When you are shopping most people want quality.
At The Man's Shop in Arlington, they have an eye for detail. They recommend shoppers be informed to avoid counterfeit goods.
“In regard to counterfeits talk to a professional,” Austin Roberson with The Man’s Shop said. “Whether it’s in the clothing industry. Whether it’s in the media industry or whatever that is. There is Google, YouTube, and many places that can kind of guide you there.”
People are working daily to stop fake goods from being on the streets.
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“We’re playing professional hide and seek,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer Robert Markiewicz said. “We open a lot of boxes.”
Officers had several counterfeit items on display at DFW Airport Thursday. He said they’re trained to spot things others may miss.
“Markings, placement, type of thread, the direction of the thread run that will show,” Markiewicz said.
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The knockoffs can cause a loss of revenue for businesses to the tune of $200 billion a year and possible loss of jobs.
But Markiewicz says buying something as simple as a child's toy can have a more dangerous and direct impact on your family.
“The chemical exposure,” Markiewicz said. A lot of lead paint. A lot of lead paint in the toys if you are getting toys for your kids that are just way too cheap. They are cheap and they are cheap for a reason because you are potentially exposing your family to very harmful things.”
Travelers getting an up-close look at the fakes are glad officers are shutting them down.
“I’m sure a lot of it is from child labor in foreign countries that I’m highly opposed to, so I think it’s a good thing.”
To learn from U.S. Customs and Border Protection click here.
