Louis Vuitton Interview - Tonya

I'm delighted to be able to welcome our next interviewee into the LV chair today, Tonya. Now I know that this is going to be a fun interview as I have had the pleasure of chatting with Tonya about LV over the last few months quite a bit and it has always been a huge pleasure.

"To start with, could you tell us a little bit about yourself please?"

"Hi!! I am so excited and happy I can be a part of this today! As you said, my name is Tonya, I am a stay at home mom of two beautiful children, a boy who is 5.5 and girl who is 3.5. I am curremtly in Toledo, Ohio, but we are actually in the process of relocating! I am a co-chair of a non-profit orgainization in my neighborhood and have spent my time being a community activist."

"So not much time that can be called your own then? Lol. Can you remember your first ever sight of a Louis Vuitton? Which piece was it and what caught your interest?"

"I do remember I was very young. I don't specifically remember what piece it was, I just remember seeing the LV's and thinking how cool that was to have your intials all over a handbag you created. My mother raised us with the motto "Just because you do not have money doesn't mean you can't look it!" I literally took that to heart and have lived my life according to that. I find LV classic and timeless, to say the least, but more so confident and reassuring. "

"And what was the first authentic Lv you ever bought?"

"It was a Viva-Cite MM. I've sold it, since I found it too confining for my lifestyle. That makes me a little bit sad, but maybe I will buy another one! Being a mom I need a huge bag that will fit everything I need and my children's happy meals toys! LOL"

"Lol - yes, they do add up quite quickly, don't they? How long have you actually been collecting Louis Vuitton for now?"

"I have been collecting a little more than 9 months. "

"Have you ever been unlucky enough to end up with a fake piece?"

"GGRRR, YES! I didn't know any better and bought a sick looking dalmatian handbag. I started doing research and found out not only was it a fake, but had it have been real, it would have set me back a few thousand! It was a good learning experience. I still have it though, I am amazed at the poor workmanship and digusted that I wasted the money."

"Now I know that you are a huge fan of authentic items, as shown in your posts on the LVAddicts forum. What do you hate about fakes the most?"

"I can't say I hate them, I don't understand the sellers that potray them as authentic. For those who want an LV but can't afford them I think a replica can be good for the self-esteem. It's your secret, except to those of us who can tell the difference. I don't feel seller's should represent them as authentic. I believe in giving a person the option to say yes, I will buy it or no I will save my money and buy a real LV. Replicas are no different than buying store brand cheese vs. Kraft. You have an option. These seller's are selling these handbags as authentic and their not."

"What would be the biggest tip your could give someone on how to avoid buying a fake piece anywhere?"

"Learn everything you can about that handbag. Placement of symbols, stitching, colors, pictures, get lots of pictures from the seller. If you still in doubt, use mypoupette.com to compare photos with. Once you've owned an authentic Louis Vuitton, you'll see the diffence between a replica and an authentic piece. The smell is different, the texture is different. With me, because I am cheap LOL, I watch Ebay all the time for sellers who have a LV for a BIN price dirt cheap. I am thankful for Ebay in that regards! The closest LV to me is a 2 hours drive!"

"Two hours away? Yes, I suppose that would add perspective as to why eBay is so popular in one way! If you were able to set the punishment - what would be the sentence you'd give to A) A seller of fakes who lnowingly rips off their "customers" and B) The makers of the replica items."

"I would make them take their fake into a Louis Vuitton Boutique and listen to the comments made. Embarrassment is one way to stop an activity. I would make them apologize to the owners and would be owners of authentic LV for their deceptive practices, make them admit the quality of their pieces does not compare. You can be a fake, but you cannot be 100% authentic unless your the real thing!"

"Lol - I love it, make them go to an LV store to be verbally admonished by sales staff and customers. What a gorgeously, satisfying answer. I had a fair suspicion you'd come up with such a good answer to that question Tonya, lol! Now, what steps do you think the auction sites could or should take to try to eliminate the sales of fakes on their sites?"

