I can understand your sentiments about wanting fake plants.
For me, since I have very limited options for the purchase of quality live plants and animals for my aquairums, and because of the added needs of specific lighting, plus the hassle involved when you break down the aquarium for cleaning, plus the added hassle if you have parasite or algae infestations (since some medicines can be toxic to live plants)
I like that when my silkies get grimey, I can just yank them out of the substrate, scrub them with hot water, apply algae-killer solution (if necessary), and poke them right back into my tank with no fuss. They also don't have any shedding or dead parts to dirty up my substrate, clog my filter, or cause any unwanted imbalances.
My aunt raised live plants for years in her 50 gallon tank... but she also NEVER cleaned it and it filled up with sludge and fish bones (when her fish would die) on the bottom because it was too much hassle and 'trauma' on her plants.
No thanks. I like silk!!! If my bulb breaks... if my fish get sick... if I have an algae break-out... no sweat, no fuss and no muss. I only EVER buy real plants if there's a power outage as an oxygen producer until the weather clears up. After that, I keep it until it dies or someone else wants it.
I browse eBay a lot for my fakes. They usually provide pictures which can give you a good idea of what looks realistic and what suits your needs. It won't ever look as aesthetically pleasing as the real deal... but to me, the convenience justifies the lack of 'realness'.
*shrug* That's just my humble opinion, of course...
