“If I can’t afford a designer handbag, I won’t buy it. I wouldn’t even buy a copy. We buy expensive handbags because they last longer than fakes. My mom has a Chanel handbag that she bought in the 1970s and it’s still in good shape,” said Dania Banaja.
According to a recent Arab News survey of young Saudis between the ages of 15 and 35, the vast majority (54.5 percent), said they would not buy fake handbags, watches, wallets or clothing. On the other hand, 45.5 percent said they would. Out of these, 59.1 percent said they would do so because it is cheaper, 27.3 percent said because no one would know and 13.6 percent said because they can’t afford the real thing.
Many young men prefer to buy cheap original watches rather than replicas. “If I can’t buy it, I won’t fake it,” said Khalid Hassan, 25. “I will never take a risk and buy a fake watch just because it is a copy of a branded item I want. I would rather buy a simple and cheap watch that isn’t a copy and isn’t expensive,” he added.
Buying designer jewelry and accessories is a financial investment as you can then sell them on and make money in the future. “I inherited my mom’s designer necklace and matching bracelet. I wore it for a while but when I got tired of it and needed money I decided to sell it and guess what? I sold it for triple the price she purchased it for,” said Moneera Salha, a 30-year-old Saudi businesswoman.
“There is an online website where you can sell vintage items. You can post pictures of your goods and the price you wish to sell them for and people will start to bid for them for days or even months until you’re satisfied with the price they’re offering,” she added.
People who wish to look like stars and million dollar bills buy replica handbags, said Salma Faleh, a 21-year-old college student. “I sometimes want to buy a real Chanel handbag that costs around SR11,000 and which I unfortunately can’t afford but have fallen in love with having seen it on a famous person like Lauren Conrad,” she said. “I immediately went to a famous shop that sells wholesale copy designer handbags and bought it for less than SR600 and I’m happy with it,” she added.
Collecting fake watches is a hobby for Jamal Al-Saadi, a 34-year-old marketer. “I have more than 100 fake watches that are first class replicas of international brands,” he said. “I only collect the very expensive watches that I cannot afford. I have four Rolex watches and seven Cartiers and many others,” he added.
“I’ve made a decision not to deprive myself from owning an expensive watch knowing that most people will never know it’s a fake. A replica will cost me around SR2,000 while the real thing costs over SR20,000,” said Al-Saadi.
According to financial expert Faris Dahlan, emulating the rich in society is the main reason why people buy fake goods. “We live in a society that places a lot of stress on appearance. For me personally, I would rather collect money and buy one thing that is good rather than a million things that are bad,” he said.
“I understand why people go for replicas. It’s because they want to look like other Saudis who can actually afford the real thing… People will be screwed if they try to keep up with appearances. It might be a handbag and a watch now, but it could ultimately escalate to more expensive things like a car or a house, which will can then lead to people developing serious debt problems,” Dahlan said.