"Force sellers to state the fact that the handbag is not authentic. Most people wanting an LV are wanting the real thing, so by forcing the seller to admit it there will be less victims and less fake handbags. If no one will buy it, there is no point selling it."

"You are a member of one of the better LV forums on the net today. Indeed you hold the distinct honor of setting the most popular post to date I believe which I still revisit to see the new posts on! Are you a member of any others, do you yourself find them useful, do you still learn from them at all and would you recommend them to new addicts?"

"I do not attend any other postable sites other than EZboard, I came along at the tail end of the Yahoo board, but I would recommend to those who are just starting out to join and just read, listen and learn. I am still learning new things, you bet ya! I am learning to spot an authentic item from a seller based off of the pictures they provide. It is a learning process that can never be stopped."

"What other resources on the internet would you recommend to new addicts for authentic LV information or purchases?"

"I would suggest the mothership of all sites, http//:vuitton.com, then work your way from there, mypoupette.com is a great site as Carol and Angie have a wide range of photos, from the newer pieces to mstroppo.com who offers more vintage items."

"Which Louis Vuitton items do you have in your collection today?"

"I have a few pieces, I just bought a vintage 1983 speedy 25, a 1992 speedy hl, for my daughter LOL, a 2001 Vernis Bronze reade, a monogram cosmetic pouch, a Multicolor Noir Alma and an LV Cup Shopping Bag. Mine isn't as extensive as the other's, finding the right handbag is a personal one of trial and error. I have had several other pieces that I have sold, but by doing that I am able to determine my next purchase and in what line."

"So effectively you're trying different ones to see what goes best for you? If you don't like something, you can then resell. I must say - a clever approach to take to make sure you experience as much of the different LV ranges as you can! I see you have one of the Multicolor range and also one of the LV Cup range as well in your collection. Which is your favorite limited edition and why? "

"Oh, by far the Multicolore, especially my Alma, lol. I LOVE IT!! It is the perfect size, shape, color and so on. Being a mom with little ones, the noir is perfect for me. Although I am very protective of it and I refuse to set it on the floor ANYWHERE! LOL. The kids know not to touch mommy's purse. My mother got into my car the other day and lifted my purse off the seat and just about set it on the floor, I just about had a heart attack. I screamed NO and she just looked at me. The motto with the Alma is "You must protect the Vachette"! The LV Cup will be great for taking the kids to the zoo, the park, on outings. I can throw their things in and go."

"If you had to pick one bag from your whole collection as the best - which would it be and why?"

"Condition wise, it is the Reade. I haven't use it at all and I bought it barely used, so the leather is still very light, not much of a patina. My favorite as far as style is the mini hl. I fell in love with it and had to go get me the speedy 25. It was a wise choice! It fits everything I could ever need with room to spare!"

"How much use do you get out of your gorgeous collection?"

"Alot more than I should, lol. I am trying to curb my use though. LV holds it's value very well and if you use all your pieces to the point of destruction, then they lose their value, but on another note, rest assured you can buy a LV and use it 20 or thiry years with minimal problems! "

"Now I know your daughter has her own Louis Vuitton Speedy HL. How "involved" in your passion is the rest of your family?"

"She does and it is so cute!! She will walk up to stranger's and say "look at my purse, it's a Louis Buitton" LOL! Other than my husband, they are supportive. They understand why I would spend hundreds of dollars on a purse. You really do get your money's worth. My husband is becoming a pro at spotting fakes as though. He just told me about a young girl who was carrying a replica and he gave her a mini-crash on the difference between and authentic LV and a replica. That is funny!"

"Lol - I love it, I think that was something that Angela mentioned in our last interview, that her boyfriend was starting to spot them now as well! So do you collect any other designer label or is it just LV? "

"Other than clothes, I can't say I do. I have always gravitated toward high-end designers, it's just only now I can go out and actually afford them LOL!"

"And what is it about Louis Vuitton items that attracts you more than other designer created pieces? "

"The quality. The care placed on each item. The attention to detail that goes onto the piece. I could stare at mine for hours, well I'd like to, LOL, just looking at the stitching, the love that went into making that piece worthy of purchase. That is dedication!"

