I'm strolling along in Target today, looking at the scarves. THIS scarf catches my eye. I see that it says Hermes. I think to myself: "Hmmm...did Hermes make a collection for Target, like Missoni?" The tag says it is silk, and there aren't any other scarves like it on the display. The scarf itself doesn't have a price tag, but it's on a plastic ring, so that it can hang on the display hooks, and the plastic ring has a price tag attached: $14.99. Well, this scarf clearly has no business being for sale in Target.
I can only assume that some poor shopper must have lost it while at Target, and a sales associate picked it up and put it with the other scarves. So, I put it in my cart while I do some soul-searching. If I put it back, someone else will just pick it up and buy it later, right? I could take it up to Customer Service, and assume they will put it in the Lost & Found box, if one exists (or will someone behind the counter just keep it?). I think: "am I on Candid Camera?"
Well, I decided to buy it. So, now, I wonder if maybe it's a fake, That would certainly make me feel better, knowing that someone just lost their fake $20 Hermes, and not their genuine $400 Hermes. A quick Google search rules out the most obvious indicators that it is a fake, so it could be real.
What do you make of this? I guess I want confirmation that I didn't essentially steal this. Do I take it as a gift from the Couture gods? Or did I just fail an ethical test? Arggggg!
So. What do you think? What would you have done?
I've asked my "Dealer," Malena (she of The Bag fame), of the eponymous vintage boutique in West Chester, PA, her thoughts on the matter. Check back soon to see what she has to say on the scarf's authenticity and what she might do.
