We've always thought consignment shops were hit-or-miss, with their racks of designer rejects nestled in with vintage finds. But that's the joy of secondhand shopping — the thrill of the hunt! Alas, our happy-go-lucky thrifting world got flipped upside down today, as a few Jezebel hustlers proved that what you see might not be what you get.

One of their writers took on the thrifting beast to see if professional buyers can get faked out with cheap crap — and low and behold, they did. After taking disposable clothing from H&M and Target and sewing in labels from Calvin Klein, Gucci, Donna Karan, and Pamela Barish, the writer then took the faux-designer clothes to Tokio 7, Cadillac's Castle, and Beacon's Closet to pass it off as the real thing.

Two stores, Tokio 7 and Beacon's Closet, actually took the bait. Two! But, it's a tricky situation: All of the items were very plain and simple — kind of like cheaper versions of the designer's clothes. So someone could be fooled, plus it's H&M's thing to jump on trends and look like something more high-market than it really is. But nevertheless, this is like trying to pass off a cubic zirconium for a diamond. And, like diamonds, some people buy into the hype of the sale. However, Cadillac's Castle came to the rescue and said no way. The sassy salesclerk smacked down the wannabes and peeled off the hand-sewn tags. So, lesson learned? Buyer beware — and we're definitely shopping at Cadillac's Castle from now on. —Sharon Clott

Label Whores: Selling Fake Fashion? Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad [Jezebel]