Video: Signs Of Knock-Off Items This Holiday Season

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s the season for holiday shopping, which also means a number of counter-fit items are flooding the market.
From clothes to designer handbags, just about anything can be found as a fake.

One business owner says don’t be fooled, it’s easy to spot a knock off.

George Sherman Clothiers has been in business for more than 40 years.

The owner, George Sherman, says he has seen his share of knock off products in the clothing business.

“We’ve been through all the cycles of fakes and phonies,” said Sherman.

High priced named brands, such as Ralph Lauren Polo, are some of the most popular counter-fit items.

Sherman says it can be pretty easy to spot a fake.

“The way to really figure it out is to let people like me, the merchant, that goes to market and finds the real authentic items, stocks his shelves with them and then assures the customer that it is the real thing, and we find out things are real by the way they feel, not only the way they look,” said Sherman.

Most buyers will find out their new buy is a fake after it’s been paid for.

One big sign to look for is how well the item holds up.

“Fourtnately, most people will find out that something is a fake after they’ve bought it, they’ve paid for it, they’ve taken it home and it just doesn’t last. Either they’ve dry cleaned the garment and it didn’t hold up, it fades. So unfortunately, you find out too late,” said Sherman.

Sherman says for those shoppers who are on the hunt for the authentic items have to trust their local businesses.

“And I think that’s where a small retailer that shops in a shop rather than in a big box store, I think that’s where they loyalty to that shop and the loyalty and trust mainly that they have for the person they’re buying it from, I think that’s where that comes in,” added Sherman.

Trust that in the end, always pays off.

A good rule to remember is If a price is too good to be true, that item is probably fake.