ryyannon

Well, definitely a top. By the way, does anyone know who sells the best Birkin Bag?

In answer to the first question: of course. Gay watches have been 'coming out' ever since the milestone event described in the ground-breaking film, 'Pulp Fiction.' (Wow, that was an awful one. Maybe I should have said, 'Only if they swallow?' Not much better :-( Ok, some of my best watches are gay - doesn't bother me a bit. I even know of one couple of Franck Mullers which are planning on adopting a little Patek. Personally, I'm for equal rights for gay watches. I think it's unadmissable that they have to spend most of their lives hidden at the back of people's watchboxes.... And we haven't even gotten into the subject of gay straps. Puggy could tell us a lot about that - I believe he's quite 'close' to a Muppet or two..... As for 'the most gay watch' - that's something that TTK knows the most about - he appears to have a special fondness for them. Something about creating a center for Gay Watches where they can meet and socialize without feeling ostracised. A YMCA kind of place - I think he's calling it the Ethel Merman Memorial Center For Gay Watches or something like that. Entirely financed by him. TTK is good that way - not many people know that side of him. I'm glad this issue is finally coming out of the closet and onto the RWG forum. I think many of you will be surprised when you learn the real orientations of some of those oh-so-'manly' Breits, Rollies and Panerais of yours..... Miss Understood could fill us in on this, but God only knows what she's up to these days....

Don't worry, themuck (with a name like that it's lucky for you that my evil twin Bad Ryyannon is asleep) we were all newbies once ourselves. As for the idiot part, I was declared the RWG all-time champion ages ago, so don't even dream of competing..... :-)

Sorry for temporaily taking this thread off-topic, but aeroguy has really aroused my curiosity concerning the island he lives on in the South China Sea. I couldn't care less about pearls (although I agree with gioarmani on the beauty of naturally asymmetrical (also known as 'Baroque') pearls over all others) but I am interested in visiting out-of-the-way places, particularly in Southeast Asia. If aeroguy doesn't want to blow his cover publicly, I'll take the liberty of PMing him about his island - which already sounds like an interesting place. Sorry for the interruption - and now back to the subject.....

Lest some here imagine that the precedent post on the Birkins in which I insinuated that some of you appear to have your heads up your...umm....bags, was actually written by my evil twin, Bad Ryyannon, permit me to add the following: Although the subject of replica handbags has been flirted with (I like that expression here) from time to time on RWG - the question is coming to the forefront in various discussions like never before. (I can hear the wheels spinning in Bad Ryyannon's head, but his comments are better left unsaid). What I can say, however, is that it would appear that we're just beginning the long learning process that we've gone through concerning replica watches. And as has been the case with replica watches, it's clear that there's much to be learned. I'm happy to contribute the little I know to the collective learning curve; if others add their experience, followed by still others (just like what we already do for our watches) we might actually establish the objective criteria for judging, comparing, and just generally knowing what we're talking about without sounding like total idiots. Such a process can only be beneficial for all - dealers and buyers alike. Whatever you may think about the real or imagined existence of the Ultimate Replica Bag, it's certain that some excellent copies are out there - and at varying levels of pricing relative to specific marques and models. Once we've established the basic guidelines, all of us interested in the subject - dealers and buyers alike - will be able to move forward (and onward) intelligently and at great profit for all concerned. That said, there should be some limits imposed on this new-found interest in our 'inner femininity': Replica handbags: ok. Sex-change operations: no way.

