Finding fakes among the real Hermes, Prada and other luxury items in China’s second-hand market

A school in Beijing is teaching a skill that is increasingly in high demand across China: being able to differentiate bona fide luxury goods from bogus items. China is the world's second-biggest market for luxury goods after the US, and home to the only luxury market in the world that posted growth during the pandemic in 2020. But as the luxury goods market grows, a rising number of high-quality counterfeits are turning up among second-hand products that are traded. The Extraordinary Luxuries Business School in Beijing offers a seven-day course for those who want to become appraisers and help clients find authentic second-hand luxury bargains.