Milan Station Senior Manager Tony Chan
Tony Chan is the senior manager of high-end secondhand bag chain, Milan Station. He tells Winnie Chau how to spot a fake bag and why he has to be careful when using the F-word.
HK Magazine: Tell us how to identify a fake bag.
Tony Chan: I can tell whether a bag is fake just by looking at it. My 20-year fashion retailing experience has taught me what to look for in terms of color and size. But that only works for the second-rate counterfeits. For the cleverer ones, the Achilles heel lies in the lining, since people only ‘judge a bag by its cover’.
HK: Do you need to visit Shenzhen often?
TC: No, we never go to dodgy shops for fear that people might accuse us of sourcing products from them. Rather, we update our knowledge by tracing the cunning details of phony bags brought in by customers.
HK: How do you deal with customers who bring in fake bags?
TC: We seldom use the word “fake.” The F-word is likely to offend many people. We like to be upfront about it, as we do to our old customers. But the thing is, new customers normally don’t trust us. They can get hysterical if we tell them the bag is fake.
HK: Any annoying customers?
TC: Although it can take up to two hours’ explanation before a customer makes their decision, we seldom come across annoying customers. Still, there are always fussy ones who come in to buy a bag in the morning and return it in the afternoon. The key to deal with that is communication. We need to know what is inside our customers’ mind. Whether
it is the bag or their shopaholic impulse that has caused their changed mind.
HK: Do you have a personal collection? Do you keep all
the gems you get?
TC: I am no collector. I get very indecisive when it comes to buying brand name bags. I can give up a bag within a month. The sooner I re-sell it, the higher the price I can get. The game allows me to replace endlessly. Besides, traders spend less than collectors. Honestly, even if you carry a different bag seven days a week, ten bags are already too many. I only have one or two bags at home for daily use.
HK: How much are you willing to pay for a bag?
TC: I once paid over $20,000 for a Louis Vuitton limited edition. In fact, its market price is over $30,000.