left - FAKE right - GENUINE
left - FAKE right - GENUINE
Well as they say, on a long enough time line, anything is possible. In this case, when more than 90% of your shopping is done online, you’re bound to come across dodgy products and even dodgier sellers. Case in point, Ebay. Ok, ok, I hear the collective groan and “well there’s ya problem!” but over the years and the number of items that I and my friends have bought, I’m very much surprised I haven’t been stung more. Though, like any purchase if you do your research before hand on the seller and the product, you’ll be in the clear… most of the time.
When it comes to anything that has the potential to be counterfeit I’m rather fastidious and will sooner miss out on a “bargain” than risk getting burnt. But what happens when you confirm a sellers authenticity but then get stung on the second round? We’ll you’re screwed, that’s what.
Our case study involves one particular seller http://myworld.ebay.com.au/alwaysfastship/ who also has an online store http://www.buyfits.com/, they sell New Era caps and some clothing and accessories. Yes, that’s right, we’re happy to name and shame. Being a little uncertain of how legit they were I thought I’d test the waters with a “cant go too wrong” purchase of a MLB LA dodgers New Era cap. Within a week the cap arrived and after going over it comparing it to several of my other genuine articles I was happy to conclude it was the real deal and left me with enough confidence to buy a couple more. This time I went for an Undefeated (UNDFTD) and a camo MLB, with the previous purchase under my belt I felt safe and didn’t check on these items other than the photos in the listing, big mistake.
Taking them out of the box, it was instantly noticeable that they weren’t of the same quality in material and construction (I know some of the purists will scoff at New Eras own inconsistencies but in general they’re a good cut above the flea market garb). After a quick search online to find tell tale signs for fake New Era caps, I found they were all consistent with what I had received.
left - FAKE right - GENUINE
Some of those signs include:
– Shape – this is the most obvious visual sign. Look at the cap from front on, its flatter and squarer than a normal New Era, similar cut to a cheap military cap.
– Bill/visor – I don’t know about other fakes but both of these ones felt like they were made from a manila folder. Holding it by the corner of the visor was enough to make it start to bend from the weight of the hat alone. It was like it was melting!
– Labelling – apparently previously it was easier to spot thanks to the poor quality and the placement of the New Era stickers but now they have exact replicas or are even using the real deal, however, they fail elsewhere. The obvious is the print along the inner 6 point seam, on the Undefeated cap it looked like it was drawn own with Liquid paper, almost completely illegible. The not so obvious is the colour and size of the MLB brand label inside the cap. On the fakes the colouring is dull rather than a bold colour, the sizing is off as well, some are smaller, some are way bigger. The MLB branding on the back of the cap can sometimes be a sign but the information I have found on this is rather inconsistent re: the size of the ball in the logo. Though, if you look closely on fakes the edging of the logo in fine detail areas like the point of the guys cap isn’t as sharp.
– Construction – look closely at the stitching and placement of seams and labels. Look for dropped/bunched/loose stitches and crooked labels, these were obvious on both caps.
– Materials – this is a little harder to determine, it seems like all New Eras should be either 100% wool or a wool blend but I have not found any confirmation for this. Though this can still help with identifying fakes. Both the caps I had were labelled as 100% polyester but online were listed as 100% wool. After questioning the seller about this he claimed that darker colours were always made from cotton! Completely contradicting both labelling and what was listed for the item. Strangely enough, the MLB did feel like it was cotton, so its more than likely he let slip the real material they’re made from. Makes sense since cotton is cheaper than wool.
– More Info – a quick Google search will find you plenty of other things to check for including the button on top of the hat not lining up with the panels and inner seams, the number of rows of stitches in the visor etc.
Genuine - note bold colour label, sharp lines on text and image, straight positioning
FAKE - note: dull colour MLB label, fuzzy lines on text and image, crocked positioning
FAKE - illegible print
So how do you stop yourself falling into the same traps?
