The fight against fakes!

J. LaMore continues the fight against fakes! Well, we can only support the fight as we don't carry the lines like LVMH, Prada, Gucci, D&G, Hermes' and others, but our customers do. So we do our part and report the news and breaking information whenwe get it.

This problem of counterfeiting is no longer just a nuisance. This is an epidemic and the picture shows Mayor Bloomberg of New York at a recent press conference where police raided numerous businesses on Canal Street who were selling fakes. In 2008 NYPD confiscated more than $270 million worth of counterfeit bags, luggage, watches, sunglasses and more.

These high end brands get hammered by knock offs and fakes to the tune of $250 billion (combined) every year! Ouch! No wonder they're angry. This cause has taken years to get going and nobody really got interested in fighting fakes until just a few years ago. The dollar cost for these brands to fight counterfeiting is incredible. Entire divisions of these brands have been set up and staffed to protect their work and their futures.

Ebay has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to fight counterfeiters on their site at the request of powerful big brands and a few lawsuits filed by the US Government didn't hurt the cause either. Several lawsuits filed in Europe as well has prompted Ebay to step up it's efforts. Resale shops are quickly becoming a target as they get put on watch lists by brands mostly genereated from customers who call and complain about them. All brands now have a hot line just so you can tell them where counterfeit items are being sold.

J. LaMore is here to help and below is a few things you as the consumer should be aware of.

HOW TO SPOT A FAKE

• Question the price. If it's too good to be true, it's probably not real.
• Know the dealer. A couple of years ago, Gucci discovered Wal-Mart was selling fake versions of its bags. To guarantee that your item is authentic, buy it at the brand's own boutique or at an authorized retailer, like a brand's department-store counter.
  It's all in the details. Is the stitching straight? Is it well made? Do the edges match up? Does it have polished rivets or cheap screws? Is there glue residue? If something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't.
• Look for signature marks. Since the 1980s, Vuitton bags have been stamped with a serial number and date code that are registered at Vuitton HQ. An Hermès leather bag has stamps that identify the artisan who made it and the year it was made. Find out what your brand's hallmarks are.
• Check the logo. Some counterfeiters alter the logo slightly. Classic examples are the Ralph Lauren polo player without a mallet or the Lacoste crocodile facing left (fake) rather than right (real). Know exactly what the logo is and check it.
• Beware of cross-pollinating. Counterfeiters will put any logo on any product, like a faux Prada triangle tag on a Chanel-like quilted bag. Make sure the logo'd product is really the purported brand's design.
• Know your vintage goods. "Established designer-resale stores take precautions to avoid selling counterfeits," says Cameron Silver, owner of Decades in Los Angeles. "However, there is no guarantee. An informed consumer should know the hallmarks and quality controls of an authentic item."
• Still need help? Check with the Authentics Foundation a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers avoid buying fakes.

Email me with questions if you have any!

Jim McCarthy