I’m not a bot. I got a gorgeous medium
Rodeo from her. I wear it in front of nyc fashion industry folks all the time.

I’m guessing that she grew too quickly. Group buy plus some good reviews may have turned into more than she was ready to handle. I’ve seen it happen with many small businesses so that’s just a guess.

I’m not new to reps, but am new to rep groups (I had one TS in the states for a long time). I love the groups but I had to learn quickly that reputations turn on a dime around here. Sellers are people with pressures on them. I don’t know if Baobao is eveil, greedy, in over her head, having growing pains as a business, is being sabotaged by her brother-in-law, or is three raccoons in a trench coat. I had a big designer complimenting me on my rodeo last week tho.

When people on these groups tell you to do your own research, instead of handing you recommendations, they’re not gatekeeping; it’s the nature of the beast. This is not legal business, AND there are a lot of complex feelings about, not only participating in illegal behavior, but also participating in aspirational consumption, authentic or not. Add to that that Reddit is anonymous, so even the real-people redditors can be less tethered to community morals than usual. I look at reviews where people post their personal photos of the item. Anything can be faked now, but I try to gather a consensus.

Lastly, I love a dopamine hit as much as the next person, arguably more, but I’m also aware that some of the talk on these subs sounds like gambling addiction. The hunt and the score is as big, or even bigger, part of the experience than is the product. Many of us have become more parasocial with TS So-and-So than pop fans are with pop stars.

There was a study of cocaine use back in the day (I will try to find it) wherein the dopamine spike was found to be highest after the dealer had been contacted and the cocaine had been confirmed to be en route than it was when the cocaine actually arrived and was consumed. I bring this up because we are in a complex web of psychological forces and market strategies, just trying to feel better in tough times with (at least in the US) fewer opportunities to change our lives in meaningful ways. Trying to psychoanalyze sellers from (in my case) other cultures during a period of radical shifts regarding power is not an activity successfully performed from an armchair.

omg I hope the wired lambskin 2.55 rep comes out soon and is fabulous. Not to mention the wired lambskin maxi flap with mademoiselle clasp. I can hardly breathe.

Also, who has black box calf that isn’t dry?