Ok, here is the history.

I've been trying to find a reliable dropshipper for days and no luck. Mostly because all those replica and fake products.

But what piss me off is that i've a friend who works for a legitimate company that do import and export mainly with the asian market. And guess who are their main clients... yep you got it... Gucci, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Versace... and many others!

So my friend mainly work is, fly to Thailand, contact his supplyiers there, do his business with them. Fly back to europe. Wait for the good to arrive. Sell them to those brands i told before. Those brand just put their stamps saying like: "Gucci" on the product and sell them to us!

The worst part is, my friend buys from those thailand guys, for exemple sun glasses (their main product this summer) for 4$ dollars. In europe he sells them for 9 or 10 dollars to those brands and they sell it to the people at hundreds of dollars! THATS A FUCKING RIPOFF!!!

Thinks about it, ofcourse ipods and electronical gear i've no idea has my friend doesnt work with that categorie. He's on clothes, sun glasses, shoes, wallets... this kind of stuff.

How ethical is for gucci, and all those brands, to search for replicas when they came from the same factory?

They are just selling the name Gucci, as thats the only thing they put on the material they buy from my friend wich he buys from asia...

That's just how it goes, dazito. The big name brands outsource their product manufacturing to foreign countries in order to get the cheapest labor possible. They in turn sell these products to the consumer for the highest profit margin possible. This is feasible because these large companies have launched multi-million dollar marketing campaigns to bring about consumer awareness. We are not paying high prices for the product per se, we are paying for that "name brand" label. These companies need to recoup the costs spent on lavish marketing tactics. After receiving their merchandise from the foreign factories, the big brand names put their products in expensive boutiques and high end clothing stores.

Conversely, the factories manufacturing these products for the big name companies turn around and sell the same product to people like your friend as "mirror image", "five or seven star", "replica", etc. The big name brands pay these factories so much per piece manufactured. The factory in turn can sell these same products to small businesses for a larger profit margin. So not only is the factory being paid by the big name brand, they are also receiving compensation for "knockoff" products.

The name Brands more than likely came up with the design.

The company I work for manufactures a product, and put it in a bag for the general public, they also have for professional use only that they sell for more. The same shit goes in every bag.

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Netflix PLR articles for PreLaunches.

Agree, but my friend doesn't work with replica stuff!
He sell's the "raw materials", i did the quotes because they aint real raw materials but the product in fact, for the big brands. Then, the big brands on their own factories, or whatever they have, just stick that stample saying it is an original product from XXX brand.

In other words, he buys unbranded sun glasses, recieve it in europe, he contacts his clients, most of them big famous brands, they buy him the unbranded sun glasses (wich came from asia) brand it and sell them to the people.

This just means that, very probably, 90% of the replica stuff (i dont include here electronic stuff) are the exact same product as the original. Wich pisses me off when someone sold one of those replicas on ebay and he gets he's account banned, when he very probably sold the exact same product as the so called original one, for a lower price.

Interestingly, I don't mind this sort of arrangement.

I think it's actually great to know that the high end stuff is virtually the same as the low end stuff. It forces the rich to pay more for the same goods in order to keep their prestige, whereas the common folks can still get access to quality products.

Plus, the extra spending from the rich helps those common folks working at Gucci, Prada, etc. have a job. It's really not that bad a deal unless you want to pose as someone who's rich and you desire that brand name bullshit... in which case, work harder and good luck!

I for one don't want to spend my money to purchase prestige, I'd rather earn it through my actions and use my money on more satisfying things, like good food!

Exacly. That is my point. I do have some replica and original clothes. I dont mind to use replica stuff as long as i feel good with them.

What i see is more and more people getting their ebay account banned for selling the same product that those brands sells for loads of money. This piss me off. I dont have my account banned, i dont even sold anything with ebay but i had plans to start selling some stuff but those "replica" hunters guys force me to be super uber cautious

Just shows you how materialistic this world could be.

It sure feels good to know you could buy the same product that some filthy rich person can for about 1/10th of the price they paid for it knowing that its the same exact thing.

But rightfully so Gucci and other big name products have put so much money into marketing and having the consumer want the product regardless of that price that I would say they deserve it. They are not selling it for the product it is but for the name. So unless you are in business with the name brands you always have to be careful for the people looking for knockoffs because in reality its the name and not the product that's being sold.

'...The Lacoste and Versace shirts I wear, together with Gucci shoes etc, are not copies, they are genuine, however, because I purchase them here in Thailand they are coming from where they are made. I have even visited the sweatshops both here and in Cambodia and seen them being made. It's just that on their journey to the West they gain several hundred pounds. (£££'s)

Sure there are copies all over Asia. You can even purchase plain un-logo-ed shirts and have them embroider whatever fancy logo you want on them, but if you know where to go you can purchase originals at only a dollar or two above manufacturing costs.

I even know where in Bangkok they manufacture original soccer strips. Purchased cheaply from the factory they are expensive once they arrive in the U.K.

Please realise there is a heirachy system in Thailand that the Thais accept and respect so they see nothing wrong in knowing their place at the bottom of the food chain, working their tails off to make their Thai or Foreign boss rich. They see honour and take satisfaction in this. In return, the boss will look after them in ways a Western boss wouldn't. Maybe buying medicine for a sick child if the worker can't afford or lending money in an emergency. (That is another business opportunity here. I can purchase any medication I want over the counter to sell on Pharmacy websites although I haven't yet gone into the money-lending business but have a Thai friend who does...but that's another story).

On many occasion I have told them how much the item they are making sells for in Europe and, far from being angry, they just laugh and think the foreigner is stupid. He is if he's so self-obsessed that he'll pay thousands of dollars for something that costs a dollar or two to manufacture simply because it has been purchased from a high-rent shop on Rodeo Drive or Bond Street.

Once you see these items being manufactured, they lose their glamour. Same with luxury vehicles. If you've ever owed a luxury car but seen it stripped down in a workshop for repair, you wonder what the hell you paid all that money for...lol

themagician
Living happily in The Land Of Smiles

Hey Magician
You know how lucky you are?

You know I got real deep depression returning from Thailand last year after living there for seven months.

You know how desperate I am to find money making ways to get back there out of Freakin UK?

There is a gold mine for us and our pensions there.
As this thread enlightens us ther is nothing wrong in selling replicas to the poor and working population!
You know those Thai ladies are so different in every way to freakin English women?
You know I had to leave a great girl there to come back to hell?

Why don't you just go back?

Well Dude Life Isn't Fair, And That's The Good NEws

If It Was We'd All Be Getting The Same Results In Life Regardless Of What We Want.

I Think That Instead Of Feeling Bad That Your Friend Found A Awesome Supplier, Ask Him For Advice.

If You Learn From Him, Eventual You Can Be Just Like Him....Maybe Even Better.

Then Come Back To BHW And Tell Us How To Do It

Oh, And I Take Donation Too