"Somehow, being a mom of two, I doubt you get any time to stand and stare! Which of the Louis Vuitton ranges signifies LV to you the most and why? "

"The Monogram line, it's the first, the last and only true Louis Vuitton design. They bring in designer's from here and their to create their next piece, but the Monogram came from the man himself!! "

"Here's a weird and tricky question now - If you had to describe yourself to someone as an LV bag - which bag would you be and why?"

"The Multicolor Noir Alma. It is black, bright, deep and delicate, LOL. It is full of life, yet so many mysteries. The colors catch you off guard and make you look twice and once you hold it, you know you have to look in farther. With the Alma having so much Vachette, you can't just lie it anywhere, you have to put thought into it before you set it down. I am a very thoughtful, fun, outgoing person and I believe in treating those the way you want to be treated yourself. That is the Alma."

"What an excellent answer and what an excellent description of the MC Alma - I might have to "steal" that and use it in the review on the site! Now if you could pass a request back to LV for them to introduce a new piece or to change something, what would that request be?"

"To make a handbag that is fit for a mom. It is very time consuming to check the weather, while getting the kids ready, wondering if it'd going to rain. A pratical handbag would be nice. Something you don't have to worry about the leather or watching it when the kids walk by. I would suggest making a line of handbags like they did with the dark, pre-treated leather. I had a Papillon 26, the French version that was wonderful. "

"Which collections or ranges haven't you got into yet and which would you like to collect from, e.g. Suhali, Damier etc?"

"Oh…Suhali…OH!! They are stunning!! I want to smell one!!"

"A dilemma question for you now - Your best friend gets given a fake LV as a present from her husband or boyfriend and she believes it's authentic. You can tell it's a fake - Would you tell her? Whether the answer is Yes or no - why?"

"Yes, I tell her it's fake. I also let her now, that it's the thought that counts. Then I tell her to go out and buy the authentic piece and not tell her significant other! He'll never know the difference!! LOL"

"Lol, okay! Let's try you with a guilt question then - Purse Bans - Would you stick to one if you imposed it on yourself? If the answer is no - what excuse would you try to use against yourself?"

"Oh so not fair, lol! Hum, I have to confess I have tried and failed! I recently placed one on myself, the came along the LV Cup Bag and it was a good deal! Then I broke and got the vintage speedy, but I wanted one so me and my daughter would match. Plus I didn't want to use my Alma to death, so I needed an everyday handbag."

"Lol - I see, a serious breach of the ban then! That means I have to follow up with another guilt question then - just to keep you squirming, LOl. You arrive home with your new purchase - a Louis Vuitton Suhali Le Talentueux which cost you retail, $1,930.00 - to find your partner has come home early. He asks how much it cost. Your answer would be:

A) "What, this old thing? I've had it for ages."

B) "Oh, not much, I got it at a seconds sale!"

C) "$150.00"

D) "Funny you should ask - I managed to swap your golf clubs / baseball bat / car for it!"

E) "Well, to be honest darling - OH Look, Pamela Anderson is on the telly! You go watch and I'll bring you a beer in!"

F) "Please don't ask - then I won't have to lie!"

"Oh no, that's a horrid question. Well, if I tell you, will you delete my name from this interview?? No, just kidding, I would tell him the truth, sort of…I always sell something to get something. So if I sold several items, then it's mine and I wouldn't have to fib, but just so he doesn't fall over from a stroke, I will lessen the price by a third. Wink, Wink!! Just kidding!! I would say F!"

"Finally, if price was no object, which Louis Vuitton would you like to own the most and why?"

"Dalmatien Rabat Sac! I love dalmatiens, I have a tattoo of Rolly from 101 Dalmatiens on my calf, that would make my collection complete!!"

"Tonya, thank you very much indeed for taking the time to talk to us today and offer such a delightful insight into your world of LV - I have to say I envy your collections range, it is gorgeous and suits you ever so well."