Viral Hermès Birkin dupes are selling out at retailers like Walmart. Actual counterfeits, unlike the Walmart bag, have been infiltrating secondhand luxury. These are the most commonly knocked-off styles to look out for, and some easy tells.
Advertisement An Hermès lookalike handbag available to buy from Walmart has gone viral. People have been calling the bag a dupe, a term used to describe an item that's similar in appearance to a more expensive product. It does not claim to be from Hermès — and is not branded with the fashion house's name.
But the bag, which looks a little like the iconic Birkin bag yet costs less than 1% of the price of a real one, is selling out as people seek the style of one of the world's most coveted handbags for under $100. Advertisement A real Birkin has a starting price of $10,000 and can run into the six figures. Buying one directly from Hermès requires establishing a relationship of purchases with the French fashion house and time spent on a waitlist, too.
For those who want an authentic Birkin — or any other luxury bag — the secondhand market has become pivotal, with its value rising to $50 billion last year, according to Bain & Company . With a limited supply of the most in-demand bags, some turn to resale to avoid the wait. Aspirational customers are also taking advantage of better prices as a gateway to luxury.
But the sheer volume of actual counterfeits demonstrates the dangers of buying on the secondhand market, which has been.