Whats your thoughts on the whole DHGate/Replicas (Not just for sneakers)

[Beruseruku Desu]

The materials on an LV wallet aren't actually aren't that "luxury", for the standard wallets, its coated canvas. the leather on taurillon joints aren't that mind-blowing. I've compared them in the LV shop.

it's "luxury" status comes from the fact that access is gated by the price.

I wouldn't get a replica of the standard monogram LV wallet, only rep wallets I own are ones with an interesting design / concept / colour.

I like it strictly because of the design of the object + materials.
I can afford the retail wallet but if I can access the 98% the same thing at 1/10th the price.

unless you want the feeling of owning a 1k wallet (luxury)
or you value collecting authentic pieces. (collector)

why would you buy retail?
imo it's only worth it if they are producing something that truly unique that can't be easily reproduced by independent factories.

luxury doenst just mean price or quality. the name alone of a brand makes something luxury as well.

imo you cant say you appreciate a design and then go buy a fake version of it. sounds sleazy and a bit disrespectful to the actual designers.

do you though.

 

[oidreez]

people buying DHgate cologne though. You dont have to wait in line for the real thing or pay resale for those

Some people like to save a buck too. We have a whole thread dedicated to saving money on things

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

Some people like to save a buck too. We have a whole thread dedicated to saving money on things

pretty sure no one in that thread is posting fakes.

 

[a blinkin]

Over the years I’ve gotten more and more indifferent to replica sneakers. I myself wouldn’t deliberately go after reps or fakes. However. After reading that some resale sites like ebay and goat have gotten “got” by allowing fake shoes to pass through, it just let me know that it’s a greater risk that you may be coppin fakes than we’d like to admit (if not buying at a retail outlet). If there’s a chance (however slim) that someone would get got for a pair of sneakers after spending $1000, I could see how one would just say f it and knowingly buy the reps for a buck fifty.

For things like watches and other luxury, to each their own. Again, I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t judge anyone who does buy fakes. To each their own.

 

[ahat]

There's a guy that cuts open different bags and wallets and tests out the quality of the leather. Most of them aren't worth more than $30-50.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

Over the years I’ve gotten more and more indifferent to replica sneakers. I myself wouldn’t deliberately go after reps or fakes. However. After reading that some resale sites like ebay and goat have gotten “got” by allowing fake shoes to pass through, it just let me know that it’s a greater risk that you may be coppin fakes than we’d like to admit. If there’s a chance (however slim) that someone would get got for a pair of sneakers after spending $1000, I could see how one would just say f it and knowingly buy the reps for a buck fifty.

For things like watches and other luxury, to each their own. Again, I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t judge anyone who does buy fakes. To each their own.

exactly how I feel.

Except if someone tries to flex or pass it off as real, then I judge them hard as a liar and most likely someone you cant trust.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

luxury doenst just mean price or quality. the name alone of a brand makes something luxury as well.

Incorrect.

The name of the brand is only luxury if they gate keept it by price. You can see this reality by looking at the Rolex Submariner.

Rolex submariners were not "luxury" when they were more utilitarian watches that cost $150 (about 1k) with inflation.

They were considered tool sports watches for divers, people working on boats ext.

The design is literally the same, the features don't change, the quality doesn't change.

But they start charging 7k for a note sub and now it's "luxury". Luxury is not simply the materials or design

it's the fact that it gated price so that only a certain class of people can access it.

imo you cant say you appreciate a design and then go buy a fake version of it. sounds sleazy and a bit disrespectful to the actual designers.

Of course I can, the design is the same.

That's like saying "you can't appreciate the music in an illegal mp3 of a song, because it is an unotherized reproduction"

The notes are the same, the song is the same.
You don't.lose appreciate for the notes based on whether or not the copy is authorized.

I don't care how it "sounds" what I'm saying is clearly true.

 

[Grine]

There's a guy that cuts open different bags and wallets and tests out the quality of the leather. Most of them aren't worth more than $30-50.

 

[danikerhino]

I think some of you brought up a good point. There are always good "sales" going on these days and most things can be had if you have the patience to wait it out. Like others have said, if I miss out on something, I miss out on something. Nothing's worth buying a fake version of in my eyes, I'm not that materialistic. But some people like the style enough to buy a fake version of the product, than I can't judge that either. People have their wants and needs and we all set our own standards.

 

[ahat]

Ya that's the guy

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

Incorrect.

The name of the brand is only luxury if they gate keept it by price. You can see this reality by looking at the Rolex Submariner.

Rolex submariners were not "luxury" when they were more utilitarian watches that cost $150 (about 1k) with inflation.