I kinda hate to say it (actually, I'm practically rolling around the ground in laughter) but it may very well be that NO ONE is making the 'super mirror-image, DNA-cloned Birkins cited above. They may or may not have really existed nine months or two years ago: seeing is believing, and while I've heard a lot of talk - and seen pics of perfectly credible examples.... Come on, guys: it's time to get real: What's for sure is that the manufacturing and sourcing situation changes practically from week to week, that perfection is in the eye of the beholder (or the guy manufacturing or sourcing or selling the item) and that people can work themselves into knots looking for the ultimate replica anything. Sash can no more confirm that he's got the best of the best of the best of the best (etc.) rep Birkins than you or I can prove the existence of God. He is claiming to source the best rep Birkins that he can find out there - and I believe him - but you can be sure that next week someone else will rightfully or wrongfully be claiming the same thing - while possibly even getting them from the same manufacturer! From my point of view, there are roughly three levels of quality that you can be confident in finding: Ridiculoulous, Not Bag, and Excellent. For some people, Excellent will always be a notch slightly above or below their expections (or some other guy's criteria) - meaning anything from Mirror Image to Very Good. There is no Official Bureau of Standards for Counterfeit Birkin Bags, and as I mentioned above (yawn) perfection is often in the left nostril (or even more inaccessable places) of the beholder. Just look at the rep watch situation: models being touted as 'perfect' by dealers and buyers last year are merely the ancestors of today's 'sixth generation' decendants..... If anyone thinks I'm going to be going over Sash's (or anyone else's bags) with spectrometrical and carbon-14 analysis, I can assure them that they are just dreaming - just as they are dreaming when they imagine that they're going to score the Holy Grail of Rep Bags that can't be picked apart over a dropped stitch here or an incorrect (but nearly invisible) imperfection there. It's strange to see the tsunami of 14-post Wunderkind Perfectionistas suddenly coming out of nowhere and imagining that they're going to resolve what is essentially a spiritual and/or metaphysical endeavor - The Quest for the Absolute - thanks to Sash or Ken - and at A Great Discount Compared To The Original as well. I've yet to use the 'Laughing Out Loud' abbreviation in anything I've ever posted here or anywhere else, but it's getting pretty close to happening - especially when I read some people's expectations and imperatives concerning these bags. I think it's time to lighten up and try to put things back into perspective - half the pleasure of the hunt is the hunt itself - and what you learn along the way. You might get lucky and discover the Unicorn - but once you've 'bagged' him, what else is left? Perhaps a few months chilling out in the local psychiatric hospital re-learning what you forgot when you cut to the chase: although there are some creatures that come pretty close, Unicorns are mythical animals. They don't exist. Lest I be accused of taking the easy and higher moral ground on the Birkin-Unicorn issue, let me say that in many ways I'm like everyone else here: dreaming about (and sometimes seeking) the perfect specimen that will prove that everything I've said above is wrong. It might happen and it might not - and in a few month's time I might not even care anymore. In closing, allow me to once again cite the words of one of the Masters of the Hunt - Roy ('the Bat') Baggy, in 'Bagrunner': "So many bags, so little time...". Use it wisely, friends.

I seem to remember a really faaaaabulous Seanaster a while back.....for me, it will forever be the King of the Frankens..... perhaps with the exception of the legendary DTRLWWR (the real connoisseurs will know what I'm talking about here). But back to the Seanaster: I guess the guy who modded it is modest and polite: he doesn't want to blow the others away....

Slight echo effect here.... Ok, I've got it - I didn't see Manny's response after the quote....

Hermes will no longer authenticate bags brought in off the street - the best copies are so good that they often can't tell the difference - unless you happen to have the store receipt - in which case, why the hell are you trying to authenticate it anyway? On the other hand, if you happen to be good friends with the people at your local Hermes boutique, you just might stand a chance of their people checking it out. But there again, you risk coming off like a perfect ass: 'Umm....I bought this for my wife on the Internet and the guy swore it was a gen but now I'm having second thoughts, blah, blah, blah, etc.....' The only way to go is trust what the person selling it to you is saying (like Sash) and/or check your bag against a genuine, like Manny is going to do. By the way, if he (Manny) is reading this, I'd like to know how he can tell that the Birkin pictured here is the real deal.....true, it looks like it, but that's the way a mirror-image bag is supposed to look. So what's the giveaway proving it's a gen? For me, I'd have to see close-up pics of the lock, the keys, the serial numbers on the keys, the exact thickness of the leather (as measured by a precision calipers) and probably several other criteria which don't immediately come to mind as I'm writing this. I don't pretend to be the world's specialist on what makes a Hermes gen a gen, but I have done some homework over the last year and a half. And personally, I have no way of knowing if that bag is real or not. When Manny looks at the pics and says 'it's genuine' I want to know what he's seeing that tips the balance for him. For all I know, it's possible that he spends his time actually making these bags for Hermes. For all I know, he actually made the one in the pics. But that would put him in Paris, where he is not. So what's your secret, Manny? I hope you understand that I'm asking this in the friendliest and most non-confrontational way. And if you don't want to say, well, all that means is that I've still got something to learn about the subject - which is what life is all about anyway...... In closing, I'm happy to see that Sash is communicating so well on the subject - and that people are getting interested in what he's offering. I think he's done his utmost in trying to source the best bags out there, and I wish him all success. If they're as good as he says, we all stand to gain (at least those of us interested in acquiring one). So congratulations, Sash, keep up the good work and if everything checks out, you'll eventually be getting an order from me. After the Christmas rush, since. I'm in no hurry. I don't even care about it being shipped in the huge Hermes box - if Sash can figure out a way to ship it shrink-wrapped inside a package of Ramen noodles (chicken-flavored are my favorite) it's fine with me.

