Faux Handbags And Purses

Faux Handbags And Purses

The Traits Of A Designer Handbag Collector

 Designer handbag collectors are obsessed. Some people collect stamps, coins, butterflies or other weird things but some people have a designer handbag collection. These designer handbag lovers have developed a lot of knowledge about bags and have information about all brands at their fingertips.

BUY  ITALIAN LEATHER BAGS

 Designer handbag lovers have a few things in common:

1. Designer handbag lovers find their bags to be wonderful accessories which can brighten up any outfit and add a touch of class – they are in love with bags.
2. They love their bags to be the topic of conversation and admired by friends. Others may be a little envious of their designer handbag collection so they may tell them they got it for a steal on e-bay.
3. Collectors love to have the same bag in multiple colors, leathers or sizes. For a designer handbag lover this is not ridiculous or wasteful – it is common sense to like what you like hand have a variety, and sometimes you like a big black bag. Other times, you want the same bag to be little and pink.
4. Fancy leather is one of life’s little luxuries and once they have experienced it it’s hard for them to go back to enjoying things that are merely average.
5. A collector knows that a designer handbag can last a lifetime but they require proper care and storage.  Even if you’re not super careful with your bags, you know that they should be kept in their dust-bags in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight and feed leather regularly. If you’re extra careful, stuff them with tissue to maintain their shapes when not in use. Handbag maintenance requires more attention to detail than regular clothing, for better or for worse.
6. A lover of handbags will plan a whole outfit around their new bag. This is perfectly rational.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you buy a new handbag and don’t immediately plan an outfit for its debut, you should probably return it because you don’t like it enough.
7. Collectors believe that you can actually save money on the rest of your wardrobe by having a selection of great handbags. Okay, so the maths might be a little wonky, but hear me out: carrying a nice bag automatically makes everything you’re wearing look more expensive, so who’s to say that your Zara sweatpants aren’t actually Rag & Bone? We all have a finite amount of money to spend on our wardrobes, and if nothing else, a bag is a great diversion.
8. Designer handbag lovers truly believe that people really do treat them differently. Whether they realize it or not, everyone has little cues about social status, and they do it all day, every day. Even someone who’s not obsessed with fashion can usually tell when someone’s outfit is expensive and sophisticated, and high-status people tend to get better treatment in stores, restaurants–everywhere. Because the brand of a designer handbag is easily recognizable and usually carried prominently on the body, they’re a great shortcut.
9. Designer handbag collectors are passionate, and any argument about handbags being too expensive or fashion too shallow will not change their minds or their habits.
10. The experience of buying a new designer handbag is second only to the bag itself. Whether it is perusing the handbag floor at a beautiful department store or unwrapping the bag they purchased on line it is just a lot of fun. The anticipation is so worth it.

And the best thing of all is that a designer handbag will retain its good looks, style and value for a very long time. They are timeless and never seem to date.

Will Horological Enthusiasts Like The Smart Analog Watch?

Will Horological Enthusiasts Like The Smart Analog Watch?

Is Your Handbag Healthy?

There are three things to look out for in a handbag  which can affect your health

1) Some leathers can be toxic due to the type of tanning process used  - Check why in my blog 

2) You can harbor toxic bacteria in your bag  - Check what bugs could be in your purse 

3) You bag can cause you back pain - check why here 

Will China’s E-commerce Law Changes Make Luxury Handbags More Expensive?

There have been changes to e-commerce laws in China which mean that any Chinese buying goods on line will now face import duties. But will these changes affect the cost of luxury handbags and other items bought on line. Will these products now be subject to these duties? Since 8 April, 2016, goods that are purchased and sold online through free-trade areas will be subject to new duties. The new laws are not a ‘crackdown’ but are actually closing a loophole in existing regulations. Import duties will now be applied to goods shipped through free-trade areas such as Australia and NZ.

