We Will Be Gone Oct 12 - Nov 30

Off and Away on an big adventure!!
Bonanzle Booths are on RESERVE and Ebay is without listings ...
but we shall return!!

Please keep us and our bargains in mind and come back after November 30.

In the meantime, have a safe and fun-filled Halloween and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Andrea Harold Divine Handbags & Accessories

Bonanza today - 40% OFF on Select Items!

At AndreaBags09 's booth on Bonanzle Web Site. http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/AndreaBags09

Runs from 3pm EDT for 1 hour - Sunday - June 7th. Hurry and check it out!

Not So Fabulous Fakes

Note the flaws in these fake handbags:

Outside looks good. Inside is plastic. Straps came off (after two uses) and were put back on - crisscrossed! Also brown purse is as stiff as a board and very hard to get into and out of. All plastic construction.

On this white print handbag, see how the handles have separated, literally hanging on by a thread. Plastic interior, stitching that is sloppy inside and out. Also vinyl exterior, no leather trim.

One of my last posts gave a little info regarding fake (replica) handbags and the penalties associated with selling this contraband merchandise. This post will describe with words and photos, common flaws in these products and why they are not such great "bargains" after all. And, yes, in the past, I have fallen to temptation and purchased a couple of these products!

Many replica purses and "higher end" fakes are a better quality than they once were. So telling a real from a fake can be difficult. Usually, the first clue is the price. You are NOT going to get a genuine Louis Vuitton for $30 or even $100 unless it is on fire. Be realistic.

Keep in mind fake purses from street vendors can look and feel like plastic toys, even across a room. (See brown bag above) Examine the zippers, handles, and lining. Are they sturdy? The interior lining should NOT be plastic. It should be a good quality cloth, probably a signature print.

Real leather is usually soft and bendable, with a distinctive odor.

The stitching should be even and tight - watch for sloppy topstitching and missing stitches, inside and out. Look over pockets or corners inside of the bag carefully.

Real designer purses are more expensive in part because of their extremely detailed construction, which just can't be matched in the mass-produced counterfeits. Often the "real thing" has handmade details, such as logos, buckles, or indeed, the entire handbag.

Take a look at the label too. On a genuine designer handbag, it will usually be carefully sewn in to a purse's interior. And, check the spelling! "Luis Vitoun" is NOT the big name brand.

Look at the packaging as well. From a street vendor, you will probably get a plain plastic bag to carry your treasure home. The "real thing" will proudly come in a good box with the name on it, and with a well made dust bag for storage.

Finally, most genuine products usually come with a booklet that describes the quality of your handbag's detail - if this is absent, it's one last good sign it's a forgery.

If you choose to carry a fake, just wave your arms around a lot so people can't look at it closely, or hang out in really dark places. Also don't be surprised if you have to carry it home with broken straps and stuck zippers.

For more info: http://video.about.com/accessories/How-to-Spot-a-Fake-Handbag.htm

Andrea Harold Handbags takes care to sell only the genuine product - new or used.

Twitter

Yes, I tweet now!!

Follow me as
MsAndreaBags
for new listings on both Ebay and Bonanzle,
and for blog updates.

Counterfeit Designer Merchandise

We Buy Cheap - Our Local Retailers Lose - and Who Gets the Money????

We all love the sleek and expensive look of designer handbags, clothing, wallets, sunglasses, jewelry. Somehow the lines seem sleeker, the colors and patterns more sophisticated, and of course, there's the glamour value : everyone will know how expensive they are. ... Or not.

Knock-offs or designs of famous makers made to sell for much less, have been part of the fashion industry for years. Commonplace, in fact. Most of us own a couple of "replica" handbags, wallets, or jeans with the logo of a famous designer. They're fun and we feel glamorous. And they're everywhere! From the bridges of Italy, to the street carts of New York, to the flea markets in many small towns, and at kiosks in some major malls. So easy to get - and what's the harm? We spend a lot less and can flout a bit of style.

What many of us fail to realize is that the selling of this merchandise is a crime, a felony. And much of this money is going to organized crime here and overseas. From the Customs and Border Protection bureau: In many cases, international organized crime groups use the profits from the sale of counterfeit goods to bankroll other criminal activities, such as the trafficking in illegal drugs, weapons, and other contraband.

• This April, 2009, in South Carolina, several persons were charged with trafficking in these counterfeit goods. The merchandise was confiscated and the sellers involved face stiff fines and prison time. The counterfeit merchandise included handbags, wallets, jewelry, sunglasses, watches and clothing from such popular brands as Chanel, Coach, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabanna, Dooney & Bourke, Ed Hardy, Hello Kitty, Louis Vuitton and Prada.

“Passing counterfeit merchandise is a serious offense which disrupts the integrity of our local economy,” Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper said. “Our office is committed to arresting and prosecuting counterfeiting offenses.”



When we buy these items, we fail to realize that the sale of counterfeit merchandise is not a victimless crime. It hurts manufacturers, retailers, and the economy. It encourages the exploitation of cheap labor. On a personal level, we are getting shoddy merchandise that often comes apart with little use and safety standards are not always followed.

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced recently that fiscal year 2008 seizures totaled more than $272.7 million in counterfeit and pirated goods, a 38 percent increase in domestic value over FY 2007.
  
• From the DenverPost on line, May 19, 2009: Tuesday's noontime raid by federal agents seized more than 1,600 counterfeit items at seven kiosks near the 16th Street Mall (in Denver, CO), officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced today. Again, some of our favorite labels were included : Coach, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Burberry and Kate Spade.