Wow, those are some butt-ugly Chanels! If they're gens, it means that Chanel has totally lost it and is turning out authentic bags based on totally weird Canal Street copies. Unfortunately, anything is possible in this business - just like the FrankenPannies you sometimes see which correspond to no known model, but borrow individual elements from several existing ones - plus a little imaginative spin by the 10-year-old son of the Chinese guy who's putting them together from everything he can find in his spare Pannie parts bin..... Sash: something tells me you're going to regret ever getting into the rep bag business. Either that, or stick to the best possible source offering one-on-one copies and nothing else. Otherwise, you're going to spend the rest of your life answering endless questions about the 'authenticity' of copies of bags that never ever existed in the first place.....

The ebay seller's bags are either perfect copies or the real deal: in any event, you can learn from some of his pics. Look at the details of the stitching: notice how it's slanted, rather than straight? That's a hallmark of the authentic bags. Notice also the perfection in the details? He's been selling since 2000 and has excellent feedback. Is this the first time he's offering Hermes bags? Personally, I don't know. Whatever the answer, I have to ask where he's getting them from.... Normally, this doesn't happen. Hermes never sells outside of their own distribution network, which does not include individuals like this ebay seller. My guess: pefect copies being sold at the price of gens. I would have to do a little more investigative work to see for sure (where is he located; how does he say he obtains them; is this a one-time sale of Hermes items, etc.). But the important thing is that his bags are indistinguishable from the real ones - at least concerning the giveaway details: that's the sort of quality you should look for in the $500.00 mirror-image bags.

Sash's prices are EXACTLY in line with the quality he's offering. Aside from that, it's funny: some of you guys think nothing of plunking down up to several hundred dollars for (example) a Paci strap. Maybe one-fiftieth of the leather that goes into a Birkin, and far less detailing.

I'm taking the liberty of answering for Sash: they're 35cm - or should be. If I'm wrong about this you'll soon hear about it from Sash himself.

Maybe we can even get them to send the bags out for free. Anyone interested? (Oh no: Evil Ryyannon is back.... Vade Retro Satanas!)

They look very good, Sash....

All of this talk about Hermes bags (certainly the highest-ticket lady's fashion accessory of all) by people who couldn't tell what a Birkin or a Kelly was even if they were smacked upside the head with one, is beginning to remind me of a story about the 1929 stock market crash: One of the big smart-money fellows was in conversation with the guy who shined shoes (or handed out towels) in one of the exclusive NYC clubs frequented by the stock market set. Since they had both been 'members' (so to speak) of the same establishment for years, the service person remarked in a friendly way that he was investing in a certain stock that another member had recommended. The guy in guestion listened, said a few encouraging words in return, and immediately phoned his broker with instructions to sell every share he owned. His reasoning: if the guy who shined his shoes (or whatever) in his club was giving him investing tips, it was time to get the hell out of the market. And yeah, a few months later, he was proved right. Can anyone here even discribe the difference between a Birkin or a Kelly - or even what they refer to? Personally, I think it's time to be looking into bio-degradable shopping bags for my fashion-savvy lady friends.... When girls who can't even find Paris on a map are screaming for rep Birkin Bags from guys who have a tendancy to confuse Hermès with Herpes, it's all over for that brand in terms of credibility and prestige - in the eyes of those who can tell the difference. Put another way, once you see a $17,000 Birkin on the arms of three different girls taking the subway to work.... What's that you're saying about Ryyannon being an elitist snob? Hey, what took you so long to figure it out? ----------------------------------------------- Urgent! Edit! OMG! Just look at what my evil twin brother has written! It wasn't me, guys - it wasn't me! Has anyone seen where Bad Ryyannon has hidden his meds?