– its been said so many times before but still no truer words have been spoken… if its too good to be true, then it usually is. Case in point, the Undefeated cap was released in 2008, yet here’s a place with seemingly unlimited stock in every size while no other (reputable) store in the world has them. This statement also refers to pricing, if they’re way cheaper than everywhere else or have crazy specials where they’re giving away free hats if you buy 2 or more then this should be taken as a big warning sign.
– On ebay, ALWAYS check the feedback, it may not be 100% accurate for the positive fb, since they can easily get their friends/alias accounts to “buy” stuff from them but the negative and neutral fb is what you need to look for. Even if there’s only one that is enough to look in further at what you’re actually buying.
– Take note of the photos of the items. If they’re game enough to take photos of the actual items, you’ll see they usually shoot from an angle from above. This hides the fakes lack of “doming”. You wont see front on shots with the visor at eye level. Also look out for stolen stock shots from other websites. If fake Air Jordan websites can steal Flight Club stock shots and remove their big watermark then it would be no problem for them to do the same for caps.
– Feedback/disputes – always lodge a dispute as soon as possible. Dodgy sellers are masters at beating round the bush and dragging things out longer then they have to. If you aren’t getting quick responses or it seems they’re trying to worm their way out of it then log a dispute and let ebay sort them out. If you’re planning on leaving negative fb then make sure you’ve exhausted all of your options. Consider it as your final ace up your sleeve because once its dealt then the seller has nothing to lose and can just not refund your money. Also remember there is a limited time to lodge disputes and leave feedback. I believe its around 45 days for both but can’t find confirmation. This used to be way longer but ebay cut it back because they said only a small percentage of people do anything after 30 days. Too bad when it takes over 2 weeks to receive your item and just as long for them to receive it back if you want a refund!
– Usually genuine businesses are a bit more attentive and will try and resolve any issues quickly not take your money and run.
– Finally do not buy from http://myworld.ebay.com.au/alwaysfastship/ or their online store, they’re faker than a hooker’s smile. Even with the chance of getting a genuine article the risk is still high and the service still very poor. Simply not worth the headache. Stick to known authorised resellers and don’t give these leeches the satisfaction.
Now, while I did get a refund on one of the caps, they have stopped replying to my emails for the other, hence this blog/warning/personal reminder.
Update: it seems I haven’t been the only one scolding them with accusations as they have now changed all their listings from “New Era Cap” to “New Cap”. Small silver lining on that cloud but for those uninitiated I hope this message has helped a bit.
Its been a long and tedious road but its finally here!
Local lads Morgan MacManus & Omegachild have finally dropped their long awaited debut album “Ultimate Questions”. Head on over to their site to have a listen and purchase a copy of your very own. Go old school and grab the hardcopy CD version for full cover, inlay and cd imagery by soulbridgemedia!
Morgan McManus & Omegachild debut album
Santa Monica pier
If you’re staying in Santa Monica, its only natural that you find yourself making a bee line to the Santa Monica pier, thanks partly due to its ferris wheel beacon. The wheel is accompanied by a small group of amusement park rides and “side show alley” type games. There are also a few restaurants/eateries including Bubba Gump Shrimp (yes the one and the same), souvenir shops and a historic display case to mark the end of the famous Route 66.
We were expecting some spectacular sunrises while we were there with the cooler mornings and clear days, unfortunately the one morning we dragged ourselves out of bed at 4am it was completely fogged over. Not only that, it continued right into the early afternoon! We had never seen anything like it. The fog casted a blueish tone over everything, and with the odd sign board creaking, it definitely added to the eerie deserted boardwalk at that time of the morning. We were just waiting to catch a glimpse of a shadow of a zombie scurrying between the carts of the rollercoaster! Lol
Santa Monica pier
By chance, our stay coincided with the LA marathon (could be why the breakfast buffet was full of people in shorts while it was < 10C outside) so there was some setting up of the festivities for the finish line party on the beach as well as a war memorial for fallen soldiers.
