Non-Rapha Rapha stuff on the Bay

DavidfromWarboys
DavidfromWarboys Posts: 80
edited June 2016 in Road buying advice
Ok, so I'll "come out". I'm a rapha fan-boy ;-)

There now that's done, has any body ever bought new Rapha stuff BNWT off the Bay from non-Rapha sellers?

Here's a link, if it is allowed, just as an example....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rapha-Cycling ... SwsN9XBn48

Is it likely to be the real thing? The discounts are n't that great so I'm really not sure if it is worth. Especially given the Rapha aftercare.

Ta,
DM

Comments

  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    Ok, so I'll "come out". I'm a rapha fan-boy ;-)

    There now that's done, has any body ever bought new Rapha stuff BNWT off the Bay from non-Rapha sellers?

    Here's a link, if it is allowed, just as an example....

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rapha-Cycling ... SwsN9XBn48

    Is it likely to be the real thing? The discounts are n't that great so I'm really not sure if it is worth. Especially given the Rapha aftercare.

    Ta,
    DM

    Yes. For some reason that seller gets a load of their stuff. No idea why or how, just a big bulk purchase of old stock i guess.
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  • Many thanks for your quick reply Bender!

    I guess for stuff I like that is no longer available through the shop then this could be a good way forward.

    DM
  • letap73
    letap73 Posts: 1,608
    The rapha shop on ebay is also excellent - it does sell out very quickly though. There are some individual sellers - who do appear linked who primarily sell Castelli, Rapha, Gore and especially Arcteryx at a significant discount - you will find them easily - selling Castelli Gabbas. I did buy an Castelli Alpha jersey off one seller for an absolute song - however, if it is a fake then its an amazing fake.
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    The fakes tend to be very obvious and from outside the UK.
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    I'm small in Rapha and I like their Pro Team bibshorts (but not much else if I'm honest).

    Everything seems to be either XXL or XS. IS it worth me scouring through for an S?!
  • londoncommuter
    londoncommuter Posts: 1,550
    On a kind of related matter, anyone want a XS Rapha Davis Phinney jersey I got from their ebay site?

    http://pages.rapha.cc/stories/introduci ... ey-jerseys

    Lovely and snug and with proper length arms but I think the back is maybe 1cm too short for me so I was going to return it. I'm very skinny but 5'9'' so get this a fair bit. Happy to pass it on instead for the stupidly low £40 I paid. The current year model is £140 I think so a bargain.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Rapha just did a bunch of sample sales, could be some professional shoppers..
  • What's the link for the official Rapha eBay shop? Can somebody post it please I can never find the bloody thing?
  • londoncommuter
    londoncommuter Posts: 1,550
    Not sure if this link will work but it's these guys:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/rapharacinguk

    Nothing for sale at the moment though which seems odd.
  • teebs_123
    teebs_123 Posts: 357
    Not sure if this link will work but it's these guys:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/rapharacinguk

    Nothing for sale at the moment though which seems odd.

    Closed down, all old stock etc on the website
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  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    One trip to the Rapha archive store and you could stock an eBay shop for a year if you wanted to at a fraction of those prices and in all sizes.

    I wore my pro bib shorts light weight jersey a brevet gilet yesterday

    £75, £40, £40 and some arm warmers from Rapha very first sample sale in London for £10
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  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538
    letap73 wrote:
    The rapha shop on ebay is also excellent - it does sell out very quickly though. There are some individual sellers - who do appear linked who primarily sell Castelli, Rapha, Gore and especially Arcteryx at a significant discount - you will find them easily - selling Castelli Gabbas. I did buy an Castelli Alpha jersey off one seller for an absolute song - however, if it is a fake then its an amazing fake.

    The Rapha shop is no more as of anytime soon I think.

    I always assumed that shop listed above had seconds maybe, but yes noticed they have loads of stuff, but tends to be xs or xxl in the main, so maybe just over stock, but why they wouldn't then just get rid of them through the archive store is what confused me, hence my seconds theory.
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  • dowtcha
    dowtcha Posts: 442
    Don't think they are seconds as rapha does no manufacture it's clothing so anything thing that is a second is at no cost to them.
    They would not let the contractor sell them on as poor quality items could affect the brand. most seconds that are sold on eBay come directly from companies that made their own goods. Trickers shoes been a good example. Rapha eBay shop rip.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538
    Dowtcha wrote:
    Don't think they are seconds as rapha does no manufacture it's clothing so anything thing that is a second is at no cost to them.
    They would not let the contractor sell them on as poor quality items could affect the brand. most seconds that are sold on eBay come directly from companies that made their own goods. Trickers shoes been a good example. Rapha eBay shop rip.

    The reason I thought that is that some of the ads show the label on the bag with a black cross through it, and indeed a jersey I bought had that on the bag, though personally I could see zero defects on it at all, so had no issues.
    Additionally that treasures4u (Spelling?) had a charteuse jersey for sale with a hole on the shoulder, all declared and pictured, which was another reason I thought it might be a second.
    And I have also seen some garments for sale with a black cross on the garments internal label.
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  • I'm small in Rapha and I like their Pro Team bibshorts (but not much else if I'm honest).

    Everything seems to be either XXL or XS. IS it worth me scouring through for an S?!

    This. Always happens, so clearly Rapha (and loads of other companies) make far too many overly large or small sizes of their clothing. Why do they not learn and adjust their production accordingly? I hate being fairly 'normal' sized, never get any bargains!
  • lakesluddite
    lakesluddite Posts: 1,337
    Daniel B wrote:
    Dowtcha wrote:
    Don't think they are seconds as rapha does no manufacture it's clothing so anything thing that is a second is at no cost to them.
    They would not let the contractor sell them on as poor quality items could affect the brand. most seconds that are sold on eBay come directly from companies that made their own goods. Trickers shoes been a good example. Rapha eBay shop rip.

    The reason I thought that is that some of the ads show the label on the bag with a black cross through it, and indeed a jersey I bought had that on the bag, though personally I could see zero defects on it at all, so had no issues.
    Additionally that treasures4u (Spelling?) had a charteuse jersey for sale with a hole on the shoulder, all declared and pictured, which was another reason I thought it might be a second.
    And I have also seen some garments for sale with a black cross on the garments internal label.

    I think this is what they may do at the 'archive' stores. I got a hardshell from the Kilver Court archive place, and that had a felt-tip pen cross on the inside label, although not sure if they'd do this with thinner items such as jerseys.
    I did get a Brevet jersey from the Mcr store, it didn't have a cross on anything as far as I'm aware, but I can't remember if it had one on the plastic bag.
    I note that there is no archive section in the Mcr store these days - must be taking it all online?
  • ayjaycee
    ayjaycee Posts: 1,277
    FWIW, over the last year or so, I have had four jerseys (Pro Team, LS x 2 and Super Lightweight) from the Kilver Court shop (in the words of Jim Royle: 'Archive Store, my arse'!) and none of them had black crosses or other extra marks on them. I haven't found anything with any of them to indicate that they might be seconds or sub-standard in any way and would have thought that they would be legally bound to tell you if that were so (but I am no expert on consumer law). That said, what you do miss out on when buying from the discount store is the repair warranty (which I was told about at the point of sale). It's probably the same for the ebay stuff but they do seem to have some half decent bargains if you're the right size.
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  • dowtcha
    dowtcha Posts: 442
    Seconds have to be declaered in the description, some dishonest sellers with a few times might not declare seconds but this seller has just has to many items. Most items are funny sizes so looks like bulk sale of unsold times. Plenty of bargains just buy winter gear during summer and your summer gear in winter.