Not wanting to start a conflict here, JM, but any Birkin that costs roughly $30 to make would be made out of low-grade plastic glued together at the seams with fake stitching. You've still got some homework to do, son. @buckeye: Tse is still the gold standard of Hermes reps, offering both decent Chinese and (for a higher price) excellent Korean Kellys and Birkins. Due to high demand, thousands of scammers offering grotesquely made 'mirror image' bags and ever-changing local pressures on the manufacturers and distributers, the market is extremely volatile. Today's superstar source is either tomorrow's invisible man - or not offering the same quality as initially. My advice is to check out what Tse, Sash and Ken (the latter two are right here on RWG) are offering and make your choice in terms of what you know about how the gens should look like (most people haven't the slightest idea) as well as the person you feel the most comfortable dealing with.

A little work with a dremmel followed up by a few swipes with a Cape Cod Cloth and it should look just fine. I'd change that crown guard though....

How right she was: the living proof that some people are NEVER satisfied.

I wonder if you could make cheese out of it. I live in France....

Mods: Please lock this thread.

Shameless hussies. Aye Ken, it's often a dirty, dangerous business..... "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Rep bag dealers on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched mirror-image Birkins glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those bags will be lost in time, like tears...in rain." - Roy Baggy, in 'Bagrunner'

Actually, I already have. But you're right to bring it up. Just imagine: Miss X (who knows what a mirror-image Birkin should look like) finds a dealer (Mr.Y) on ioffer or somesuch. She orders one, and it's indeed pefect. Over the next three weeks, thirty other friends, acquaintances, friends of friends of Miss X all decide that they absolutely have to have one for themselves. Mr. Y, the dealer is submerged with orders - which are now multipying at warp speed as 30x30x30x30 of Miss X's contacts inform their contacts who inform their contacts.... To meet the demand, dealer Mr.Y begins to source other manufacturers - with varying degrees of quality. In the meantime, twenty-five other dealers of lesser-quality bags, jealous of Mr. Y's success, denounce him to the local authorities. Mr.Y is more or less busted (put out of business because he can't pay off every official who's on his back for a bribe). And on and on and so-forth, until the cycle begins again..... Just pure speculation on my part, but I perfectly agree with you Ken: like practically everything else, it's all the fault of women.

If you take the textured Togo leather that goes into a mirror-image Birkin, plus the perfection of the detailing, hand-stitching and metal hardware, $500.00 is a reasonable price. I don't really care if it costs a fifth of that price to manufacture, the product itself is totally worth the dealer's price. Problem is, I have yet to see a rep Birkin that offers the requisite level of authenticity. As has been posted in the Off-Topic thread on the subject, the overall appearance of Sash's Birkin's is excellent. But there are some details in the workmanship that don't look right. It might just be the way the bag was photographed, or the fact that the close-ups hugely magnify what might well be unnoticable. Sash himself said something to the effect that 'at shoulder level, the bags look perfect.' The problem is that anyone who knows what the gen looks like would immediately spot a badly cut flap or an irregularity in the stitching. And at $500.00 a pop, we're in an entirely different league than a $350.00 Fiddy which is 99 percent perfect - not to mention the 98.9 percent Fiddys that several other dealers are offering for less than $200.00 I don't know what the problem is with the high-end rep bag suppliers. I've been trying to sort it out for more than a year, and while I've seen some excellent approximations (still talking Hermes Birkin here) I've yet to see the rep that would make me pull the trigger with no hesitation - there's always that damned detail that sinks the deal. And yet I know that the mirror-image bags are out there - but for some strange reason, it seems as if the rep bag world is way more volatile than the rep watch counterpart: by the time you've tracked down the source, it's already gone. It's a pity that Baghandler from the old RWG forum is no longer with us: she could spot the often miniscule differences between a perfect rep bag and a merely acceptable one with her eyes closed - possibly just from smelling it. And as Forrest Gump would have said, 'That's all I've got to say about the the $500.00 replica Hermes Birkin Bag issue.'

Looks very good. I'll bite. Suggestion: there are probably enough cigar afficionados on this board to merit a permanent 'corner cigar store'-type section where the guys who haunt the sites in a regular fashion could pass on info on deals such as the above. I know I've seen several similar posts in the Off Topic of RWI.... Whatever. Thanks for posting the offer and thank you again if you keep 'em coming as you discover them..... :-)