Law Stud Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Stuart, this is one pub table debate that could probably go on for ever. The un-badged shirt is always going to be cheaper. I also could buy them in at that price but I can't put the badge on it. I buy from Nike, who have paid Celtic £xmillion a year to put the badge on the shirt. That cost is passed down the line to me and thus to the fan. No choice in the matter. This is where the disparity exists. It's also why a Star Wars t-shirt costs twice the price of a plain white t-shirt. You the consumer are paying for that choice. Quality. I still disagree with you. I know of times in the past that Rangers shirts have been of poor quality and were recalled but hand on my heart, we do not get any significant return of faulty shirts. I will agree though that Adidas produce by far and away the best quality of shirts currently on the market. On VAT, many suppliers as I mentioned charge VAT on XL boys sizes. Retailers have different ways of dealing with this. For us in the case of the shorts, we absorb that extra charge within the other shorts. If these suppliers didn't charge the VAT on these sizes, they would be marginally lower. When I said that kids shorts were cheaper, I am talking less than £1 cheaper. Licensed products whether football, film or music will always carry a premium. That's life. If you are ever in Edinburgh, pop into the shop. I would be delighted to get you a coffee and tell you all about it. Incidentally, I would be very interested to know which website is selling the current Barca Away shirt at £15. Nike would also be very interested as they like to close these sites down. Please PM me with the details as I can guarantee, they are fake. Ach listen, you sound like a nice bloke. I might take you up on the coffee and I'll PM you in a minute. Ofcourse I understand the point on licenced products and premuim prices but as I said originally the premium is coming from the clubs themselves. It is the clubs that are fleecing their customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Law Stud Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Two of my family are currently in Orlando on holiday, and as I have a keen collection of football tops I was considering deploying them to this United World Soccer shop to buy me some strips to take home.However as Dickson is a noted psycho I decided first of all to email the shop to ask for the prices. Here is the list of items that I asked the prices for: "Colorado Rapids adult medium shirt Chicago Fire adult medium home shirt Chicago Fire adult medium away shirt Real Salt Lake adult medium home shirt Real Salt Lake adult medium away shirt New England Revo adult medium home shirt All for current season and just one of each." And here is the reply I got: Yeah. edit: For the record I am an XL and not a Medium, but I figured that I could add $5 on Swampy, when I e-mailed them on the 9th of June I was quoted higher prices by Tom Traxler also, but when we visited the shop the prices were different and considerably lower. We were last in the shop on the 3rd of July so if I was you I would still dispatch your family to the shop and get them to quote you the prices on the tags instead of what is on the e-mail. My eldest son is a medium while my youngest son is a YM. We also bought one other top as a gift for my youngest sons friend because they were so cheap. The other store with the cheap Puma boots was Champs Sports in the Florida Mall. They had a few MLS adult shirts on sale too, but we were in there looking for trainers and football boots having already been to the Festival Bay store. Course that's only if you are really serious about getting those shirts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampy Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Swampy, when I e-mailed them on the 9th of June I was quoted higher prices by Tom Traxler also, but when we visited the shop the prices were different and considerably lower. We were last in the shop on the 3rd of July so if I was you I would still dispatch your family to the shop and get them to quote you the prices on the tags instead of what is on the e-mail. My eldest son is a medium while my youngest son is a YM. We also bought one other top as a gift for my youngest sons friend because they were so cheap. The other store with the cheap Puma boots was Champs Sports in the Florida Mall. They had a few MLS adult shirts on sale too, but we were in there looking for trainers and football boots having already been to the Festival Bay store. Course that's only if you are really serious about getting those shirts... It's not that I don't believe you, but... no - I don't believe you. I'm more inclined to go with what the store manager says than anything else. Are you sure you haven't purchased last season's tops? Those are the only ones I can imagine being priced so low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilthyMack Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 My brother was in Stuttgart last week and was telling me tops are about 60 Euros there, that's not much shy of 50 quid at the current exchange rate. So the argument that we're paying over the odds (as SD's been told frequently it would appear) doesn't always hold water. Anyhoo, I know how much you love your Adidas kit Stuart, our tops will be on sale at £35 this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Law Stud Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 It's not that I don't believe you, but... no - I don't believe you.I'm more inclined to go with what the store manager says than anything else. Are you sure you haven't purchased last season's tops? Those are the only ones I can imagine being priced so low. Definately 2008/9 strips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 It seems that you found the only store in North America selling this season's tops at such a wonderful price so well done in finding it. I am not doubting you, I have never been to this store so cant say you are wrong, but everyone else seems to be selling at roughly the same prices as mlsgear.com unless - as I mentioned earlier - you are happy to buy market stall knock offs, cheaper replica strips instead of authentics or last season's gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Law Stud Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 It seems that you found the only store in North America selling this season's tops at such a wonderful price so well done in finding it. I am not doubting you, I have never been to this store so cant say you are wrong, but everyone else seems to be selling at roughly the same prices as mlsgear.com unless - as I mentioned earlier - you are happy to buy market stall knock offs, cheaper replica strips instead of authentics or last season's gear. Scotty, in the room I am in right now my youngest sons two Columbus Crew tops are right next to me. They are definately 100% genuine Adidas and they are definately 2008/9 as per the MLS Gear website. My son was wearing the top in the Green Cabin Room on the day we met with the Adidas executive - if they were dodgy in any way I'm sure she would have taken a greater interest in the top, especially since they also carry the Adidas logo. Just so you can confirm the year...the home strip is a yellow top with the Adidas black swooshes and the Giddens advert on the front. The away top is mainly black with a yellow stripe down the centre. Again it carries the Giddens advert. Looking at the MLS gear website all of the shirts we bought were current shirts. The Chicago Fire tops carry the Best Buy logo