Discontinued Oakley Sunglasses
From LoveToKnow Sunglasses
While it's always best not to fall in love with sunglasses that are no longer available, you may have a pair of discontinued Oakley sunglasses in your collection already. If they break, and if you really love them, you may find yourself searching high and low for a replacement. Hopefully, we can help!
Finding Discontinued Oakley Sunglasses
Looking for the perfect replacement pair of sunglasses, or those sunglasses you still wish you'd bought a couple of years ago when they were still available that you haven't been able to get out of your head since, can be tough. Here are a few places to look for the gone but not forgotten sunglasses you're dying to have:
- eBay: This one's probably everyone's first stop when they're looking for anything that isn't readily available. As long as you make sure you're dealing with a reputable seller, there's no reason not to get your discontinued Oakley sunglasses from here. You might find yourself a surprisingly good deal.
- ALotShoes.org is another place to look for discontinued Oakleys. The bad thing is, if you're not looking to supply an optical shop, the purchasing requirements may be too high. The minimum order is $500, but these are wholesale prices.
- Surf Station in the United Kingdom has a few styles available. The best part is, they offer 30 percent off and free delivery on all orders of discontinued Oakley sports sunglasses and Oakley designer sunglasses.
- Oakley's website lists 1-800-431-1439 as the number to call if you need assistance locating a certain style. You can also check the site to find an Oakley Vault near you. Oakley Vaults are outlet stores that may carry the discontinued items you're looking for.
Making Sure They're Real
Centre_Sales on eBay did a fantastic job breaking down the ways to determine whether a pair of sunglasses is real or fake. They suggest going to the Sunglass Hut or other sunglass retailers for information on discontinued Oakleys. There, you should educate yourself on the identifying marks, construction, and composition of the pair you'd like. Here's the summary, but be sure to check the reviews section of eBay for more:
Some people don’t mind replica Oakley sunglasses, but if you're paying the Oakley price—and working hard to find a specific pair that has been discontinued—you want to make sure you're getting the real thing. Here are a few tips for weeding out the fakes:
- If your first impression says "fake," they probably are.
- They should be made of hard plastic—nothing rubbery.
- Lenses should be one color—all the way around, no gaps—and should not wiggle within the frame.
One thing you might be particularly interested in is the selection of "2nds" or "B-stock" sunglasses the article mentions. Apparently, these are the Oakley sunglasses that didn't make it out into stores because they failed to meet the very stringent quality control requirements of Oakley.
The reason they failed could be very minor (a small scratch, for example), and save you lots of money. You may run across these as you search for the sunglasses on eBay or other sites. They're real (in most cases, but always research the seller as well as the sunglasses).
Alternatives
If you can't find the sunglasses you're looking for, you might be able to find something that would better suit your needs. The Oakley website has a customization option where you can take one of their basic designs and make your own. You can choose your frame color, lens color, and the color of the icon.
The Bottom Line
When you're searching for that ideal pair of Oakleys that you once loved (or currently love on someone else's face!), you can search the Oakley outlet stores, eBay, or other retailers.
The best way to protect yourself from Oakley-wannabes is to educate yourself on their specific markings and quality. Then you'll easily be able to tell if a seller is trying to take advantage of you or if you're getting a phenomenal deal.
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