Now, there I was, glued to my computer counting down the minutes in
which I was to inherit one of the greatest masterpieces ever created.
One which rivals the great paintings and sculptures from the likes of
Michelangelo, Rembrandt and even Picasso - dare I say! In my
sniper-like fashion, I waited and waited just in case someone dared
to outbid me. Ten minutes...five minutes...now 1 minute and
10seconds remaining.
It was down to crunch time now and I opened up my second
browser window. The first was placed in bid mode just incase I needed
to increase my bid, while the other was refreshed every 10 seconds so
that I can track it all down in real time. Finally, 1 minute and 11
seconds later, I breathe a sigh of relief and began doing my
"happy"
dance.
Why was I so happy, you ask? Did I win the National Lottery? Did I
become Donald Trump's new apprentice? No, but it ranks a very
close second to all of the above.I won my first pair of Retro
Jordan
XI (That's eleven to the uninitiated). These are perhaps the most
popular Jordan's, and even shoes for that matter, that have ever
been produced. My time finally came as it had been 9 years since I
first saw them in my local Footlocker and missed out on my chance to
get them. Now I had to wait 2 weeks more. Oh, the Suspense!
Two week later...
Tuesday 10:00 am, just like clockwork the postman (Mail Carrier to be
PC) arrives. A few seconds later I hear the door slam which can only
mean on thing - They're here! So I rush to the door, pick up
the
package and proceed to my room. Closing the door behind me, just like
a child on Christmas Day, I frantically proceed to rip open the
package. In the midst of all of this a thought enters my head -
Where were they shipped from? I take a moment to look at the shipping
label and notice that it came from California and not form Shanghai
or Hong Kong. So far so good. I continue to open the package and
there it was (cue the angels singing)..The grey and black Jordan
silhouette. I finally get the box unwrapped and glance at the product
label. It reads "Retro Jordan 11". Now I notice something
here which
I'll get to later on (Point #1). I opened the lid and the retro
card
was sitting right on top of the tissue wrapped shoes. I take it out
so I can look at the other Retro Jordan's and reminisce. It's
at
this point that I notice something else that threw me off once more
which I'll also get to later on (Points 4&5).
Now before I removed the tissue I lit up a cigar, as any man would
when introducing a new arrival to the family. And there they were,
brand spanking new, my new Retro XI's in the Black/Varsity
Red-White colorway. I removed one of the shoes and examined it up and
down and I must say, these were the real deal! I then pulled the
other shoe out and notice that something is wrong..the
"23" on the
rear of the left shoe is crooked. I also noticed that the material on
which the "23" is printed is sticking out (Point 6). I
shrugged it
off and decided to try them on as the final test. Guess what?! They
were too small. I immediately took them off and looked at the product
tag inside. It read "Made in China, 020608 LNR3. That was the
final
straw that made me go from total elation to utter disappointment.
All the signs were there and I had come to the realization that I was
duped. I was bamboozled. I was taken in. Either way you put it, I was
now in possession of brand new Retro Jordan XI FAKES!! So, what do I
do? Do I place them back up on auction and get my money back? NO WAY,
that would make me just as dishonest as the guy who sold them to me.
My next step was to contact the buyer, but before I was to do that, I
needed to examine the shoes in detail and make a list. Here they are:
1. The label on the box had overlapping lines and the font was
not correct.
2. The bottom of the box said "Made in China" and
"Fabrique aux
Etats Unis". Which is it, made in China or made in the USA?
3. The Jordan Silhouette was much darker than usual.
4. The Retro Card had Jordan's shirt in Teal color and not Navy.
5. The shoe images on the Retro Card were blurry and faint
6. The "23" on the rear of one of the shoes was crooked and
the
foam material that it is on sticks out as opposed to being flush with
the leather.
7. The carbon plate on the bottom of the shoe was in fact real
but the pattern and color was off.
8. The production date was listed as 020608 as opposed to
010911. Nike never made this shoe in 2002.
The points listed above apply to the Retro Jordan XI's. However,
you should use these points as guidelines when purchasing other Retro
Jordan's from the net or a local flea market vendor. Other points
to be considered include:
1. All shoes are made in limited supply. There is absolutely no
way that you can get 1000 pairs of authentic Retro Jordan 1's in
all
sizes.
2. When purchasing online, look at the pictures that the seller
is using and compare them with the pictures of the other shoes that
they sell. Is the background the same? Are there weird numbers on a
few of the pictures? Do they have the Neon Green XI's in stock?
If
so, don't even think about buying. If you want more proof never
be
afraid to ask the seller to provide you with more pictures.
3. If the website also sells custom Air Force 1's, Louis Vuitton
Handbags and Timberland Boots always make it a point to read
their "Policy" which will clearly state that the shoes are
fakes/variants. Better yet don't even read the policy, just move
on.
One last thing to remember is the universal rule that applies to any
and everything that you purchase - Buyer Beware! Do yourself a
favor and do your research first before you end up like I did. Oh,
and if you're wondering about my Fakes, I have since contacted
the
buyer and the auction site. He is "no longer a registered
user" Sheldon Smith is an avid shoe collector and online retailer of
exclusive footwear and fashions through his store
www.lastpairfootwear.com. If you would like to join his mailing list
and receive articles similar to the one you just read, send him an
email at sheldon@lastpairfootwear.com with "Add Me to Your
Newsletter List" as the subject.
Article Source: http://www.articlepros.com
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