Grey market discussion thread (Let's keep the discussion mature) Rules on pg 1 please read before yo

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I think that both of these things may be happening. The better grey market pairs, however, are surely coming from the same factory lot as some retail pairs.
That is plausible. Grey market just means that the item for sale has not been authorized. The reason for lack of authorization varies. It could be that they overproduced a shoe, because of shrink (insurance covers the items lost, so for Nike to authorize sale would be fraud) but it does not mean that they are fake. Grey market exists in almost every facet of retail business Websites like Jomashop and Ashford are examples of grey market items that are legitimate.
 
this thread should be closed now :rofl:

waits for the nay sayers to come in and say oh, its just one pair of shoes. they are still fake


This thread should of been closed a long time ago. Nothing I haven't been aware of since that thread in 2011.

So many opinions that people treat as facts in here it makes my head hurt reading.



There's still new members that know nothing about the grey market, that need to learn from this thread and should be able to comment. If this thread gets closed the grey market talk will spread into all the other threads. I hope that the two of you stop coming in this thread, and stop posting in here because you guys are experts on gray market shoes, and have no need for this thread.
 
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why would we need to stop posting? we have an ongoing discussion its just some people are spreading false information and scaring these people who know nothing about it. they buy authentic shoes and they think they got fakes because someone wants to spread some lies and completely wrong information.

btw i was joking bout closing the thread, i know this will help a lot of people even though theres still a lot we dont know but hopefully that comes to light soon
 
why would we need to stop posting? we have an ongoing discussion its just some people are spreading false information and scaring these people who know nothing about it. they buy authentic shoes and they think they got fakes because someone wants to spread some lies and completely wrong information.

btw i was joking bout closing the thread, i know this will help a lot of people even though theres still a lot we dont know but hopefully that comes to light soon



You don't have to stop posting I was just trying to make a point. And that's the point of this thread, to weed out the false info and get to the truth. When someone posts false info the people that know the truth come in and set them straight. I think we're all still learning what's actually going on with this grey market.
 
i gotta agree with ninja. No two pairs of spacejams are identically cut as far as patent leather is concerned, and all of the cuts are pretty much on point. If i had a grey market pair and if i rocked it a couple times and let the sole yellow out and then sold them to you, you wouldnt know the difference.
Tru! *2 Chainz Voice*
 
By keeping this thread alive i believe the resellers will slowly go away since there won't be much profit to be made in the future if the grey market exist. The real people who love the shoe can buy it from retail. 

$400 for a pair of Royals 1 with receipt? Hell no! 

$300-350 for a pair of Royals 1 with receipt. "hmm, ill think about it"

$220-250 for a pair of Royals 1 grey market. "Ok i love this shoe but i have no other option of getting it... gonna pull the trigger"
 
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By keeping this thread alive i believe the resellers will slowly go away since there won't be much profit to be made in the future if the grey market exist. The real people who love the shoe can buy it from retail. 

$400 for a pair of Royals 1 with receipt? Hell no! 

$300-350 for a pair of Royals 1 with receipt. "hmm, ill think about it"

$220-250 for a pair of Royals 1 grey market. "Ok i love this shoe but i have no other option of getting it... gonna pull the trigger"
When I looked on the grey market for royals, the prices for $350-$380 still.
 
maybe your looking in the wrong place? i havent even searched but i found two under $300 and one was under $250.

im sure more will come out and other sites will have them other $250 easily.
 
I can't help but wonder where people think sites like sneaker spy, kicksole, & air randy get their early pairs from.

Because jordan brand and Nike are totally selling thousands of their pairs off to random websites when they could drop an early run off in the outlets for $200 & still stack.
 
I don't see an issue with Grey Market. Not from the way it's been explained.

i agree in a way but i think the whole issue is that your paying over retail/reseller prices for some suspect/less quality shoes at times.

now, if they were priced at retail i bet no one would be crying or complaining.
 
I don't see an issue with Grey Market. Not from the way it's been explained.
i agree in a way but i think the whole issue is that your paying over retail/reseller prices for some suspect/less quality shoes at times.

now, if they were priced at retail i bet no one would be crying or complaining.
da market dictated those prices....
 
I don't see an issue with Grey Market. Not from the way it's been explained.


i agree in a way but i think the whole issue is that your paying over retail/reseller prices for some suspect/less quality shoes at times.


now, if they were priced at retail i bet no one would be crying or complaining.


da market dictated those prices....

well obviously but they dont hae to sell at those prices since i bet they are getting them for cheap and would get more sales.

you think these sites arent getting complaints from customers on the daily because of quality issues? its hit or miss buying them these sites.

i dont pay attention to them but im sure a bigger site only sends out top quality shoes like AR and doesnt have this issue while the smaller ones get what they can and send them right out and dont give a damn whether you like it or not as long as its the shoe you ordered.
 
You can never be sure unless you cop from a major official store on release day and get a receipt. Even then, if the grey markets are as great as they say they are, someone could have swapped out some officials for grey markets at a large retailer and you would never even know it.
Crazy you say this because when I was waiting in line to get a ticket for the Fire Red IV's last summer there was a few cats from the bay area I was talking to and they were saying that a Shoe Palace in that area had it's Nike account taking away because they were selling grey market/ good quality fakes.   I don't know if this is true or not but after reading your comment that came to my mind.   Anyone from the bay area ever hear about is? 
 