[caption id="attachment_571" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="War memorial Santa Monica pier"]
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Photo ops: end of the pier looking back at the ferris wheel, on the amusement park side shooting the pier, down on the beach below the pier and also back on the road just north looking down over the pier and beach. This time of morning is probably the only time you get to see the paths and boardwalk relatively empty as well.
While the beach area is by no means vast and you can leisurely walk down and back in a few hours, it doesn’t beat the fun and convenience of hiring a bicycle to get around. I recommend Sea Mist Rentals, one of the cheapest places, yet the quality of the bicycles are still well above average. For $6/hour or $15/day you get a choice of several different style of bicycles and a bicycle lock, but when in “Rome” you cant go past a beach cruiser. Fixed gear and a fat comfy seat will have you looking cooler than the ‘Fonz in no time. Though if you don’t ride very often or that style of bike you may find the position a little uncomfortable after an hour or 2. Your forearms may get a little sore and sun burnt too so remember to lather up before hand.
Santa Monica beach
Off down the boardwalk, remembering to keep right and watching for the crazies that ride flat out, you’ll see the beach “scenery”, volleyball courts and kite flying areas. Further along, you’ll come across the legal graffiti walls and the Santa Monica skate park. Check out some of the little grommets there, without a doubt the breeding ground for the next Tony Hawk’s. Some of the kids look like they should be singing along at Wiggles concerts but instead they’re busting huge Method-air grabs over transitions 5 times their height!
Legal graffit walls - Santa Monica Beach
Santa Monica skate park
Once you hit the markets you can either keep cruising along the boardwalk or dismount and wander through. There’s plenty of buskers and performers but all the drummers and percussion types all seem to culminate to a grassy knoll area where they just go at it like a Swedish masseuse. Picture the dude in the Brunswick st. mall on a Saturday night but times 30-40 in a large circle with belly dancers and hippy types getting down in the center. Quite the aural and visual spectacle indeed. Also keep an eye out for the KUSH Clubhouse a medicinal Marijuana clinic while you’re in the area. God bless America.
edit: as of June 2010 it is now closed thanks to a new ordinance which has ordered over 400 dispensaries of this “nature” to be closed in LA.
Percussion jam session - Santa Monica beach
As the bongos fade and you get further into Venice Beach, the beach side buildings go from tatty markets to lush modern townhouses and New Orleans styled houses. The bike path ends at the carpark for the Venice Beach pier, but you can still pedal up the long pier and see scores of people fishing. Thanks to the fog that day we could barely see the beach from the ocean end of the pier! Back on land, there are plenty of restaurants and seafood eateries to choose from, all bustling with tourists and locals alike.
Venice Beach pier
If you’ve only hired the bicycles for half a day, keep an eye on the clock so you don’t have to pay extra, though if you ride quickly you
could probably make it back in 20-30min.
Early to bed, early to rise, cos next up is a trip to the happiest place in the world, Disneyland!
Los Angeles holiday photos here
Los Angeles part #1 – West Hollywood
Los Angeles part #2 – West Hollywood(pt 2)
Los Angeles part #3 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Shopping
Los Angeles part #4 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Sightseeing
Adidas Attitude High – Mock Ad
Gotta love the Attitudes series with their vibrant “those colours should not go together but some how it works” colour schemes and their chubby stature.
A lazy weekend and a bucket of chalk = another one of my fictitious campaigns
Before embarking on our trip, we didn’t hear the end of how trashy LA is and how much better NYC was, but I’ve always chosen 2pac over Jigga :p
I guess it’s the same as what most Brisbane people think of the Gold Coast, but like the GC, if you avoid the touristy/trashy areas you can appreciate the laidback lifestyle and friendly locals. It also helps if you don’t stay in Hollywood or downtown LA, so what better place to stay than Santa Monica.
