Once I was in New York and visited the Prada outlet in Soho. Walking through the door you are greeted not by racks of clothes but rather rows of mannequins set out in audience. Yet none are displaying clothes. There wasn’t a single piece of merchandise for sale in grand entrance way. It wasn’t until I walked down the sloping floor that I found anything for sale. In every possible way design held sway over function. This is not the story I’m telling, but I bring it up because the person whom I was with remarked that this Prada outlet felt like a “church of fashion.”

My friend Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove wrote a book about his experience of as a Christian Peacemaker in Iraq titled to Babylon and beyond. In the preface for the book, Tony Campolo remarked that though Iraq is the location of historic Babylon, maybe the US is closer to the Babylon of Revelations. Maybe our materialistic consumer driven society is Babylon where brands are our idols and shops are the alters of our fealty. If it is then the height of value for men is the watch. It is his one piece of jewelry and monikers of Rolex and Omega are badges of office for the clergy. On a previous trip to Asia I obtained a fake Rolex. Some call them “Folex.” With casual examination you wouldn’t realize that it was fake. I like to wear it when I work on the farm because the irony amuses me. On my latest trip a friend asked me to buy him a “Folex.” In Shanghai I found out that knock offs are sold off the Science and Technology museum Subway stop. Underground shops are an Asian Novelty. Imagine walking across a vast open plaza. There are fountains and bridges but everything is gray of granite. In the center of the plaza is a pair of escalators and descending down reveals a labyrinth of shops. In my case as I wandered this maze I was approached by a woman who asked me if I want to buy a watch and when I indicated my interest I was led to a nondescript shop which wasn’t terribly well stocked. There were some shoes and a few cheap backpacks on the walls, but nothing that I would have given a second glance. The woman spoke with the proprietor who to my amazement proceeded to open a door hidden as empty shelves. Down the rabbit hole we went and reached another door which was knocked. After a brief dialog through the wall, the door swung revealing another room lined with Assorted Rolex Watches, Fendi Bags, Mont Blanc pens and Oakley Sunglasses. If Prada is the cathedral of fashion then this is the shrine for the impious. Worship for the unfaithful who would have the appearance of piety but lack the commitment or means to buy the true indulgences from Babylon. I walked over to the Rolexes and started browsing. “Replica” watches are commonly sold as different grades A, B or C. These were “Better than A.” I am not experienced enough to know for sure. She started out at a price which I thought was quite high and I told her so. My negotiation strategy is to attempt to get the vendor to lower the price without actually making a counter offer all the while feigning disinterest. This works to a point but eventually a price must be offered and then leaving is your only bargaining chips. After about 10 of 15 minutes we eventually came to an understanding and I left with my merchandise paying less than half of the originally quoted price.

The thing about purchasing goods on the knock is that you never can be completely sure if you got a good value. There’s no resale value, no established buyers guide and no reputable authority to which to appeal for consolation. There’s some value to this knock off since I built relationship with my friend. As I think about it though what really is the value of the genuine article?