rather than last years Fire logo. The more dodgy market stalls that you refer to - would that be the ones in the centre of the malls with plain t-shirts with the words "Brazil" and "England" printed on them. There is quite a substancial difference. I think I would have noticed that one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Just so you can confirm the year...the home strip is a yellow top with the Adidas black swooshes and the Giddens advert on the front. The away top is mainly black with a yellow stripe down the centre. Again it carries the Giddens advert. Looking at the MLS gear website all of the shirts we bought were current shirts. The Chicago Fire tops carry the Best Buy logo rather than last years Fire logo. The more dodgy market stalls that you refer to - would that be the ones in the centre of the malls with plain t-shirts with the words "Brazil" and "England" printed on them. There is quite a substancial difference. I think I would have noticed that one.... Columbus: sounds about right but I hope it says GLIDDEN rather than GIDDEN I still think that you might have got "replica" tops rather than "authentic" .... they look the same, are endorsed by MLS, but sell for a bit less because they are not exactly the same as the matchday strips. As far as I can see, in most cases, the only difference is the cardboard label attached when you get it that says replica or authentic and the material used for things like the MLS badge and club badge can be different. There should also be an "authentic" hologram somewhere. The design, sponsor logo and material appear to be identical or at worst, nearly identical. In Toronto FC's case, the 2007 replicas are easy to spot because they issued them without the "BMO" sponsor logo ... instead they have the word "Toronto" on the front. 2008 replicas are not so easy to spot as they are almost identical to the authentics with both having the BMO logo. Not sure if the mlsgear website is right or not but their pictures of the Fire shirt show a couple of differences between authentic and replica. Authentics appear to have a little logo above the badge, the hologram on the bottom right and the trade-name of the type of material on the bottom left whereas replicas dont have them. No - The dodgy market stalls I am referring to are well organised, sell through small stores or "flea markets" and turn out replicas in the thousands, which appear to be of "decent" quality (for the price) and to the untrained eye look quite legitimate. Have heard plenty of complaints about them though as they tend to fall apart after only a couple of washes or fade badly .... Bottom line - sounds like you may have got a decent deal so fair play to you .... but in the general scheme of things, getting back to the topic, football shirts are grossly overpriced everywhere in the world except that store you found !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demented Zebra Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 It seems that you found the only store in North America selling this season's tops at such a wonderful price so well done in finding it. I am not doubting you, I have never been to this store so cant say you are wrong, but everyone else seems to be selling at roughly the same prices as mlsgear.com unless - as I mentioned earlier - you are happy to buy market stall knock offs, cheaper replica strips instead of authentics or last season's gear. Stuart "I've eaten too many cakes" Dickson is famous for his porky pies not only going into his mouth but also coming out. Take it like he does, with a pich of salt the porky pies that is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Booth Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 It's not that I don't believe you, but... no - I don't believe you.I'm more inclined to go with what the store manager says than anything else. Are you sure you haven't purchased last season's tops? Those are the only ones I can imagine being priced so low. he was almost certainly buying "outlet" stock, ie previous seasons' kit but was too righteous in thinking "I'm going to get it right up St. Mirren for charging £40" that is usual thinking was clouded. Hold on, "usual thinking"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Swampy, when I e-mailed them on the 9th of June I was quoted higher prices by Tom Traxler also, but when we visited the shop the prices were different and considerably lower. We were last in the shop on the 3rd of July so if I was you I would still dispatch your family to the shop and get them to quote you the prices on the tags instead of what is on the e-mail. So, in conclusion, you e-mailed this shop to order the kits. You were quoted a price of 70% - yet when you went into the store (apparently not ordering the kits from this guy at the time), you discovered they were half the price. Now why does that never happen to the rest of us, regardless of what we're buying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTOF Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 So, in conclusion, you e-mailed this shop to order the kits. You were quoted a price of 70% - yet when you went into the store (apparently not ordering the kits from this guy at the time), you discovered they were half the price.Now why does that never happen to the rest of us, regardless of what we're buying? We're not as good liars as fatboy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FootballMan57 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 So, in conclusion, you e-mailed this shop to order the kits. You were quoted a price of 70% - yet when you went into the store (apparently not ordering the kits from this guy at the time), you discovered they were half the price. Now why does that never happen to the rest of us, regardless of what we're buying? Which store ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DensParkNumber1 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forfinn Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I've only read the first and last pages of this antiquated thread, but with the OP raving about how cheap MLS tops were in 2008, I thought I'd check how much they're retailing for in 2015. The MLS Gear website is selling a regular top for $84.95, which converts to £55.24. I guess that the extra profit is more important than free advertising now that the league is more popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiG Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Pringles are only 75p in Asda This is the price rise I am most concerned about. No chance you can get Pringles for this price nowadays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewing Taffies Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 This is the price rise I am most concerned about. No chance you can get Pringles for this price nowadays. Still pretty good for a jumper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forameus Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I've always heard about LawStud/Dickson, but never saw his work. I take it this topic is a good representation of the man? Seems like a bawbag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.j Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I've always heard about LawStud/Dickson, but never saw his work. I take it this topic is a good representation of the man? Seems like a bawbag. Black & White Army's General Forum makes for fantastic viewing if you are interested in the views of a tory voting, fat, pipe fitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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