The trade off for choosing any hotel in a coastal area is usually distance to beach/view versus cost. We found that unless you were within a block or 2 of the ocean it was pointless spending the extra to wake up with sand in your teeth. If you planning on spending more time in your hotel room than outside, then the extra money will be worth it, but you also have to ask yourself why are you wasting your holiday in doors 😉
The happy medium is finding a nice hotel within a short walk of the beach, enter Double Trees, Santa Monica. This is a well known hotel chain in America (they have the one right in the middle of Times Square NYC) and for the average traveler facilities are quite luxurious. Price is a little more than what you would pay for similar places on the Hollywood side of the Pacific Coast Hwy but being on 4th street its only a 10-15min walk to the beach and 3rd street Promenade, which brings us to the shopping.
Shopping
3rd street Promenade is very much the Queen Street mall of Santa Monica minus the Myer Center. Chain clothing stores, eateries and plenty of boutique stores, everything you’d expect from a buzzing commercial hub. This is also where you’d go to catch a bus to downtown.
Nike SB Greenbay Packers
Sneakers are covered with Adidas, Footlocker, Skechers and Puma. Special point of interest is CCS which stocks a leaning towards skate wear, so plenty of Nike SB’s and Dunks along with the usual skate and skate inspired footwear brands, but is one of the few places I saw in LA that sold Nike SB apparel (tees and hoodies).
Journey has less “sport” brands but plenty of Chuck Taylors/One star Converse and Doc Martins also deserves a quick look in.
For toys, figures and games you can’t go past Puzzle Zoo. They stock a big range of commercial action figures, collectibles and anime. They also cover those little mind game puzzles and quirky toys (unlink the rings, roll the ball bearing thru the wood maze anyone?) similar to what you’d find at National Geographic stores. They’re also big on souvenir and personalised gifts, license plates, mugs etc.
If you need to take a break, grab a Wetzel Pretzel, pull up a bench and watch one of the many street performers that frequent the area. Anything from breakdance routines to juggling. If the pretzel wasn’t enough there’s plenty of places you can grab an “English” pub style lunch and a pint.
Hang around the promenade long enough re: till the sun sets and you will see the street lit up like it was Christmas!
3rd Street Promenade
Lastly for the music heads that want to get their fingers dusty, head in about 1km on Wilshire Blvd from 3rd St Promenade for Second Spin. One of several stores in LA that has a vast collection of new and used music and dvd’s, records and cd’s. Prices are very reasonable and there are usually deals if you spend a certain amount or for multiple items. The stores also carry different stock than the website. I thought I could save on postage by ordering online then collecting from the store but their online stock comes from a separate warehouse and is subsequently sent from there. Turns out this was a good thing since I ended up ordering over 70 albums :p
Boardwalk/Venice Beach
Big multi-nat corp shopping not your thing? Then its time to mosey on down the boardwalk. It, like most of LA is pretty flat so walking is a breeze. If you want to get around a bit quicker (and don’t have too much to carry) then hiring a bicycle is the way to go.
Starting at the Santa Monica Pier end we chose to follow Ocean Front Walk down and then come back via the boardwalk. There’s not much to start with but once you get about 1/3 of the way towards Venice Beach, it quickly becomes cluttered with market stalls, tourist shops and a slow meandering Ekka style crowd. The markets themselves stock all the usual things you’d expect to see, from hand crafted jewellery and ornaments to the “hand painted” clichés of LA and movie stars. I say “hand painted”, because a lot of the stuff is made to look that way and could very well be, but its mass produced so you’ll see the same “original” pieces over and over again. Also be on guard for anyone approaching you trying to sweet talk you into buying a product or service, they will literally tell you anything to part you from your lucrative tourist dollars!
For a change of pace, head in land two blocks to Main st. This has more of a James st. in New Farm feel with a plethora of boutique shops, designer and quaint indies. For sneakers, Undefeated is the spot, yes the one and the same from the episode of Entourage when Turtle is trying to track down his Fujiyama customs and Vince is pipped by the late DJ AM at this store. Check out the clearance section near the register for some bargains.
