By Priyanka Jaisinghani, Special to The Chronicle

“Handbags! Handbags! We have Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and even Chanel.”  Take a quick stroll down Canal Street and all you’ll see is a swarm of vendors standing in every nook trying to take you to their stand, or to a tight storeroom monitored by closed circuit television. Each year the New York Police Department tries to take down venders who sell these bags illegally, but every time, the ever-growing market for fake goods is revived.  Many of these goods are seized by customs but they always manage to find their way back onto the streets.

With the economy in shambles, it’s hard to balance a budget and the craving for a new designer handbag, a snazzy watch or even a perfume. From the consumer’s point of view, the fake product is the closest thing to the dream purchase. Few who purchase the counterfeit products most likely won’t buy the real thing. For today’s generation, they always want the next best thing. With limited financial assets, these low costing products are an easy target to gain social status.

For fake fragrances, the smell may be similar, but it lasts for a shorter amount of time. The chemicals in the fragrance could cause an allergic reaction. After a month or two, the chemicals in the perfume will break down leaving oily residue that will cause a disgusting odor. An originally fruity smell will end up smelling pungent. Is it really worth it?

The reality of the situation is that these counterfeit products cause damage through a domino effect. They diminish the designer labels and exclusivity is lost. Not to mention that this is an act of forgery and impedes on the brand’s creative copyright. In the end, those who are caught selling these items can be sentenced up to five years and pay fines up to $250,000. It’s easy to shut down one dealer, but the key is to shut down the entire manufacturing of these products.