Chinese Knockoffs

[Hornlover 8830]

34 minutes ago, pearlandhorn said:

Ironically, my nice (2019 Silverado LTZ) truck was stolen out of my driveway 2 weeks before thanksgiving last year. I bought an Explorer.

Then why have one? It was a gift from my dad. I still wear it occasionally when I go out to a nice dinner or somewhere I would consider safer than New Orleans. But not going to the office in over a year due to Covid and staying at home 99% of the time, there no reason for it to not be put up in a safe place.

Owning nice things and then using them just scares you to death.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Most of those high end leather goods are made in their own factories in Europe, often of leather that was tanned there as well. So you aren't just paying for the brand name and higher quality, you are paying for more expensive labor as well. But, yeah, the markup on luxury goods is pretty significant. 

Yep.... Some of those fashion labels bring  Chinese labor to assemble them and make even a bigger profit...   Not that there is anything wrong with profit.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/16/the-chinese-workers-who-assemble-designer-bags-in-tuscany

 

And this was one of the theories on why Covid got introduced to Italy much earlier than the rest of the EU.

 

[Reagan1k 3024]

10 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

The first is by escaping the "authorized dealer" network and prescribed markup, which can be monstrous, several hundred percent.  Outside the AD network, a tidy profit can be made without MSRP, and so goods get sold a a significant discount to AD MSRP.

This is the only way I can see how what was described to me could happen.  Original material, identical packaging down to the branded tissue paper, real boxes, etc. (which evidently have a value unto themselves).  Shell office, bogus receptionist, buzzed in with an appointment - ushered into a back room that's masquerading as a store room.  Have to go with a known customer on 1st visit.  Must bring a backpack or rolling suitcase to haul out purchases incognito.  Very different from the .com stuff or the guy with a pop-up tent selling crap with the logo slightly altered.  Not cheap, but not retail.

Side note on the boxes - Evidently there is a robust online resale market for authentic boxes and bags sans merchandise.  It's purchased by posers and influencers to stage their instagram photos as if they've been on a shopping spree.

 

[TwiceHorn 31516]

2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Except for Louis Vuitton.  That shit's made in By Gawd Alvarado, Texas damnit 💪

Thought this was a joke.  Googled and found it wasn't, assumed distribution center.  But nope, you're right, it's actual manufacturing.  https://hypebeast.com/2019/10/louis-vuitton-texas-bag-factory-opening

On the one hand, I imagine the mostly hispanics they hire are as good a craftspeople as anyone, to the extent it's not rote assembly.  On the other hand, if you're buying such goods, I think the thought of having them made by Parisian, or French, or European at least, gnomes is probably part of the cachet. 

Edited April 15, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Okie State 3821]

How much does it cost to make a $2500 purse? $10?

[Poolflood 845]

23 hours ago, pearlandhorn said:

I have one.  Submariner two tone (gold and steel).  I rarely wear it.  In my gun safe.

I wear my Hamilton Field Khaki with a NATO strap mainly. 

So about this pos watch you don't care about...

 

[castolon 193]

22 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Except for Louis Vuitton.  That shit's made in By Gawd Alvarado, Texas damnit 💪

You have to be shitting me. Internet says you're not of course. Top 5 worst speed traps in the state plus LV. What  world. 

[TwiceHorn 31516]

1 hour ago, castolon said:

You have to be shitting me. Internet says you're not of course. Top 5 worst speed traps in the state plus LV. What  world. 

Did not know this.  

I had my covid shot at a CVS there and was kind of hauling ass on 67.  I suppose the speed trap is on 35W?  Although I lived in FW for a while, it's been 20 years and I made many more trips south on 35E.  Although I was only victimized once, Milford is the 35E trap.

[Hornlover 8830]

18 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Did not know this.  

I had my covid shot at a CVS there and was kind of hauling ass on 67.  I suppose the speed trap is on 35W?  Although I lived in FW for a while, it's been 20 years and I made many more trips south on 35E.  Although I was only victimized once, Milford is the 35E trap.

Waxahachie and Smithville can both kiss my ass. 