Undefeated Santa Monica
Clothing wise there’s plenty of vintage stores but a must see for a nostalgic moment is the ZJ Boarding House shop, better known as Zephyr Skate. Pretty much the birth of skateboarding and further made famous by the movie Lords of Dogtown. Since 2007 it has been officially listed as a LA landmark. Even though the store is now a shallow existence of its former self (looks like every other mass produced surf/skate shop out there) it is still owned by the same people that rebirthed it back in 1988 even if Heath Ledger isn’t drunk off his tits throwing surfboards off the roof 😉
ZJ Boarding House
Further towards Venice Beach there are a couple sport stores but none I found of much interest.
Next up, the cheapest and possibly the best thing to do at the beaches… sight seeing! 😉
Los Angeles holiday photos here
Los Angeles part #1 – West Hollywood
Los Angeles part #2 – West Hollywood(pt 2)
Los Angeles part #3 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Shopping
Los Angeles part #4 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Sightseeing
Teneriffe, the suburb, not Newstead you know? :p
Well they had a little shindig on the weekend which coincided with commercial dance favourites Nova FM’s 5th birthday.
Market stalls and a bunch of live bands and DJ’s including Blue Juice, Amy Meredith, Lowrider and Stan Walker.
Teneriffe festival photos here
She was on a boat, on a motherf-n boat! Happy birthday Miss Erin!
SSRG @ Beenleigh Arena 13/5/10
Thrills, spills and excessive force from a bunch of foxy ladies. It’s everything you’ve come to expect from Roller Derby!
The Golden Roughs come away with another win over the Liquorice Short Shorts.
If you missed the first part of our LA adventures, check them out here
Sunset Blvd
Keep on cruisin down Melrose and you’ll come across a skate shop – few less cliché skate items/brands and a few Nike SB items; Fat Beats for your hiphop music needs; forget trying to find the Footlocker, its gone but is still listed in directory searches; plenty of little boutique clothing and jewellery stores; then a few metres right, into N Fuller Av is JapanLA. As the name suggests, they stock cutsie Japanese inspired fashion, mostly Tokidoki but with more variety and generous sale items. There’s even boxes of clearance items at the back, hello Gloomy Bear figures for $7. The staff are very friendly and very easy on the eyes 😉 They also stock Mr. Egg and Mr. Toast! ^__^
Shopping in between season means you get winter bargains like Tokidoki hoodies for $30-40US. Winner!
The vinyl obsession continues a couple doors down with Munky King. This store is set up more like an art gallery than a retail store. Minimal lush fittings and an art space towards the rear of the store. They stock a big range of the usual Kidrobot and associate style vinyls as well as a few other more obscure designs and artists. There’s also a small selection of apparel. Definitely the place to visit if you’re getting sick of Dunnys or Labbits.
On the subject of vinyls and similar toys/action figures, be ready to pull them out of your carry on at American customs, especially those with small parts like Revoltech figures. Thanks to the unusual shapes and small parts, under the x-ray machine they tend to come up as “unknown”.
The shops start to thin off after this, but hook a left into La Brea for a couple of LA’s colourful landmarks. First is Pink’s Hot Dogs, no, not the singer but just as famous with many celebrities choosing to pop in for a quick bite and also being featured in many movies and TV shows. We weren’t disappointed when we walked passed and saw a banner “Pink’s welcomes David Hassellhoff“. Sure enough, The Hoff was there slingin dogs to a line half way down the block. Though a long line up is hardly out of the norm and is classed as part of its charm. We didn’t have time to sample the cuisine but all reports say its worth the wait.
Pink's Hotdogs on La Brea Hollywood
If you didn’t want to wait for food there’s a few fast food places including Macca’s as you head north on La Brea. Couple blocks on, you’ll also come across a Best Buy (like a cross between Office Works and Harvey Norman) and a group of shops including Target. In this centre, if you walk up the stairs to Target, there’s a landing where you have a clear view of the Hollywood sign. Perfect if you aren’t going up in the hills to check it out. Photographer’s tip: for a nice big shot of the sign – point and shoot users – you’ll need at least a 10x zoom; dslr users – 200mm is ok but 300mm if you want to fill the frame. Another photo op is available on Sunset Blvd at the intersection looking west at sunset (they don’t call it that for nothing!) against a backdrop of the clichéd palm tree lined street.
