New York Daily Photo Analytics

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Buried Treasure

Although Canal Street has been in flux, it remains the discount mecca for New York City. Here you can find a myriad of consumer items at tremendous discounts. The streets are lined with shopping stalls packed with merchandise.
Unfortunately for manufacturers of top branded items, this area of Chinatown around Canal Street and Broadway is also the mecca for fakes and knockoffs. Trinkets, baubles, tourist T-Shirts and tacky NYC memorabilia are mixed with fake designer watches and designer bags. This is where Prada, Gucci or Coach bags can be found for a small fraction of their normal retail price. Or Rolex watches for a few dollars. There are stories of back rooms and underground chasms where serious customers are led for counterfeit treasures - read an article about this here. Crackdowns and large scale arrests are made regularly - particularly targeting the importers and larger operations. But, the pirates are tenacious and the cat and mouse game continues.
I can't speak to the quality of these fakes. I have never really partaken in these goods - my purchases have been confined to discounted legitimate products like Casio watches, durians or shopping in a places like Pearl River Mart, Pearl Paint, Space Surplus Metals or Canal Rubber.
Legitimate bargains abound on Canal Street - if that is your interest there are plenty of discounts to be had without supporting pirates ...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello Brian, I am amazed by his photos, not only for the beauty, sensibility and for the refined registered technique in them, but because also I Love New York (YES! I know that this is a BIG APPLE cliche, but it is what I sincerely feel), since I passed one month walking along the city. I FELL IN LOVE COMPLETELY WITH HER! To see his photos is how if I am walking in his streets and living his day by day.
I was happy also for the coincidence while finding a blog with photos that show the daily life of a great city, since I also do that here in the Rio of January, Brazil, and publish my photos in an album inside the Orkut, to which I call affectionately of ' Daily life of Rio de Janeiro '. While visiting other sites of photos of other cities linked through your blog, I noticed that the majority has a tourist approach of his city, while it are rare those who have a more human vision, showing not only sceneries, but also the residents in common situations, forming a mosaic of beauty fuller of energy and histories, which are mixed in a panel that bewitches and is exciting. Grateful for the indescribable pleasure that you are me providing.
His blog and others around the world inspired me to create mine, and so what will be ready, I send to you the link for your appreciation, and case likes, he would like seeing my link added to his list together with others.
With my best regards, I wish you the best end of week and marvellous days so that it keeps on doing stunning photos.

Anonymous said...

Tremendous work! I have to commend you on your photography and have recently added your link to my new site, ILovePhotoBlogs.com. Keep up the great work and check out my site when you have a moment.

Anonymous said...

A self-contained flea market.

Pat said...

I have just browsed your site and like what I've seen! I love to go to Canal Street when in New York. I'll be there in late August. Here in Belgrade we have a flea market where you can find all kinds of imitations, too. My son has gotten many compliments on his fake Lacost shirts...$5.00, and you really can't tell...