[gsoda3 3276]

On 4/14/2021 at 10:52 PM, TwiceHorn said:

The other way is when there are different pricing structures in different countries.  A while back, "midsized" Rolexes (around 34mm at the time) weren't sold in Europe or the US, but primarily in Asia and at a considerable discount to full-size (and ladies) Rolexes in Europe and the US.  These were authentic Rolexes and still said "Datejust" or "Oyster Perpetual" or what have you on the dial, but were a tad smaller than usual.

The chinese were heavily arbing retail LV from europe back to asia from the 90s into the 2000s.  they'd send "tour groups" to say paris and buy as many bags as they could while also recruiting strangers to buy their limit in bags for the day and paying them a small convenience fee for doing so and ship them back to asia in containers hidden amongst other goods.  

 

 

22 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

Side note on the boxes - Evidently there is a robust online resale market for authentic boxes and bags sans merchandise.  It's purchased by posers and influencers to stage their instagram photos as if they've been on a shopping spree.

 

that explains a lot.  i always wondered how we were able to seel our boxes online.  

 

 

27 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Milford is the 35E trap.

 

8 minutes ago, Hornlover said:

Waxahachie and Smithville can both kiss my ass. 

i've gotten tickets in milford, waxahachie, and italy.  not even going that fast.  10 over usually.  i've probably jinxed myself for my drive to dallas today.

[NoName 16367]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Did not know this.  

I had my covid shot at a CVS there and was kind of hauling ass on 67.  I suppose the speed trap is on 35W?  Although I lived in FW for a while, it's been 20 years and I made many more trips south on 35E.  Although I was only victimized once, Milford is the 35E trap.

naw, that stretch of 67 from 35 intersection through Alvarado and Venus are both pretty bad

Edited April 16, 2021 by NoName

[Reagan1k 3024]

48 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

that explains a lot.  i always wondered how we were able to seel our boxes online. 

We watched Fake Famous on HBO and I was shocked.  My wife showed me that on ebay at any one time there may be over 1000 Louis Vuitton boxes and shopping bags for sale.  Evidently a lot of women also decorate their walk in closets for "effect" and those things are displayed even empty as decoration and for the illusion of wealth.

It's a weird world we live in.

[Landomatic 3813]

On 4/16/2021 at 6:03 AM, castolon said:

You have to be shitting me. Internet says you're not of course. Top 5 worst speed traps in the state plus LV. What  world. 

I don't know what's more surprising...the fact that Alvarado, TX has a Louis Vuitton factory or the fact that Surly Horns has a fucking purse thread.

[Landomatic 3813]

23 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

We watched Fake Famous on HBO and I was shocked.  My wife showed me that on ebay at any one time there may be over 1000 Louis Vuitton boxes and shopping bags for sale.  Evidently a lot of women also decorate their walk in closets for "effect" and those things are displayed even empty as decoration and for the illusion of wealth.

It's a weird world we live in.

Those boxes and bags also have value to the knockoff market.  People selling the fake shit will buy authentic boxes, bags, etc to make the fake shit seem more real when trying to sell them as authentic.  You can even sell your authentic sales receipts so people can include them when selling fakes and trying to play them off as real.

[Hornlover 8830]

6 hours ago, Landomatic said:

I don't know what's more surprising...the fact that Alvarado, TX has a Louis Vuitton factory or the fact that Surly Horns has a fucking purse thread.

You can call it the purse thread if you want. I call it the, "I'm married and trying to figure out a way to get laid" thread. 

[TwiceHorn 31516]

6 hours ago, Landomatic said:

I don't know what's more surprising...the fact that Alvarado, TX has a Louis Vuitton factory or the fact that Surly Horns has a fucking purse thread.

Well, some of penelope's travel threads almost qualify.

[conVINCEd 21469]

2 hours ago, Hornlover said:

You can call it the purse thread if you want. I call it the, "I'm married and trying to figure out a way to get laid cheaply” thread. 

Fify

[Landomatic 3813]

9 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

Fify

Here’s a hint...you get what you pay for

[Reagan1k 3024]

On 4/17/2021 at 6:05 PM, conVINCEd said:

You can call it the purse thread if you want. I call it the, "I'm married and trying to figure out a way to get laid cheaply” thread. 

Cheaply in theory, but my experience in female math indicates that instead of one $2500 purse, she'll buy four $700 bootlegs and tell me she "saved me money".