"In recent years, the proliferation of counterfeit goods has increased at an alarming rate," said Jeffrey Copp, the special agent who leads Denver's ICE office. "America's counterfeiting laws are about protecting the rights of those who play by the rules. It's about keeping subpar and unsafe merchandise off our streets, and it's about trying to keep billions of dollars of illicit funds out of the hands of organized criminal groups here and abroad."

More and more sellers of counterfeit merchandise are being targeted as they spread their venues to include malls, home party sales, and on-line sites.

This being said, good values can often be found legally at outlet stores operated by the brands involved, in seasonal department store sales, and gently used items found in consignment shops, garage sales and on-line.

Andrea Harold Handbags monitors its purchases carefully to sell only genuine articles and to respect trademarks.

Vacation in Middle Earth - the Cotswolds

Even a rainy day can't spoil the utter charm of a Cotswold (England) cottage-style home.

My husband is on a quest for Middle Earth since seeing the Hobbit triology come to life in the spectacular movies based on these charming little folk from the books by J.R. Tolkein. The first book, really a prelude to the more famous triology, 'Lord of the Rings,' is called 'The Hobbit' and describes the physical home town of these charming small people. The reality of the Cotswolds neatly brings to life the Hobbit's imaginary world.

Wandering through the Cotswold area of England, through such towns as Stratford Upon Avon, Stow on the Wold, Chipping Campden, Bibury, Lower Slaughter, Upper Slaughter, Broadway, and over a dozen more, it is easy to imagine small Hobbit wagons being drawn along cobbled streets, produce being sold in stone market places, and the Hobbits themselves at home in such cozy homes as the one above.

Built of honey colored limestone and complete with thatched roofs, carved shrubbery, and manicured lawns, small or large, these homes are noted for being typically English where time stopped 300 years ago. The area itself is well known for gentle hillsides (‘wolds’), outstanding countryside with river valleys, water meadows and beech woods, sleepy ancient limestone villages, and historic market towns. A place to be enjoyed slowly, wandered through, and talked over with pints of local brews in the quaint pubs.

A vacation to the Cotswolds is like taking a trip into a favorite book and walking through its pages.

A vacation to the Cotswolds brings one to a place where the dreamy past is still enjoyed today.

If you care to go, check out this link for more info and photos: http://www.cotswolds.info/

We had a great time!

And please note, that our Andrea Harold Bonanzle site is ready and waiting for you; our Ebay site will be within the week.

My New Vision of Our Social Future

Gatherings are not the same anymore - since cell phones. Whether you're getting together with family, friends, business associates, or in a travel venue such as an airport, you are no longer "with" your immediate group only. They no longer have your full attention - as you don't have theirs. In the middle of a conversation, ringtones go off - be it Fur Elise - a saucy Marimba - clanging Bells - chirping Crickets - meowing Cats or barking Dogs, and the outside world enters your get-together.

And now, we've added more "essentials" to keep us amused while we are with others - the laptop computer, IPhones and MP3 players. A friend of mine loves to play on-line poker. She purchased a laptop just so she could visit her friend (who is also a poker fiend) and play poker "with" her and other friends. The "playing with" in this case is defined as a group of people sitting in the same room - each with their own laptop - and all playing poker on these laptops - all on-line!! Sometimes they are involved in the same game - with many other people - and sometimes in different games. Remembering how a good game of cards was a fun and very interactive means of entertainment with other folks, this is a whole new concept to me.

And IPhones (and others of their ilk) are another way to amuse yourself while you are with other people - who apparently are not amusing enough anymore! I have been with friends and family who, while talking to me, are paying their bills on line, downloading new "apps," experimenting with ringtones and reading and sending e-mails.

Is this taking multi-tasking a little too far?? - Or do I just have to get use to this new way of "socializing" ?? In either case, I have to admit I too am part of the new wave. Having just gotten an IPhone, I find I am consumed with learning all its talents, scrolling through ITunes and playing games - all in my own little world with my family in the other room.

I think it's catching.

It's About Time I Got Back Here!

Waiting for Spring in Florida

Bit by bit, since the end of February, we have seen Spring sneak into Florida. First there seems to be a day or so a little warmer than we've been having, and we don't need that jacket or sweater to go outside. Then it cools down again. The next thing we know is that it seems like a good idea to put the A/C on for a little bit. Then we're cold. Now after several days of 80 degree temps, wearing shorts, opening windows and running some A/C at the hottest part of the day, we are getting a cool down to 65 degrees or so - in April! Very unusual for us. However, I will take this skittish weather over snow in Minnesota - AGAIN - in April! I think we have the best of it.

While waiting for spring, we have been busy here at Andrea Harold trying to find some new ideas and accessories. We have a number of very pretty, Made in Italy scarves. They are soft as silk poly (easy to care for!) - in wonderful colors and designs. Also available are Market Bags of 100% recycled cotton - the bags are new; they are made from recycled cotton. So we are keeping in touch with our concerns of "going green" and helping the ecology whenever we can.

We are maintaining our stock of various handbags, purses and totes. There are frogs to be had; Kate Landry fine leather handbags and the Sak stylish purses (try Bonanzle-AndreaBags09's booth) for these.

We hope you are enjoying Spring as she makes her subtle appearance in your neck of the woods - forsythia, lily of the valley, dogwoods, and many other beautiful foliage should be coming your way soon. Get out and enjoy!