Did I just buy stolen sunglasses?

Factual Questions
1

Last week I bought some Maui Jim sunglasses from a seller on Ebay. They arrived this weekend, and were as advertised: apparently new, with a tear-off price tag still stuck to one earpiece, and a “polarized” logo sticker still stuck on one lens. No packaging, no case, no owner’s manual or anything like that.

Years ago I bought some “NotMauiJim” sunglasses for $30. Although stylisitcally identical to real Maui Jim sunglasses, they were unapologetically counterfeit, and used cheap construction (e.g. plastic lenses). They even said “NotMauiJim” on one earpiece. :smiley:

However, the ones I bought recently appear to be the genuine article (or if they’re not, then they’re a very convincing fake). They sell for over $250 on Amazon, but I picked them up for just $130. How is the seller making money off of these? Did he swipe them from a store rack? Or can sunglasses like these be bought in large quantities for substantially less than $130?

2

Anecdotal: My mom used to work for a Fortune 500 company in the marketing division and they did lots of promos including one with Maui Jim sunglasses. They gave out a “ton” of them and they aren’t everyone’s cuppa (and a bunch were sent back so that’s how she got some).

3

I don’t know where you’re at, but here in Houston there’s a whole gob of places on the SW side of town that sell just about every designer item you could think of, for way under the going retail price.
A lot of the stuff is pretty good quality, as far as knock offs (counterfeits) go. If you don’t know what to look for, it would be very difficult to tell the real from the fake.

4

My Consumer’s magazine once did an article that the mark-up on brand rims-for- glasses is astronomical.

5

I wouldn’t assume they were counterfeit or stolen. Perhaps the manufacturer had an overstock and needed to get rid of them in a hurry. Selling things on Ebay is a quick way reduce your inventory.

If you are worried that they may be very good fakes you could take them to an expert and ask their opinion.

The price you paid wasn’t so low as to assume they somehow fell off the back of truck…

6

They also might be somehow defective but still marketable. I know these kind of items end up in outlet stores and malls all the time - especially for clothes.

7

I know a lady who used to find good deals at overstock stores…Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, etc. and sell the stuff on eBay at a decent profit.

8

This stuff also winds up at Goodwill sans case, papers etc if it was a present someone did not like.