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Recent studies have revealed a rather quirky fact about online designer handbags sales. Replicas may soon outsell authentic designer handbags online. Replicas of designs like Chanel and Marc Jacobs handbags are currently outselling the originals online. Though no one would argue that genuine bags and replica ones appeal to the same market the question is raised as to whether or not replica Marc Jacobs or Chanel handbags sales hinder the sale of authentic ones.
Does someone who purchases a replica Louis Vuitton wallet do so rather than purchase a real one? And perhaps a more apt question is, does the fact that the replica is out there undermine the allure of the original?
Arguments for either side seem reasonable, it seems only to depend where one stands, or what one can afford, and what one's willing to pay for a handbag or wallet. Obviously the majority will say, we can not afford the originals, allow us the replicas. While those who can afford a real one are often begrudged by the sudden appearance of what they see as precious items in the hands of just anyone. While it seems hardly likely that someone who can afford a Louis Vuitton item will refuse themselves that pleasure simply because a women down the street owns a replica Louis Vuitton wallet, the debate will likely go on indefinitely.
What the situation seems to reveal is that high end luxury items that once appealed only to a select few who could afford it have trickled down into the broader society and peeked the interest of the mainstream. Many consider this phenomenon to be a result of Louis Vuitton's uncanny popularity. The demand for a replica Louis Vuitton wallet is comparable to that of a Tommy Hilfiger or Gap shirt in the sense that the appeal goes beyond class boundaries in a way that traditionally things like Chanel or Marc Jacobs handbags never did.
The news comes at a time when luxury fashion is at an all time height of popularity. This makes the outstanding popularity of replicas even more remarkable. It seems the unparalleled prominence of names like Louis Vuitton in the public forum have had an equally positive effect for replica vendors as for the fashion house itself. A replica Louis Vuitton wallet is currently likely to sell as many, or more copies online than the original that it replicates. And further, Chanel handbags are certainly not going to go out of favor any time soon, nor will Chanel go out of business.