But, the description of the new rules as “e-commerce” laws is not quite true. First of all, they are not laws, they are regulations. Furthermore, the new regulations are essentially the application of duties that were up to that time waived or reduced for goods that went through China’s free-trade areas. These new rules are meant to make China’s tax regime more consistent, and are not aimed at increasing protection for the domestic Chinese market.

Previously, some parts of China had lower duties than other parts of China and this was unsustainable. It led to business loopholes that were taken advantage of by shrewd Chinese buyers and service providers. Hence, some type of rule change was inevitable.

The upshot of these import duties will be that Chinese consumers will have to pay additional costs for goods such as luxury handbags and other items if they purchase online from free-trade partners. The most imported products bought on line in China are luxury handbags, clothes, and shoes. But also popular products sold on line in China are food, milk powder, vitamins and drugs. In fact, the Chinese market for high-end, reliable, clean food and herbal products is huge and will continue to grow as China’s middle- and upper-class consumption spending grows.

Several Chinese e-commerce or duty-free services companies are not sure about how the regulations will be applied, so they have removed products from their symbolic online shelves, until future duties to be applied are more clear.   Yet, Murray Goulburn, a major dairy co-operative, has a pointed out that the new regulations are just the latest in a series of measures aimed at regulating China’s booming e-commerce market. They don’t think the new regulations will change its overall business, and said that they had anticipated the new rules “for some time”.

In September last year, the State Council, China’s cabinet, announced that it would be more rigorously implementing the 2010 Customs and Duties Law. This announcement made many e-commerce sites in China (or e-commerce services providers who supply Chinese customers) cautious about stocking foreign products.   

Imported products will probably always be more expensive to Chinese customers than domestic alternatives, as China’s cost of production is much lower. It is thought that there will be a 10-20% increase in the price of imported goods, as suggested in the new regulations.  It is unlikely to put off Chinese shoppers from buying a guaranteed clean and reliable product. Due to a number of deaths from tainted milk powder, Chinese consumers are not likely to trust Chinese dairy products for many years. Chinese buyer think that foreign products are cleaner and greener, and the many food safety scandals in China, makes it improbable that Chinese customers will switch to domestic alternatives, no matter the price rise.

But will the added costs of buying a luxury handbag deter Chines buyers? In a previous blog “The New Chinese Middle Class See LuxuryHandbags As A Status Symbol”, 

I reported that the Chinese people have a huge desire for luxury goods and the appeal of luxury brands is very strong. And it is not just Chinese women who are passionate. Chinese men are obsessed with luxury handbags as well. Men are in hot pursuit of luxury handbags like Gucci, Hermes, Burberry, Prada, Coach, Louis Vuitton. In fact, men are said to account for 45% of China's $1.2bn luxury handbag market.  Luxury handbags are thought of as status symbols. It is estimated that more than half of the world’s brand spending will come from Chinese shoppers this year.

The majority of these luxury handbags and other goods are not bought in China, but overseas. The main reason why Chinese buy in a foreign country is the price. China has traditionally had high import tariffs and consumption taxes, as well as higher pricing strategies which can can raise the price of luxury handbags in China by 50%. According to LVMH, a French luxury conglomerate, a Louis Vuitton handbag costs 30% more in Beijing than in Paris.

So the Chinese travel overseas to purchase their dream luxury handbags. Actually, for around 80% of Chinese travellers, shopping is a central part of their travel plans. For those who cannot travel purchasing online has been their next option.

China has, in truth, topped the U.S. to become the number one e-commerce market. Its middle class purchase a wide range of products online ranging from baby formula, health foods, vitamins, milk powder, skin care products, Purina for their dogs, as well brand items such as luxury handbags. China's shoppers have grown more savvy and are now looking to buy top quality brands. And they are not worried about the 2-3 week delivery time when they buy on-line. In fact, they prefer the wait because it offers some confirmation the products are really are from overseas and are therefore genuine.

But it is this market that the Chinese taxman has been missing out on, so it is no wonder the regulators have moved in to close the loopholes. There has also been an official clampdown on corruption and extravagant gifting which has affected the import market.

