney-knockoffs-now-near-perfect/12286
July 4, 2009 10:57 pm
My wife is from Shanghai, and I first visited Shanghai in 1999. I bought a “Rolex” in 1999 that still works quite well, it is automatic and even has a screw-down crown. It fools most people. The fake watches that are being offered today are of lower quality, and are about the same quality as a $10 watch here in America.
While in Shanghai two weeks ago, I visited a few of the back-alley dealers who sell all of these knock offs. Its kind of creepy going to these places, one of them had a door that latched magnetically. None of these dealers were Shanghai people, all were migrants. All of the price negotiators were women who become hostile when they finally agree to a reasonable price.
Far and away the worst part of these dealers are the toadies on the streets who try and persuade you to go into these places. In Shanghai, I can’t walk down any major street without these pests swarming around. I am tall, a little less than two meters, so I stick out like a sore thumb. They all say the same thing “Hello Watch”, and push a small brochure into view. I must have heard “Hello Watch” 200 times. A few of these nut-cases even followed me for some time.
July 16, 2009 2:22 pm
The production of fake goods may not be socially acceptable, but its effects are disputable. In some cases, some brands have experienced improved sales as a consequence of the proliferation of their imitations. Consumers who willingly buy the fake product may also benefit as they pay a lower price for a good that serves the same ends. Those who certainly do not win are the consumers who buy the authentic product and those who are cheated into buying a fake thinking it is the real good. It is really hard to quantify how much fake goods affect social welfare.
As for Feiyue, I believe that phenomenon is not limited to this brand and Japanese photographers. I heard the case of a Korean football player who was discriminated against in Korea because of his mixed racial background. After he left for the US and entered the NFL, he was warmly welcomed back in Korea. Western (namely, U.S. and European) education has important advantages over local education in East Asia as well. It seems to me some East Asians highly regard being accepted and approved by westerners. I wonder if brands such as Haier, HTC, Acer, Toyota, and Hyundai improved their value in their home markets after they succeeded overseas.
July 21, 2009 4:07 pm
@omniley,
I so echo your thoughts about the vendors on streets. It must be the ‘what not to do’ in sales.
July 21, 2009 4:08 pm
@art,
My dad has a fake Chinese iphone, because he thinks the real deal is too techy.
February 12, 2010 7:25 am
hello
you said :
specialise in custom-made fake bags, i.e. you want a certain model of Chanel bag and one from Hermes, they have all the leather, fabric and metal hardware to assemble one for you
so what is this website can do this to me pls?
i been to shanghai and i couldn’t find a good place that sell a fake bag just like the original
so could u provide me with this sites ?
thanks
March 21, 2010 8:46 pm
louis vuitton handbags are the best replica i have ever bought,i got a perfect copy of a high quality fake bag… i just like it!
April 6, 2010 9:49 pm
now people that cant afford the real high prices can also show that they have prestidge