Hollywood sign
A block and a bit further you’ll come across everyone’s favourite tattooist, Kate Von D and her famous LA Ink store aka High Voltage Tattoo. If you’re familiar with the TV series, the store is just as crazy in real life with wall to wall decorations of memorabilia, varies knick knacks and art pieces. Even if you only have a passing interest in the pierced and painted, simply hanging round the store sees all matter of subjects from the quirky to the down right weird! Good luck getting an appointment on short notice tho!
If you’re Google mapping, search for “High Voltage Tattoo” which is the actual store, “LA Ink” shows up as its studio which is further down the block.
LA Ink - High Voltage Tattoo on La Brea, Hollywood
Beginning of Hollywood walk of fame
About 4 blocks after that and passing Jim Henderson’s Muppet Studio, you’ll hit Hollywood Blvd, which is the start of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and home to iconic landmarks such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Madame Tussauds, Ripley’s Believe it or not and Capitol Records Tower.
Hollywood Blvd
There are also plenty of tacky tourist shops on this strip, but the pricing for the most part is reasonable and you can pick up multiple souvenir tee’s for $10US. Just check their quality first, even though the design might be the same, the consistency of the shirts tend to vary.
Hollywood Blvd
By now you’re probably just about spent but if you’ve still got a couple bucks left in your wallet and the shopping bags haven’t completely severed your fingers off, jump in a cab and head to the Beverly Center
On the cheap: find a bus that goes all the way down N La Brea to W 3rd St then get another that goes from there out to La Cienega Blvd.
The Beverly Center is probably the closest you’ll find to Brisbane’s own Myer center. Couple large higher end Department stores like Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s and then the countless specialty shops with the majority leaning towards female shoes and apparel. There is a cinema and food court on the top level but the real reason to head here is for the view. There’s an outdoor courtyard on the top level with a nice broad 180 degree view of LA.
Photographers tip: bring a tripod to set on a chair to shoot over the glass partition or a point and shoot to sit on top of one of the frame if you’re shooting at night to get pass the reflections, unless of course you carry a black bed sheet around!
LA at night - view from the Beverly Center (click for big)
In the way of sneakers you have a choice of 2 sporting stores Champs and Finish Line and 1 specialist (on the top floor level 8 ) Shiekh Shoes and Footlocker (floor 6). While only Shiekh Shoes has a selection of slightly more obscured models and colourways the real benefit is they all have a good selection of items on sale at great prices. 2 pairs of Adidas Attitudes for $50US? Don’t mind if I do! The Footlocker here is quite large as well so there’s a chance you’ll find a few extra colourways.
Useless fact: In the movie “Volcano” they have scenes when the center was still under construction.
By now, you’ll probably be as broke and broken as we were. We contemplated paying $50 for a cab back to Santa Monica but with a bus stop on the corner, we caught one up La Cienega Blvd to Santa Monica Blvd, got some booze and aspirin from the CVS drug store and then another bus all the way back out to 4th street in Santa Monica for a fraction of the cost.
Back in Santa Monica we hit the hay so we could hit boardwalk the next day.
Next up… Santa Monica and Venice Beach!
Los Angeles holiday photos here
Los Angeles part #1 – West Hollywood
Los Angeles part #2 – West Hollywood(pt 2)
Los Angeles part #3 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Shopping
Los Angeles part #4 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Sightseeing
Steve Aoki, Joachim Garraud, Crookers, Laidback Luke, Felix da Housecat, Mark Schulz and Gareth Emery headline a one of our very few winter festivals for a day of electro, trance, fidget and house.
Winter Sound System Brisbane photos here