They were considered tool sports watches for divers, people working on boats ext.

The design is literally the same, the features don't change, the quality doesn't change.

But they start charging 7k for a note sub and now it's "luxury". Luxury is not simply the materials or design

it's the fact that it gated price so that only a certain class of people can access it.






Of course I can, the design is the same.

That's like saying "you can't appreciate the music in an illegal mp3 of a song, because it is an unotherized reproduction"

The notes are the same, the song is the same.
You don't.lose appreciate for the notes based on whether or not the copy is authorized.

I don't care how it "sounds" what I'm saying is clearly true.

"The design is literally the same, the features don't change, the quality doesn't change."

you couldnt be more wrong.

vintage sub didnt have a date complication, non cermaic bezel, no 904l steel, water proof to only 200m, no lume until the late 90s, etc, etc, etc, etc.

this isnt even including the amount of money it cost rolex to invest in their self which also drove prices to all their watches up.

"Of course I can, the design is the same."

not really. you just wrote if you can access a fake thats "98%" the same you'll buy a fake. so technically, its not the same.


we can just agree to disagree.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Over the years I’ve gotten more and more indifferent to replica sneakers. I myself wouldn’t deliberately go after reps or fakes. However. After reading that some resale sites like ebay and goat have gotten “got” by allowing fake shoes to pass through, it just let me know that it’s a greater risk that you may be coppin fakes than we’d like to admit (if not buying at a retail outlet). If there’s a chance (however slim) that someone would get got for a pair of sneakers after spending $1000, I could see how one would just say f it and knowingly buy the reps for a buck fifty.

For things like watches and other luxury, to each their own. Again, I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t judge anyone who does buy fakes. To each their own.

But if you have normal size feet and care about authetics I don't know how you can buy off stockx or goat.

High quality reps for Jordans are simply too good. And looking stockx authentication process videos, they are clearly not scutizing pairs enough.

Id bet tons of reps are getting through.

 

[HankHill]

Ya that's the guy

Check out Rose Anvil. He does the same for leather boots and shoes. Recently got into sneakers as well. Breaks down the quality of the materials used, cuts the shoes in half and reviews them.

 

[computersputin]

An object is not only based on the material cost alone. You also pay for the craftmanship and detail work that makes a luxury watch/bag/whatever more "luxurious" compared to a knockoff counterpart.
I dont even like Rolexes, but to think that a Submariner is just worth 1K because its functionality or material cost is crazy.

 

[a blinkin]

Id bet tons of reps are getting through.

You’d win that bet. Nike has been cracking down on them for allowing fakes to be passed onto consumers. There’s a lawsuit in motion iirc.

Again, I wouldn’t do it myself (I’ve mentioned a few times on here that the shoe culture doesn’t have the same allure to me at 34 as it did when I was 16), but I’m to the point where I truly couldn’t care less if another person buys rep kicks. Nike is partially to blame for the creation of that monster.

Watches and stuff like that, eh. It’s weird to see someone try to flex with something like a fake rolex. But who am I to judge. To each.

And here’s a kicker. That rep stuff is more common than I previously thought. Wore my TS 1’s and got asked multiple times if they’re reps (they’re not). Same with one of my watches (it’s not” )

 

[osh kosh bosh]

you couldnt be more wrong.

vintage sub didnt have a date complication, non cermaic bezel, no 904l steel, water proof to only 200m, no lume until the late 90s, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Yah I'm not wrong tho.

1. A no date sub was waterproof to 200m in 1954 and 300 m in 1990.

"Rolex went on to make further technical advances that rendered the Submariner waterproof to a depth of 200 metres (660 feet) in 1954"

2. im talking about a no date sub which they currently sell for 7k. Date complication is irrelevant. and not particularly expensive to pull off.

904l steel is not that expensive, plenty of watches use 904l steel it's not a driver of the price.

these price increases are not commensurate with increase material cost or new technology

they are a pivot to a luxury market.

this isn't even including the amount of money it cost rolex to invest in their self which also drove prices to all their watches up.

investments made in older technology should DECREASE the price not increase.

