Legitimate Or Illegal? The Different Types Of Purse Parties

By Sherry Johanson

Purse parties are the hottest new trend for home-based retail. There are two general types of purse parties: legal ones and illegal ones. The illegal purse party is for selling knock-off designer bags at highly discounted prices. Designer bags which typically sell between $150 and $500 would sell as knock-offs at illegal designer purse parties between $30 and $60. There is a crackdown by federal law enforcement on these illegal activities, which are reported to have links to organized crime and terrorism.

Selling imitation designer-label handbags with fake designer labels is a crime, a trademark violation, and a federal violation, and it is considered to be trafficking in counterfeit goods-even for the woman who simply hosts an in-home designer purse party. This offense can send any guilty party to prison for up to ten years and incur fines of up to $2 million. Someone who purchases a fake designer bag at a handbag party is not committing a crime, but is highly likely to have acquired a very inferior product, even considering the very low price.

Real designer bags have labels that can't be peeled off and aren't blurred, misspelled, or altered; tell you where they are manufactured; come with guarantees; and are sold at department stores or company stores, not at home parties or on the street.

The other major kind of designer purse party is the legal one where high-end designer wannabees market their own brand name of look-alike designer-inspired purses. These are legally bought and sold as there is no fraud or trademark violation committed. Some purse-party attendees are disappointed in not being able to buy knock-offs at these legal parties. Others are concerned that they could be at an illegal purse party when they don't want to be.

A third type of purse party, also very legal and legitimate, is when the marketed bags have absolutely nothing to do with big-name designer bags. Such purse parties have some other marketable feature instead of a fashion similarity to high-end designer purses. One example of this kind of purse party is that of Miche Bags. Their purses are designed for functionality and practicality, primarily. Style is secondary to their ability to change outer shells quickly and easily so that women don't have to actually change purses to match their different outfits. The exterior cover of the purse can be exchanged in a few seconds. This purse manufacturer started marketing their purse products through in-home purse parties and has expanded to marketing in stores and online, having transformed into an international multi-million-dollar business.

At this point, you should be capable of figuring out which type of purse party you're planning on attending: (1) an illegal purse party that markets inferior-quality designer knock-offs with inflated prices (2) a legal purse party that sells reasonable-quality, designer-inspired, designer-wannabe styles manufactured by legitimate companies that charge reasonable prices; and (3) a purse party that offers something original and unique in purse design and functionality. Here's wishing you happy handbag hunting! - 30056

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