Chinese Furs - Too cheap? Any reviews?

[Fur Fan Man]

I'd really like to buy my wife a black rabbit jacket, possibly with a fox collar and the Chinese furs on eBay seem far too cheap - sometimes £60 - £70, compared to about £220+ from somewhere like furhatworld.

 

Has anybody had experience of buying these cheaper Chinese furs? I would assume (if not fake) the cheaper prices are due to how the animals have been farmed?

 

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[maktak]

I have noticed one thing about the deluge of sellers on both Taobao and Ebay: item photos are frequently (mis)used as "share and share alike." Many an indie fashion boutique (namely most of the Korean ones I scour every winter) has their photos scraped, cropped, and watermarked for some other seller who may or may not be selling the same thing.

 

I haven't bought anything from these sellers before, so I must reserve judgment. But seeing this practice happen leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. The ratings usually seem pretty high, so at least the general consumer seems satisfied. I think it's a total shot in the dark for customers of slightly more directed tastes (like us).

[Guest]

To extend mak tak's comment regarding ratings. Look to see where the ratings are coming from. If the positive ratings are coming from the N. American continent or Europe, that might indicate to us that the furs are okay/acceptable/whatever; however if the ratings are from individuals within China, that may mean something entirely different.

 

Personally, I don't want to purchase Chinese-made items, though very difficult, because of the labor practices as well as disposal practices from Chinese factories which appear to be largely unregulated (though I know that is changing). The last would be animal care and euthanizing methods. I DO think animals should be raised well even if they are farmed, and euthanized in an appropriate manner. NOTE: I do NOT want to redirect this topic. It's just my $0.02.

 

I think mak tak hit the nail on the head. It's a crap shoot.

[woot62]

you could take a look at aliexpress user can upload photos of the product they have received so a little bit more safe.

[mr_bigfuzzy]

I bought a rabbit scarf and some mink gloves from china. The rabbit scarf is very soft and fine. Nothing to complain. The mink is not very soft ... a little bit stiff and smells a little chemical. All in all i was lucky and got what i payed for. I am from Europe - born here Sometimes you will loose and sometimes you will win That's what i learned from dealing with China.

[minkme]

Be aware of Chinese made furs. I was told by a furrier that the hide might be thinner, the pelts are stretched more so they can use less furs on the clothing. This method weakens the coat. Also check the workmanship. Look inside the coat to see how clean the pelts are sewn together.

[Fur Fan Man]

Great, thanks. Some interesting points. I think I'll pay the extra and shop elsewhere.

[Fetish_Mistress]

minkme is totally correct... They are stretched to hell and back

[Guest]

Some furs in China aren't regulated especially if you're buying off of sites like eBay/Aliexpress/Amazon so you could be buying a very different fur altogether. So best to find something local/used or from a reputable seller. Definitely best to buy in person to see the coats quality.

[Joe]

I'll echo minkme's comment about cost-cutting manufacturing techniques. It goes beyond the old adage of "you get what you pay for". As third-world market economies wake up and realizes they are probably under-charging, craftsmanship beyond initial quality will get worse. The concept of customer loyalty, let alone warranty, is lost on many merchants who simply are in the business to make money. My friends in the business love working with the global South for their merchants' unabashed ambition and embrace of competition, but they're equally aware of the contrast between old-school methods of high-end craft and postmodern products flooding the market.