Even so the new Chinese middle classes still see branded goods such as luxury handbags as a status symbol, and brand names such as Gucci and Rolex continue to be popular search terms on Chinese blogging sites. The Chinese shopping binge looks set to last, and China's Ministry of Commerce expects that China’s profitable cross-border trade to become a US $1 trillion market this year. Whether these changes to the e-commerce rules regarding import duties will affect these estimates is yet to be demonstrated.

Check out my luxury Italian Leather briefcases 

Does The “It Bag” Remain Relevant In 2016?

An “It Bag” is a vernacular term created by the fashion industry to define a brand or type of high-priced designer handbag by manufacturers such as Chanel, Hermès or Fendi that became popular best-sellers. These handbags were also known as status bags and offered women a status symbol which they saw as being very significant. The “It Bag” was perceived to be the must-have fashion accessory by celebrities and fashionistas who yearned to be seen as the stylists of the time.

The term “It Bag” gained popularity during the 1990’s and 2000’s. But, by 2008 the acceptance of the "It bag" was reported to be in decline. By May 2011, whilst acknowledging that there would always be a market for exclusive status bags, Celia Walden reported that the idea of the must-have "It Bag" was no longer fashionable.

Now, in 2016, brands must be ready and willing to diversify as a recipe for success in the current market. Brands have not given up on the desire to create an “It Bag”. They are always looking to design that one bag which will become the one that everyone is talking about, but realistically they are conscious of the fact that they can no longer put all their eggs in one basket. So does the “It Bag” remain relevant In 2016?

The history of the ‘It Bag”

One of the original designers accepted with fashioning the concept of a distinguishable "It Bag" was Giuliana Camerino who started the Venetian fashion house Roberta di Camerino in 1945.  Her handbags were distinct due to their artisan-made hardware and characteristic use of fabrics previously kept only for clothing. Her ideas had an influence on later luxury brand designs including 1) in 1946, bags patterned with a trellis of R's (predecessor of Gucci’s G's); 2) in 1957, woven leather bags (predecessor of Bottega Veneta); and 3) in 1964, she designed a handbag with a unique articulated frame (a design later used by Prada).

Long before the notion of the "It Bag" became popular, many fashion houses such as Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton had by this time fashioned handbags that became well-known in their own right. For instance, in 1935 Hermès created a top-handled leather handbag called a “sac à dépêches“, as part of their leather goods range. In 1956 this same handbag was renamed “the Kelly” when it became one of Grace Kelly’s favorite bags. In February 1955 (2/55), Coco Chanel designed her luxury quilted-leather Chanel 2.55 handbag, which was inspired by the straps found on soldiers’ bags, in order to free up her hands. In 1984, the infamous Birkin was created by Hermès who adapted another of their bags, the Haut à Courroies (originally created around 1900) to craft a bag for the actress and singer Jane Birkin. The Birkin has ever since become one of the most desirable, most extensively recognized bags ever made.

Devised in the 1990's, the term “It Bag” became prevalent with the rapid growth of the handbag market. Fashion houses strove to come up with a distinctive, recognizable flag-ship design which would become that season's must-have bag, likely to sell in large numbers. This required skillful marketing and endorsement by the fashion media. And obviously, as with “the Kelly”, one of the most sought after marketing advantages was for the bag to be seen being carried by a celebrity.

The 2000's

Since the 2000’s, fashion trends have been driven more and more by social media. An “It Bag” goes viral when pictures of celebrities carrying a particular brand are shared by fashion addicts, leading to a huge demand in the latest handbag design. But often this demand these days is short-lived and superseded when the next trend goes viral.

Designers such as Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Fendi, Hermès, Prada, Gucci, Vuitton, Chloe, Mulberry continue to be seen as creators of status bags. But the release of many of their newest designs creates a waiting list for orders, leading to impatient clients to knowingly buy fake copies. As well, must-have bags for the current season are often targeted by thieves and stolen to order, to be sold for considerably reduced prices to folks who want an “It Bag” without paying the true price for it.

