We all have been tempted at one time or another to buy a good fake. However, there's a lot more to think about and at risk. Here are 5 reasons it's better to buy second-hand luxury goods rather than counterfeit items.

1) While there are some good quality counterfeit products out there, most of the fake designer bags and shoes you’ll find are of poor quality - be it a faulty zipper or a slightly wobbly heel, these factors contribute to the wearability of the items you’re purchasing. Even if the product looks real, it's unlikely that it's as comfortable as the real product. Pair that with the fact that these products are made with flakey leather and substandard material, counterfeit goods usually have a life span of a few months if you’re lucky. A second-hand designer handbag, on the other hand, has the quality that luxury brands boast, without the outrageous price tag. Naturally, second-hand bags aren’t necessarily as cheap as counterfeit goods, but they’re likely to last for years more, are far more comfortable, and as is often the problem with fakes, nobody will ever accuse you of wearing one.

2) A common misconception most people have when they shy away from pre-loved goods is that the product is old and worn and thus not worth purchasing. However, the product resale industry, which has been flourishing more than ever lately, has a massive portion of its stock that is brand new - items that have been gifted that a person wishes to sell, or impulse buys that the consumer regrets buying. These products are practically untouched, but are still sold at marked down prices, and are often an absolute steal. They’re also far better than purchasing brand new items from an environmental perspective as these items that would have otherwise wasted away at the back of someone’s closet are instead put to good use by someone else, who appreciates them.

3) This leads us to another crucial factor in determining whether to purchase counterfeit items. Although most people don’t know this, Counterfeit products are often more harmful to the environment, as they are produced by suppliers who don’t follow the necessary guidelines that manufacturers are lawfully required to follow. This means that make-up items often have higher quantities of lead than are considered safe, and other products are made with harmful materials. Moreover, counterfeit items usually are produced in unsafe environments, which negatively affect the labour force, which often consists of helpless need-bound women and children. On the other hand, Luxury brands are becoming more and more environmentally friendly as awareness increases, so while their products aren’t perfect, they are injurious to a lesser degree. Moreover, by re-purchasing, fewer items are being manufactured, which inevitably reduces greenhouse gases.

4)  It may be hard to believe, but the Counterfeit industry for Luxury handbags alone is worth around $450 billion. And what’s worse is that a large portion of the profits from this industry goes towards organized crime as well as drug dealing. Most people don’t know this, assuming that the counterfeit industry is simply a grey area in terms of morality, but the entire industry is in fact, illegal. It engages in intellectual theft, child labour, human trafficking, and sweat-shop production. By buying a counterfeit product, we’re indirectly funding all these markets and allowing them to flourish. In comparison, the second-hand luxury market usually consists of small business owners or individual sellers who are looking to make a little extra money. This means that by buying these products, you’re supporting your local economy rather than bigger businesses that don’t really need your support.

5) Finally, the topic of sustainability comes into play. Producing new goods, especially products with plastic and faux leather is harmful to the environment. By shopping for pre-loved goods, we forgo the usage of more vital resources, produce less carbon emission and decrease electricity wastage. As global warming becomes a more prominent threat, and we emerge into one of the last decades where it’s still possible to combat its effects, it simply makes more sense to buy second-hand products, and help the environment as much as you possibly can!

Can you tell which bag is real and which is fake?

Written By,

Zoya Medina, Secret Stash's 'Girltern' of the Month!

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