When did the counterfeiting of luxury goods begin?

[bluemagic]

Has the phenomenon of counterfeit luxury goods always existed in some form, or is it an industrial or post-industrial phenomenon?

 

[Cary Grant]

I reckon it is as old as the art of bartering.

 

[bluemagic]

That is my intuition as well; I'd love to see counterfeits from the ancient world.

 

[mikej77]

It's no different than with narcotics, as long as there is a market for it, it will exist. The US seizes about 90 percent of its countfeit goods from China. I wuld be curious to know when it really took off as an industry though.

 

[Zenny]

Fool's gold.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Cary Grant

I reckon it is as old as the art of bartering.

+1. Probably counterfeiting of luxury goods started about six hours after the first luxury good was made and sold.

 

[rssmsvc]

There was a book I was reading a while back about how Savile Row Started and I know the book mentioned it as far back as then.

 

[coogie]

I suppose as long as brand names have existed

 

[Bird's One View]

before Archimedes

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by Bird's One View

before Archimedes
"Eureka" is Greek for "This bath is too hot."

 

[jagmqt]

When did "luxury goods" first start being produced?

Hate to answer a question with a question, but I think you need to answer one before you can answer the other.

jag

 

[absolut3]

I think I read somewhere that the original Louis Vuitton monogram was made to stop counterfeiters

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by jagmqt

When did "luxury goods" first start being produced?
2269 BC in June at around 6:00 pm. It was on a Tuesday.

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

2269 BC in June at around 6:00 pm. It was on a Tuesday.


Though there is some evidence amongst the much more ancient cave drawings of France that the first luxury clothing may have been when Ugg gave his wife a fur made out of an animal with sharp claws and teeth that could actually fight back. Other Neanderthals were mightily impressed at the skill and supreme labor, not to mention the risk, that Ugg took that elevated cave-wear several notches that year.

 

[hadamulletonce]

Originally Posted by absolut3

I think I read somewhere that the original Louis Vuitton monogram was made to stop counterfeiters


That is true. There are many ways to authenticate Louis Vuitton but the alignment of the monogram canvas is the first sign of a poorly made fake.

Men have it much easier than women when it comes to avoiding fakes. Most men don't buy bags to match every outfit.