Group Buy: 2x4 Whitten-looking case

DJEnD said:
I knew this would happen....some way or another...
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I once had a 1x2 leather Whitten knock off which you can still find for about $60 new. Great case just like the Giuseppe's where the bottom falls out after a few months of use. Picture framing nails and rubber cement doesn't go far in a cue case. I never understood the use of rubber cement to hold these things together. Is that because they can't get Elmer's glue over there? I simply Elmer's to glue them back together and they never fell apart again. Maybe they should copy Elmer's Glue first before getting into the cue case business. Can't hold it against the AZer for trying to make a buck or three. We all gotta eat.
 
Whitten exact copy.......

Worminator said:
I absolutely care.

It makes me furious to see an EXACT rip off of a Whitten being offered without regard to the original maker.

It is one thing if the company wants to produce their own design of cases. Ripping off the Whitten design is a whole other story.
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If a person wants to buy goods from overseas makers and send their dollars outside the US it's their business, but this case is nothing more than stealing the design of Whitten cue cases. I'm all for looking for a good deal, but this is design theft made by cheap labor trying to steal Whitten cue case business. I own 2 Whitten cases and I paid the market price to get them. I think Whitten cases are one of the best cases on the market and it makes me sick to see someone in another country trying to take some of their potential customers by selling a cheap imitation.
 
That really bothers me...

hangemhigh said:
What gets me is he must put the American Manafacturer's name is the tag line. I think that is what prompts the feelings of ill will. Why not just advertise the case on it's own merits?
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...too. Using the Whitten name to grab our attention and then using it again in the text.

MM...my $.02.
 
hangemhigh said:
What gets me is he must put the American Manafacturer's name is the tag line. I think that is what prompts the feelings of ill will. Why not just advertise the case on it's own merits?
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The moment I see one of these cases, I just get reminded of a Whitten.

It also shows how Whittens have carved themselves an image that everyone can identify with.

The reason why I used the name it's simply because, it reminds me of one.

There are many ways to speculate why I would use the name but that's up to anyone's imagination.

Thanks for all the negative comments.
 
DJEnD said:
Thanks for all the negative comments.
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Well, what did you expect ? Our country is under assault in many ways, one of which is foreign business competition which employs cheap labor to undercut our domestic goods prices. The other side of the equation is that they can rarely match us for quality, with a few exceptions. Those cases may look like a Whitten, but I'd rather pay the extra bucks and get the real Whitten quality, and an American product...Tom
 
tpdtom said:
Well, what did you expect ? Our country is under assault in many ways, one of which is foreign business competition which employs cheap labor to undercut our domestic goods prices. The other side of the equation is that they can rarely match us for quality, with a few exceptions. Those cases may look like a Whitten, but I'd rather pay the extra bucks and get the real Whitten quality, and an American product...Tom
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Well for one, I wasn't being sarcastic with that comment.

What you spoke of is the truth. That every part of the world is catching up, developing so fast that some people can't keep up with competition. Quality-wise, I won't speak of it cause in my country, we get plundered by so many things made in China that the majority of people don't really care where stuffs are made anymore, but as long as it's cheap, it makes their day. I'm not saying I'm a cheapskate, cause I do support American-made and Japan-made goods once in a while, so long as I think they're worth my dollar. You can say I'm being contradicting, but I'm just practical.

That's the world for you. If you guys insist on buying American made, then please do so.

I am not in anyway pressing for anyone to buy the product I am promoting. It is just an offer that I think some people can take advantage of. Whether they take that advantage is up to them. If they don't, I'm fine with it.

Thank you.
 
Worminator said:
I absolutely care. Whitten makes the most functional and protective case in the business IMO. I have a custom Justis also and love Jack's cases as well; but I like the Whittens better as an everyday case. I just ordered a brand new custom Whitten to match a Dave Kikel cue I just received. Both Jack and Joe Whitten are great to work with. You can call them and have a conversation about their cases and your design.

It makes me furious to see an EXACT rip off of a Whitten being offered without regard to the original maker. I just sold a lighlty used Whitten on AZB for $275 shipped. You can find good used Whitten cases for about the same $$$ as the rip off imports. If you are looking at purchasing one of the rip offs, do yourself a favor and look for a good used Whitten. I promise you will not be sorry you did.

It is one thing if the company wants to produce their own design of cases. Ripping off the Whitten design is a whole other story.
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Is anyone else selling a lightly used Whitten case for $275?
 
Sounds to me more like a Group Scam than a group buy;

These cases retail for roughly $240 without shipping for one case, so the more I order the cheaper it becomes, so $280 is the maximum price you pay provided there's only one case on order, otherwise it's less than $280 with minimum orders of 2 cases. It comes with side handle and shoulder strap with 2 pockets. They are available in smooth leather or printed leather. The one you see below is in printed leather(Click on image to enlarge).

Now he said its a group buy and I am a Billiards Retailer so I know full well how wholesale works. Even if this case is $240 retail we are not getting a group buy bargain. A group buy usually gets close to wholesale. I figure at best these would be $75 wholesale maybe $100 which I doubt. It looks as if some one is trying to profit really well off these. Considering the factory owner is a friend, he is not cutting a deal with you at all. I would be willing to bet with a little internet research you could find the manufacture and order bulk direct and pay a little of nothing for these cases in quantity. Everyone can do as they wish it is your money. Just my .02 cents on the matter....
 
It's a free market, but carbon-copying someone else's design and using it to advertise is in poor taste to say the least.

