I'm considering buying 1 beeng of 7542 201 or 7542 301 on taobao, for example http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=4327879792
or http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=5270826190.
I'm hoping someone on the board can offer advice about the probability that these might be real or fake. I don't really know how to check the reputation of a seller on taobao or if that's meaningful. Any advice on this point is appreciated.
Re: 7542 201/301 on Taobao
At the Macau tea expo last week, I was introduced to the owner of Guangzhou's Dayi distributor. He had heard from other dealers about my experiences with fake Dayi on Taobao and he wanted to explain that it is indeed a problem and his advice was not to buy any Dayi (especially aged Dayi) from Taobao because there is no way to verify whether it is real or fake without drinking it (and even, I might add, some beginners would still not be able to tell the difference).
He also lamented that he could not comprehend the current trend of buying teacakes online without trying them first.
I then asked him whether Dayi was doing anything about it, and why did they allow fakes to exist? Was it a deliberate strategy so that customers would only buy direct from Dayi dealers (at higher prices)?
His answer was they are trying very hard to catch the culprits but there are too many. Dayi was recently successful when it spotted fake 2010 Dayi 7542 001s at the tea expo and they traced the source of the fakes to a group of men in Dongguan. The police were called in to arrest them.
I suggest you contact trustworthy dealers like Lau Yu Fat in Hong Kong or Yunnan Sourcing in Kunming. Give them your specifications and they will source your requirements. Sure, you will pay a bit more, but it's for piece of mind (and supporting the good against evil).
He also lamented that he could not comprehend the current trend of buying teacakes online without trying them first.
I then asked him whether Dayi was doing anything about it, and why did they allow fakes to exist? Was it a deliberate strategy so that customers would only buy direct from Dayi dealers (at higher prices)?
His answer was they are trying very hard to catch the culprits but there are too many. Dayi was recently successful when it spotted fake 2010 Dayi 7542 001s at the tea expo and they traced the source of the fakes to a group of men in Dongguan. The police were called in to arrest them.
I suggest you contact trustworthy dealers like Lau Yu Fat in Hong Kong or Yunnan Sourcing in Kunming. Give them your specifications and they will source your requirements. Sure, you will pay a bit more, but it's for piece of mind (and supporting the good against evil).
Re: 7542 201/301 on Taobao
Thanks for the advice and links, nicolas. I wonder if there are reputable Dayi dealers that sell on taobao. I think you are right, though -- if YS can source it for me, that's proably the best case. Certainly worth a premium for the service.
As to why internet ordering of cakes is on the rise, I can speak for myself, but I'm sure there are others in my shoes. Unfortunately, in the western hemisphere, like here in the U.S., there are no local Dayi dealers. Even shops in chinatown in SF don't have much in the way of pu erh tea. So if it weren't for the internet, many of us would not even have access to most of these teas at all. With some online stores, like YS, they do offer sample sizes, which many people, including myself, take advantage of.
I think that it is likely that that Dayi people care a LOT about the fakes. It hurts their reputation and makes people think twice before buying their product. It's amazing how good the fakes are, at least to the eye. Your post on the 7572 is eye opening.
As to why internet ordering of cakes is on the rise, I can speak for myself, but I'm sure there are others in my shoes. Unfortunately, in the western hemisphere, like here in the U.S., there are no local Dayi dealers. Even shops in chinatown in SF don't have much in the way of pu erh tea. So if it weren't for the internet, many of us would not even have access to most of these teas at all. With some online stores, like YS, they do offer sample sizes, which many people, including myself, take advantage of.
I think that it is likely that that Dayi people care a LOT about the fakes. It hurts their reputation and makes people think twice before buying their product. It's amazing how good the fakes are, at least to the eye. Your post on the 7572 is eye opening.