The Wholesale Forums

[greedyboy]

The cost of a shirt simply isn't the cost to produce it. To establish a brand, and especially a worldwide brand cost billions (on top of billions of dollars of operating costs every year). Then there are the retailers working on a margin of one, two or three times the the cost. My local designer store works on a factor of 2.8. So a £100 item sells for £280.

What's the difference between a £50K BMW and a £20,000 top of the range Toyota? Not much these days apart from the badge. A badge is what you are buying in any luxury goods market. You can't make a badge, you have to build one and that goes back to what I said above.

It's not down the the manufacturers to curb fakes entering the market, it is down to the pikey consumers. The same with stolen goods. Without buyers there is no market.

[Cartel Imports]

I understand your point but we all know how much these guys make. I would never pay twice or three times as much just because of a badge. These companies take advantage of the consumers and some people dont like being charged so much for certain items. I know big brands have big costs and spend more money on advetising campaigns etc so they need to make more money to be successful. Just dont agree with how they take advantage of consumers.

[sacback]

Selling fakes is just like taking copyrighted music. I think that it should be punishable by law. But alot of times you can't even tell if some of the items you are selling is even fake.

[greedyboy]

Originally Posted by Cartel Imports

I understand your point but we all know how much these guys make. I would never pay twice or three times as much just because of a badge. These companies take advantage of the consumers and some people dont like being charged so much for certain items. I know big brands have big costs and spend more money on advetising campaigns etc so they need to make more money to be successful. Just dont agree with how they take advantage of consumers.

Supply and demand. No one i being taken advantage of. Consumers have a choice, and a very big one at that. You can buy a polo shirt for £1 in a market or you can pay £50 for a designer one.

As for making too much money, fair play to them. Isn't that why we are in business? Buy, sell make a profit.

[sacback]

I mean honestly there are companies out there who sell fakes and make alot of money. Most people can't afford the "real thing."

[londonking]

All I can say is be very carefull, I am a trader that deals in factory overuns and I don't mean the RL, Lacoste, A&F etc but of high street british brands like George, Next, M&S, Top Man etc. All my goods are imported here with either labels cut or crossed with a black marker for brand protection purposes. These are then wholesaled to my clients.

One day 2 years ago at 8.45am in morning, my office got raided on a warrant by Trading Standards(5 people) plus two female police officers. At that point I was on the M1 motorway just left my house and one of my staff informed me what has happened. So I made it back to the office within 30 mins and immediately was arrested and taken to the local nick for questioning. Spent 2 hours in a cell and then got questioned for no more than 30 mins and released on unconditional bail. During the 2 hours in the nick, they seized all my stock, 2 laptops, a desktop pc, paperwork, files, the lot.

Ultimately, with help of my big customers and the major factories that all goods were purchased and imported legally it created a big inconvenience to me and my business.

So if your dealing in branded goods, PLEASE PLEASE, make sure you are certain about authenticity and ensure you have evidence to back it up cos you never know when these guys will turn up at your door. It will take one complaint from a customer to kick off these things and all helll break loose.

[Andy777]

Very interesting article about "luxury goods" market in
latest "Newsweek" magazine.

It turns out when World's economy is slowly cooling down,
luxury market is booming like never before.

New records for art work in "Christie's" auctions.

Super-High-Priced jewelry, cars and houses.

Maybe rich people know that World is going to change
within next few years - they are playing on Full Bank :-)

[k7suf]

It is very tempting to sell fakes. I was offered 50 lacoste polos for less than £4.50 per shirt. Very easy to make a profit on this but its too risky in my opinion! Im still looking for legit suppliers!

[SEANYBOY]

to be honest on ebay you have to be knocking out 100s a week for them to care. 5-10 items and they just pull the occasional auction from what i have heard. all the arrests seem to be sellers making thousands...

[geosamm]

Originally Posted by SEANYBOY

to be honest on ebay you have to be knocking out 100s a week for them to care. 5-10 items and they just pull the occasional auction from what i have heard. all the arrests seem to be sellers making thousands...

Oh if this were only true.... sure you read about the big boys getting a knock on the door.... but that does not mean no one is taking note... and it only takes one sale to get ya collar felt... a little story [all fact].... when I was into computers in a sideways capacity I used to write my own chips.... no its not illegal...... I used to write cards too... again not illegal.... anyway I used to get a supplier to bring my stock to the local computer fair, I could buy them from him cheaper than getting them myself... anyway..... most times I collected my items Trading Standards would be logging everyone who was purchasing quantities of blank disks.... they would follow them out and take their car reg number.... several weeks later some would be trapped by one single sale of a pirated disk.... to an undercover officer. They followed me several times and when I approached them I gave them my business card and asked them if they wished to call and view my stock. They did check me but found nothing untoward.

If you do it you should be aware of the consequences and be prepared to pay them or as the old lags say....... If you do the crime...Ya do the time