Or instead of buying/carrying a fake, ease into carrying the real thing by buying a good used bag. This ebay seller looks like she specializes in selling "gently used" name bags and they're good entry-level prices. http://stores.ebay.com/Judith-Adler-Vintage-Design Then, once you've carried the real thing, you too will be addicted (and let me apologize in advance to your bank account ;)).

My way to tell if it's a fake is if you're taking your Access card out of it and buying Cheetos and a Slim Jim.

I'm not a big bag fanatic at all, because I like shoulder bags and they seem to be getting fewer and farther between.

LOL @ the Cheetos and Slim Jim. And I'm not a big bag fan either, I only have a few shoulder bags and a wristlet, and I refuse to carry anything that has a logo pattern on it of any kind.

um...the most expensive purse I own is my $68 Vera Bradley Villager....and I asked for it as a Christmas present because of the price. I could NEVER justify an excuse for a $300 purse... Anything else, I'd rather buy for $20something at Target or whatever.

I bougt a fake kate spade in cozumel one time. I didnt even like it that much. it was too small and wouldnt hold all my crap in it. So I eventually handed it over to goodwill when I did spring cleaning.

$300 is a lot for some people, but I try to not pay full price. I tend to search for the deals at outlets or sample sales. I'd rather pay more $$ for a bag that will last and is a classic then spend $20 on a target bag that will fall apart!

Yep, that's the only place I buy mine and they are less than $200.....

See, and I understand that logic, but it's not for me. I get BORED with any bag that I have within a couple months and want a different one. It makes more sense for me to get a $30 or $40 bag (not usually Target, usually more like Kohl's) and get a new one every season. My dad bought me a wonderful handbag when he was traveling in Korea on business. It's eel skin with lambskin lining. It's unbelievably durable and a classic style. I carried it for a while, then really wanted something different. I keep it and bring it out every 3rd winter or so to use it again..lol. Then it goes back in storage for a few more years. I don't really care if mine fall apart quickly because I don't want them for long. (that's the same reason that I can't imagine getting a tattoo... I like change!)

This is what I was going to reply with - I need an excuse to buy a new bag because I'll get bored with the one I have and want something different. If I spent that much money on a purse, I would force myself to use it for a really long time to get the money's worth out of it....and then I'd be mad that I was "stuck" with that bag when i really wanted something new.

To each her own! Occasionally I'll want a fun little purse that I see at Target that I can throw away if it gets screwed up at a ball game, but mostly, I like to carry a nice purse. I will switch between my coach purses for different seasons...dark brown or black for winter; pastel stripe for spring; tan leather or signature fabric for summer. They last forever (except the fabric ones which I already said I wouldn't buy again!:) ) and never go out of style. When I was a poor student, I got a new Dooney every year for Christmas. We could always find a nice marked down purse at Dillards. I never paid more than $150 and used them for YEARS. Now, I could care less how much they cost....they're less than Louis Vuitton.

^^ that's my thing, if you can use a bag for YEARS, it's so worth the price!

you know, i decided to convert all my super-huge bags COMPLETELY into diaper bags when i pulled my wallet out at a store...

...and there was a pair of Dora undies hung up on it.

:D i can laugh now at it. but at the time it was soooo embarassing! now, most of my stuff is in an XOXO wallet with a strap and thats all i carry!

I have some expensive bags (Dolce and Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, and a Louis I won't carry because of all of the fakes). I also have some Coach, which I don't really like, DKNY, Cynthia Rowley, etc. These bags are classics and I can use year after year.

I also have bags from Target. There is a reason for the Target bags... for something trendy. But, Target does not use counterfeit material. And the government is not seizing the bags and burning them because of the knock off.

I'll say it again. I HATE FAKES!

I'm pretty much the same way. I have 3 Coach bags that I carry around to death and I would never give them up. They're always my go-to bags, even with some less expensive alternatives hanging in my closet. I find myself picking them up, time and time again and I'm not bored yet! IMO, I think it is worth it to pay a bit more for something that is classic and will last for years than to keep spending 30-40 bucks every season with faulty zippers and loose threads. I can't bring myself to buy knock-off!

My Furla's going to be buried with me - and it's not even that well-known. So soft.

I'm glad that this thread has started because there are now Goachs in my house!!!! :( :mad:

It all started over the weekend, when my mom's secretary said she brought back some Coach purses from NY and she had some for my cousin. When I arrived home from work last night, three purses were in the living room. The first thing that gave it away was that they were not in the brown bags that you get when you buy your bag. They were in some white mesh bag.

Upon further examination (after I woke up this morning), I determined that the bags are true Goachs. The locks has Coach on it, the store tags were wrong (they had some Chinese writing on it) and the decal tags were all wrong. Then my mother tells me that none of the bags are mine, but asks me would I like to have one. I said "um, sure" just to be polite. I don't have the heart to tell here that they are just as fake as a Christmas tree in a box, but I don't want to be rude and ungrateful either. What am I to do? :confused: :(