This thread is great, I personally steer clear of "grey market" "b-grade" pair's. I consider myself having a fine eye for spotting out fakes. But with these new retailer's carrying these GM pairs it's getting harder and harder to tell what's Authentic Nike and what's "bgrade" or fake. This thread will be used to expand my knowledge with these new drops from the past couple years ex. Db4s RA13s BHM3s Royal1s and SJ11 just some of the biggest "bgraded" faked colorways I can think of off hand, that I haven't exactly figured out what to look for on. I have my personal authentic db4s bhm3s and sj11s just want to know what exactly to look for when helping others.

Saw a lil questioning about hibbets a few pages back no problems ever there. Photobucket dig from 09 still have 1 pair ds. 1 pair purchased from FTA the 2 others from hibbets.
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The problem with the definition of unauthorized mentioned in here--that they're just left over pairs or pairs from an extended production run--is that the grey market sellers are producing and offering shoes that are long out of production like Space jams & DB 4s. Those shoes and presumably others' only differentiating characteristic between these and classic fakes & variants is their higher quality materials and appearance. Those shoes are still fake, it's not a matter of being authorized or not, there are high quality DB 4s in FSRs on these sites, they're fake.

I'd use the term "unauthorized" to describe early release pairs with a release date in sight. I say that because more often than not they're built with the same materials from the same blueprints with the same people that will build the real pair. After the production run is finished blueprints are often destroyed and materials are used up or repurposed forcing workers to make due with other materials.

So, I believe that everything produced after the production run can be classified as replicas or fakes.

They can be really good fakes but they're still fakes.
 
The problem with the definition of unauthorized mentioned in here--that they're just left over pairs or pairs from an extended production run--is that the grey market sellers are producing and offering shoes that are long out of production like Space jams & DB 4s. Those shoes and presumably others' only differentiating characteristic between these and classic fakes & variants is their higher quality materials and appearance. Those shoes are still fake, it's not a matter of being authorized or not, there are high quality DB 4s in FSRs on these sites, they're fake.

I'd use the term "unauthorized" to describe early release pairs with a release date in sight. I say that because more often than not they're built with the same materials from the same blueprints with the same people that will build the real pair. After the production run is finished blueprints are often destroyed and materials are used up or repurposed forcing workers to make due with other materials.

So, I believe that everything produced after the production run can be classified as replicas or fakes.

They can be really good fakes but they're still fakes.
I sort of agree with this but the reason I'd consider the DB4s fake and not Space Jams or Concords or most 11s for that matter is because DB4s usually have clear flaws that will tell you immediately that they are fake ie: Face by the lower ankle facing the wrong way, superman logo be off or slightly discolored, inside liner not creeping over the tongue, and ive heard that even the designs printed on the shoe themselves are off. As for the space jams (aside from the ones with blue tinted soles) and other 11s for that fact they are practically indistinguishable from the retail pairs aside from the icy soles, regardless of production date. True they are different shoes but their is something they are not doing or missing in the DB4 production that is making them turn out different from the original release that cant be said for the reproduction of grey market 11s. Of course this is speculation on my part for the DB4s because ive only seen the retail version of those shoes in person and the GM pair in pics on the internet. I have seen both GM and retail pairs of the concord 11s in person though.
 
So the consensus regarding the definition of a 'Grey Market' Jordan is one that was made in a NIke factory, with 100% Nike materials, molds and production techniques, but has made it, through unauthorized distribution routes, into the hands of retailers who are unauthorized by Nike to sell the product (with a very slight chance of an authorized dealer getting a pair via returned merchandise).  This can be due to 'shrinkage,' unauthorized product fabrication, and diversion.  Am I correct on this?

I once received a pair of blatantly fake (not made by Nike, in a Nike factory or using Nike molds, materials, or production methods) Jordan 4 black/cement.  It was VERY easy to tell that they were fake, once I had a legit pair in hand to compare them to; some helpful folks on NT were able to tell just by my photographs.  I got my money back, and gave the shoes to a homeless guy that I know.

I would not wear the Fake pair, but I don't think I would have a problem wearing a 'Grey Market' pair, if the definition above is generally authoritative.  I personally, however, would not knowingly pay over retail price for them.  In terms of 'shrinkage,' it would be my guess that Nike does, albeit clandestinely, make a profit from the sale of these shoes.  I could be wrong on this, though.

Thanks to all for the great info!
 
So the consensus regarding the definition of a 'Grey Market' Jordan is one that was made in a NIke factory, with 100% Nike materials, molds and production techniques, but has made it, through unauthorized distribution routes, into the hands of retailers who are unauthorized by Nike to sell the product (with a very slight chance of an authorized dealer getting a pair via returned merchandise).  This can be due to 'shrinkage,' unauthorized product fabrication, and diversion.  Am I correct on this?

I once received a pair of blatantly fake (not made by Nike, in a Nike factory or using Nike molds, materials, or production methods) Jordan 4 black/cement.  It was VERY easy to tell that they were fake, once I had a legit pair in hand to compare them to; some helpful folks on NT were able to tell just by my photographs.  I got my money back, and gave the shoes to a homeless guy that I know.

I would not wear the Fake pair, but I don't think I would have a problem wearing a 'Grey Market' pair, if the definition above is generally authoritative.  I personally, however, would not knowingly pay over retail price for them.  In terms of 'shrinkage,' it would be my guess that Nike does, albeit clandestinely, make a profit from the sale of these shoes.  I could be wrong on this, though.

Thanks to all for the great info!
The thing is for the most part you wouldnt be paying over retail for these shoes if you dont buy them through a reseller who marks them up. It is possible to buy them directly from the source. No middle man needed. Hence the reason why these are becoming a viable, albeit questionably moral, option.
 
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