Street vendor "designer" goods
AvoidBuying counterfeit designer goods from street vendors is ILLEGAL in Italy. Buyers can be fined €5,000-10,000. The goods are confiscated. Police do enforce this. Walk past.
Pre-made "Murano glass" in Venice shops
AvoidMost "Murano glass" sold in Venice shops is mass-produced in China. Real Murano glass is made on Murano island. Look for the "Vetro Artistico Murano" trademark and buy from workshops on the island.
Tourist restaurant "truffle" products
AvoidMost cheap truffle oils and pastes contain zero truffle — they use synthetic 2,4-dithiapentane (a chemical that mimics truffle aroma). Real truffle products list "tartufo" in the ingredients and cost €15+.
Overpriced leather near San Lorenzo market, Florence
AvoidThe stalls around San Lorenzo market sell mostly imported leather of poor quality at inflated prices. Real Florentine leather comes from workshops (botteghe) in the Oltrarno or Scuola del Cuoio.
€1 espresso cups and Colosseum keychains
AvoidMass-produced souvenir shops near every monument sell identical junk made in China. The markup is enormous and the items are worthless. Spend the same €10 on actual food instead.
Bottom line
The golden rule: buy from makers, not sellers. Visit workshops, farms, and producers. If you can watch it being made, it's probably real. If it's piled on a table near the Colosseum, it's probably not.