Knock-Offs

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Richard Kaufman
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Knock-Offs

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 11th, 2012, 1:15 am

Interesting article in the New York Times about a lawsuit regarind knock-offs of furniture:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/garde ... re.html?hp
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Roger M.
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Re: Knock-Offs

Postby Roger M. » October 11th, 2012, 1:01 pm

I have four Barcelona chairs, and two Wassily chairs.

They're all knock-offs, and in total they cost me $1100.00 from my local London Drugs.
I've owned them for years, and they're as good as new.

If they were "authorized" units, my total cost on the same six chairs would have been between $25,000.00 and $30,000.00 for the identical pieces.

In magic, it seems the various "Makers" who blatantly rip off items don't come anywhere near the cash spread that's common in furniture.
Rather, they take something that's authorized and costs $20.00, and find a market for their rip-off at $12.00.
There's not much money there for the authorized maker to take anybody to task, let alone court.

The reason that some elements of the furniture business are willing to deal with this in court is quickly apparent......they're protecting immense profits and prices that approach those of fine art pieces.

It's funny though, I've never thought twice about my knock-off furniture, and I'm quite adamant about knock-off magic.
I, in effect, practice a somewhat large double standard on the subject.
Does this make me a hypocrite?.....I wonder?

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erdnasephile
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Re: Knock-Offs

Postby erdnasephile » October 11th, 2012, 1:48 pm

Roger M. wrote:
It's funny though, I've never thought twice about my knock-off furniture, and I'm quite adamant about knock-off magic.
I, in effect, practice a somewhat large double standard on the subject.
Does this make me a hypocrite?.....I wonder?



Did you know they were knockoffs when you bought them?

Roger M.
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Re: Knock-Offs

Postby Roger M. » October 11th, 2012, 2:52 pm

Of course I did.

When a guy purchases furniture worth $25,000.00 for $1100.00 from their local Superstore, it's pretty much a given that the furniture is a knock-off.

I actually knew enough about this kind of furniture to know that the only legitimate seller of these chairs was Knoll, which happens to be where millionaires on 5th avenue shop for furniture.

As the article pointed out, people who buy this kind of knock-off furniture invariably know what it knocks off before they buy it. A lot of this stuff looks good, and represents the height of furniture design, but it's not all that comfortable. It's not the typical stuff you get at Furniture Warehouse.

In the world of furniture buyers, knock-offs have nowhere near the stigma attached to them as do knock-offs of magic tricks.

Regardless, I suspect mine is a hypocritical stance in the broader picture nonetheless.

Greg Edmonds
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Re: Knock-Offs

Postby Greg Edmonds » October 11th, 2012, 3:22 pm

In furniture, as in most stolen designs, the knock offs have a much shorter life than the originals, in almost all cases.

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Gordon Meyer
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Re: Knock-Offs

Postby Gordon Meyer » October 11th, 2012, 4:04 pm

Roger M. wrote:I have four Barcelona chairs, and two Wassily chairs.


Good point, Roger, but your choice of words is telling. Your knockoffs aren't Barcelona or Wassily chairs, they're copies. But to you they're good enough and the knock-offs have become so widespread that the names are no longer distinctive.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Knock-Offs

Postby erdnasephile » October 11th, 2012, 6:55 pm

Roger M. wrote:...Regardless, I suspect mine is a hypocritical stance in the broader picture nonetheless.


Not throwing stones here, but unfortunately, I think you're right.


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