Btw would like to know just how exactly do China-made goods begin to "plunder" consumers? :rolleyes:
 
My B***H is this! How would you offer a group buy and claim your giving a discount then charge FULL Retail if that is retail for a inferior product.
 
IMITATING happens all the time. I think some of you need to get off your high horses. Your bashing this simply, because it happens to be coming from overseas. Its not a knock-off when the company puts its name on it in plain sight, it is now just a Whitten styled case. Are any of you upset that Ron Thomas, and OnQ make cases styled after Its George or Brunswick? Are any of you just as bothered by all the SW styled cues out there?
Now dont get me wrong, I purchase american products and would love to get a Whitten, Justice or Murnak, but the prices are really high. I've been looking for a nice, lightly used Whitten. But there arent many out there.

JMO
Eddie
 
Angry Panda!!!!!!!!!!!

This is cue case theft design in its most blant form. Even drawing attention to the product by mentioning the Whitten name. You get what you pay for. If you but one an anything in the product is defective what is your recourse? Buy American is my # 1 priority. American cue an case makers stand by their product an they are well worth a few extra bucks.
Pinocchio
 
Did you READ my post??

I don't give a dam where they're made - they are CRAP!!

By far the lowest-quality case I could ever imagine.

At $39.00, I wouldn't utter a peep. But this company is ONLY charging this exorbitant amount because they "look like a Whitten". Which, really, they don't.

The are praying on people who want a nice classy Whitten case but can't afford one.

As I previously wrote, these cases are EXTREMELY POOR QUALITY!!
Not just when compared to a Whitten, Justis or Murnack, but when compared to ANYTHING!

Regardless of where they are made, they are pieces of crap and are not worth $49.00 including shipping!!

Again - I OWNED ONE OF THESE. I'm BASHING it because it is such a rip-off at any price over $39.00 - not because of where it's made but because of HOW it's made!!

Clear enough??

-von

AngryPanda said:
IMITATING happens all the time. I think some of you need to get off your high horses. Your bashing this simply, because it happens to be coming from overseas. <SNIP>
JMO
Eddie
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If these are indeed overseas knockoffs like they look, then why aren't they 25-45 bucks instead of the 200 plus that you are asking? Guess you think pool players are the dumbest of the dumb. Americans are stupid about of lot of things but this offering is over the top. Personally I am getting pretty dang pissed about all the knockoff crap I see coming from there,,,,,,medicine,,,,,,,,watches,,,,,,,videos,,,,,you name it. Have some gumption people, buy American, and stop giving your children China made toys with lead paint to play with. Boycott the companies that have offshored this stuff and sold us all out to set their ex CEOs and other execs up with posh country club memberships, yachts and multi-million-dollar retirement packages. Boycott the hustlers selling you these kind of inferior copied goods,,,,,,,,there's no difference. Wyld78
 
Pinocchio said:
This is cue case theft design in its most blant form. Even drawing attention to the product by mentioning the Whitten name. You get what you pay for. If you but one an anything in the product is defective what is your recourse? Buy American is my # 1 priority. American cue an case makers stand by their product an they are well worth a few extra bucks.
Pinocchio
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Not much different than the knockoff oakleys or gucci bags you get on the street. Except those go even further to include emblems and very similar names (i.e. oakeys). I don't ever hear anyone complaining about those. What's the difference with these cases? Everybody knows it's not a Whitten. I personally think Whittens are overpriced to begin with. In fact most pool related products are overpriced (except the tables) but there's not much I can do about that.
 
wyld78 said:
If these are indeed overseas knockoffs like they look, then why aren't they 25-45 bucks instead of the 200 plus that you are asking? Guess you think pool players are the dumbest of the dumb. Americans are stupid about of lot of things but this offering is over the top. Personally I am getting pretty dang pissed about all the knockoff crap I see coming from there,,,,,,medicine,,,,,,,,watches,,,,,,,videos,,,,,you name it. Have some gumption people, buy American, and stop giving your children China made toys with lead paint to play with. Boycott the companies that have offshored this stuff and sold us all out to set their ex CEOs and other execs up with posh country club memberships, yachts and multi-million-dollar retirement packages. Boycott the hustlers selling you these kind of inferior copied goods,,,,,,,,there's no difference. Wyld78
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Lol china made toys. I wasn't aware they made toys anywhere else. Boycotting chinese toys is like boycotting japanese electronics.
 
Pinocchio, I wholeheartedly agree that you get what you pay for.
The case may look like a Whitten, you can call it a Whitten styled, the case can even weigh like a Whitten :) But if you get one, it wont protect like a Whitten!!! And that is where this thread should be left at.

All this accusation of stealing designs is pointless. Everything that is good and well thought of WILL be copied. Everything from electronics to clothing gets copied.
 
AngryPanda said:
Its not a knock-off when the company puts its name on it in plain sight, it is now just a Whitten styled case. ....I've been looking for a nice, lightly used Whitten. But there arent many out there.
JMO
Eddie
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I bought two lightly used Whitten cases from this board in the last 60 days. Post looking for one, and they will come to you.

Also, just because this manufacturer has their name on the case in full sight does not mean that the design has not been blatantly copied. It just means that they don't care if people know the design was copied. I'm sure that Whitten probably hasn't patented their design, but just because a law hasn't been broken doesn't mean that this manufacturer isn't bottom feeding scum for copying someone's hard work and creativity, no matter where they are from.

All who are speaking out on this topic have my respect.
 
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