In the 2000’s many inexpensive more contemporary brands moved into the market making designer handbags more affordable. But as the market for handbags becomes more crowded and competitive, some luxury brands are taking a more balanced, diversified approach to their product categories, rather than focus on an “It Bag”. They are looking at the more high-margin, low cost-per-wear status symbols that have been increasingly driving the luxury goods market for the last decade.

Despite the fact fashion accessories (which are typically made up of handbags) still accounts for almost 30 percent of the total luxury market, the handbag sector is now producing fewer and fewer “It Bag” designs. Many brands such as Valentino and Vetements, do not even have an “It Bag”.

Very few bags now earn iconic status symbol rights such as the Birkin and Chanel 2.55 did.  The lifecycle of a handbag is now shorter and brands are relying less on an “It Bag” to drive sales. Many brands are relying more on their “ready-to-wear” clothing categories as well as shoes and jewelry as revenue drivers.

Now-a-days, fashion consultant, Julie Gilhart says that there is a greater trend to build a full brand, and there is a shift in thinking away from a depending on an “It Bag”. She says “What's a best seller now may have a short life, and then what? Smart brands know to grow holistically and broad. They have to build a business through all categories.”

 An "It Bag" is an investment 

If you are fortunate enough to own an "It Bag", be thankful because it is a good investment.  They do keep their value and can even increase in price. The most expensive bag to ever sell at auction was a Birkin by Hermeswhich sold for over US $200k. It is made of bright pink (fushia) luxury crocodile skin and features an 18 karat white gold clasp and lock which is encrusted in real diamonds. The Birkin bag, which was designed in 1984 by French fashion house Hermès and named after the actress Jane Birkin, is seen as a fashion classic.

   

Designer Handbags Are Seen As A Status Symbol In China.

When I owned a café in the QVB in Sydney, it was located directly opposite the Coach store. During the Boxing Day sales there was always a line up outside the shop, similar to this image. Customers waiting eagerly to get their hands on bargain designer handbags.  I have to say that at least 80% of these potential customers were of Chinese decent. Coach is actually the 4th most popular brand of designer handbags in China in term of sales.

 Buy Coach on line

Any luxury retailer will now tell you that their most valuable customers are from China. The post 2008 years have not been the easiest for luxury brands, but China's addiction to luxury goods has made up for the slowing down of European sales. Most of the Chinese population have only just recently started making enough money to survive and to splurge on luxury items was once unheard of. However, the new Chinese middle class has grown enormously over the past couple of decades and the number of millionaires is soaring.

Buy Designer Handbags Online

The Chinese people now seek social-status signals such as branded goods, luxury items and designer handbags.  Travel abroad is high on many of the people's wish-lists, but for about 80% of Chinese travellers, shopping is a crucial part of their travel plans. They are happy to spend hours of valuable tourist time queuing for expensive bags and other luxury items. In Britain, alone, it is reported that they spend nearly £1,700 ($2,800) per person per trip which is three times the market average. And much of it is spent on retail shopping -  Chinese tourists have no problem buying Prada designer handbags by day but sleeping in two-star hotels by night.

The main reason why the Chinese prefer to buy abroad is price. China has heavy import tariffs and consumption taxes, as well as higher pricing strategies. This can increase the prices of luxury goods in China by 50%. According to LVMH, a French luxury conglomerate, a Louis Vuitton handbag costs 30% more in Beijing than in Paris.

The second major reason that the Chinese prefer European or American stores over their own is the guarantee of authenticity.   They feel more secure that they are not buying fakes. Many Chinese consumers prefer buying products from outside their home country because they're seen as less likely to be counterfeit. And they're not bothered by the two- to three-week delivery time if they buy on-line. In fact, they like the wait because it provides some confirmation the goods really are from overseas.