Plasma TV's for the longest time offered better performance at a cheaper price than LCD because it was older tehcnology, with more years of investment in R&D.

past R&D doesn't get recouped 60 years later. it's the opposite, it should make your product cheaper not 5x more expensive.

not really. you just wrote if you can access a fake that's "98%" the same you'll buy a fake. so technically, its not the same.

an MP3 is not a perfect copy of a song, it's highly compressed and doesn't contain any where near 98% of the data as the masters.

now I happen to be an audiophile that listens on expensive headphones, DAC, with FLAC lossless audio. because I value that experience.

does that mean a person whos got a 128kbps mp3 doesn't appreciate the same song if he's fine with MP3?

we both like the song,

but we value different things.
I don't like it more because I enjoy expensive audio gear.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

An object is not only based on the material cost alone. You also pay for the craftmanship and detail work that makes a luxury watch/bag/whatever more "luxurious" compared to a knockoff counterpart.
I dont even like Rolexes, but to think that a Submariner is just worth 1K because its functionality or material cost is crazy.

no it's "worth" whatever the market will bear.

and without question part of the value of a rolex, is the fact that it's gate kept by price.

this is self evidently true, and true with any luxury good.

But I don't have to value what you value.


like I said I like expensive audio gear, my headphones are 1k, my dac and headphone amp are 500.

we both like music and appreciate the music. I just happen the value the experience of high end audio products.

This doesn't mean I appreciate the music more. it's the same music.

 

[computersputin]

"it's the same music."
Yes, the song title and length may be the same and both can be considered "a song", but are you're saying that lossless FLAC is the same as a compressed mp3 file ?

 

[Nawzlew]

tbf majority of people probably couldnt tell between lossy and lossless.

for this music analogy

 

[computersputin]

tbf majority of people probably couldnt tell between lossy and lossless.

for this music analogy

True, most people cant tell fake luxury goods from real luxury goods either. This is not about having a condensed version of a product, this is about the open support the IP theft of a brand under the guise of "appreciating" its design.
A better analogy regarding music, would be buying a $5 bootleg CD off Canal St.
Yeah you're going to appreciate all the tracks , but you're not supporting the artist or the record label.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

"it's the same music."
Yes, the song title and length may be the same and both can be considered "a song", but are you're saying that lossless FLAC is the same as a compressed mp3 file ?

to 98% of people they would struggle to tell the difference, and even if they could, it wouldn't worth it to them.

squeezing the extra 5% of quality you can get with expensive audio gear
most people simply do not value that.

and are happy to listen to music on cheap earbuds.

I like expensive audio gear
it doesn't mean I like or appreciate the underlying song more than normal people

It's that I value the experience of owning expensive audio equipment.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

Yah I'm not wrong tho.

1. A no date sub was waterproof to 200m in 1954 and 300 m in 1990.

"Rolex went on to make further technical advances that rendered the Submariner waterproof to a depth of 200 metres (660 feet) in 1954"

2. im talking about a no date sub which they currently sell for 7k. Date complication is irrelevant. and not particularly expensive to pull off.

904l steel is not that expensive, plenty of watches use 904l steel it's not a driver of the price.

these price increases are not commensurate with increase material cost or new technology

they are a pivot to a luxury market.



investments made in older technology should DECREASE the price not increase.

Plasma TV's for the longest time offered better performance at a cheaper price than LCD because it was older tehcnology, with more years of investment in R&D.

past R&D doesn't get recouped 60 years later. it's the opposite, it should make your product cheaper not 5x more expensive.



an MP3 is not a perfect copy of a song, it's highly compressed and doesn't contain any where near 98% of the data as the masters.

now I happen to be an audiophile that listens on expensive headphones, DAC, with FLAC lossless audio. because I value that experience.

does that mean a person whos got a 128kbps mp3 doesn't appreciate the same song if he's fine with MP3?

we both like the song,

but we value different things.
I don't like it more because I enjoy expensive audio gear.

not debating if Rolex is a luxury brand or not. it obviously is.

im not gonna go into the #s because realistically no one knows how much it costs to actually produce a submariner.

but you said rolex hasnt upgraded their quality since the the sub was $150 and thats just plain wrong.

 

[Nawzlew]

aite we all gonna act like we wasnt on napster, limewire, and kazaa

 

[osh kosh bosh]

True, most people cant tell fake luxury goods from real luxury goods either. This is not about having a condensed version of a product, this is about the open support the IP theft of a brand under the guise of "appreciating" its design.
A better analogy regarding music, would be buying a $5 bootleg CD off Canal St.
Yeah you're going to appreciate all the tracks , but you're not supporting the artist or the record label.

that was the analogy I made.

If you listen to an illegal 320kpbs MP3,
does that mean you appreciate the song less than the person listening to retail cd, and or lossless audio format?

 

[computersputin]

that was the analogy I made.

If you listen to an illegal 320kpbs MP3,
does that mean you appreciate the song less than the person listening to retail cd, and or lossless audio format?

Im not debating your level of appreciation that you may or may not have from buying real or fake items.
I'm asking if your cool with not supporting the actual brand that employees the designers and craftmans that makes the designs that you say you appreciate.
But it seems that you are cool with it already.