The Chinese also shop abroad for the “experience” and the stories they can tell afterwards.  Bragging rights are a crucial reason to buy abroad. Chinese people love to show that they have been abroad, so a “Made in Italy” is much more of a status symbol than “Made in China”. Bragging also takes the form of giving expensive luxury goods as presents. Successful men and women simply cannot return home without a sizable excess-luggage bill!

 The Chinese people have a huge demand for luxury goods and the lure of luxury brands is very strong. And it is not just Chinese women who are addicted. Chinese men also love their designer handbags and are in are in hot pursuit of top brand-name bags like Gucci, Hermes, Burberry, Prada, Coach, Louis Vuitton. In fact, men are said to account for 45% of China's $1.2 bn luxury handbag market.  They serve as status symbols, 

Buy Man Bags Online 

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China is now the world's second-biggest economy, and it’s 1.36 billion people are the biggest market for everything from cars to shoes to smartphones and especially for designer handbags. In recent years there has been a huge change in the Chinese market. China is now full of globalized shoppers who took more than 100 million trips out of the mainland last year.  

In fact, in 2013, Chinese people bought an estimated 47% of the world's luxury goods, and mainly in countries, located nearby. By some estimates, more than half of the world’s luxury spending will come from Chinese pockets this year. The Chinese taxman, however, is missing out because nearly 33% of luxury products bought by Chinese are purchased outside the country. And the silly thing is that most of these products are actually made in China.

And the boon is not just the Chinese spending so much on luxury goods abroad. They are also spending online. China has over taken the U.S. to become the number one e-commerce market. Its middle class buys a wide range of products online ranging from baby formula, health foods, vitamins, milk powder, skin care products, Purina for their dogs and as well they splurge luxury items such as designer handbags. China's consumers have gotten savvier and are now looking to buy top quality brands.

In short, the Chinese market is now a more mature market with the new middle class having a lot of disposable income at their fingertips. Of course the huge multinationals have loved the size of this market and have profited from it. 

However, China's boom years symbolized by double digit growth could not continue forever.  The Chinese economy has definitely slowed down over the past year and this has affected the luxury market to a certain degree. There has also been an official crackdown on corruption and lavish gifting which has affected the luxury market. No longer will you see plane-loads full of $800 bottles of wine.  But the new Chinese middle classes still see luxury goods as a way to show they have made it and brand names such as Dior and Rolex remain popular search terms on Chinese blogging sites. The Chinese shopping-spree looks set to continue, and China's Ministry of Commerce expects China’s lucrative cross-border trade to become a US$1 trillion market this year.

 The psychology behind why the Chinese love luxury items so much is possibly linked more to aspiration and the images of wealth, sophistication and civility that brands from fashion-houses like LVMH represent. French and Italian fashion-houses permit the Chinese customers to enter into a world of elegance and opulence, allowing them to escape from grimy city-life, smog and poverty

  

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has adopted a phrase for what's happening: the "new normal.

In some cases, of course, China's government has put a chill on foreign businesses. It built a Great Firewall that blocks most people in the mainland from accessing Facebook, Twitter and Google search, allowing local internet companies to thrive. And now local brands are making gains as their quality and marketing improves.

 The growth in online retailing into China has been a boon for countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the USA. But if you intend to export to china make sure you pass through official - "sunshine" - channels into China, rather than the murky so-called grey channels, often via Hong Kong, that are sometimes used. Supportive policies from the Chinese Government are helping stoke growth in cross border e-commerce, providing ways to avoid the dubious grey channels through Hong Kong.

When I was in Guangzhou just over a year ago, the brand stores were not flamboyantly displayed, but were found among the regular market stores The majority of stores sold cheap China made goods. When I did decide to but one of the designer handbags on sale, the merchant got out his calculator are started tapping away. He came up with a price more expensive than if I had purchased the same bag in Sydney, and no proof it was authentic.  Better to buy your designer  handbags online at www.largepurseshop.com