4,000+ shipments were seized last year.
The jewelry/watches category ranks No. 2 on a new list of “America’s Most Counterfeited Items” by financial website 24/7 Wall St.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 4,297 seizures of counterfeit jewelry and watches in fiscal 2017, according to the website. The total value of the goods if they were genuine would be $460 million.
24/7 Wall St. notes that “unlike many commonly counterfeited items, watches, rings, and other jewelry are relatively small yet quite expensive.” That makes it possible to maximize the value of each shipment.
Jewelry and watches made up just under 13 percent of total seizures, and their market value was the highest of any category.
Ranking No. 1 was the “wearing apparel/accessories” category, with 5,223 shipments seized in fiscal 2017.
Across all categories, 31,560 shipments of counterfeit items were seized in 2017. Their total face value was more than $1.2 billion.
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Ready to Relocate? Wilkerson Makes Your Move Seamless
When Brockhaus Jewelry decided to leave their longtime West Main Street storefront for a standalone building elsewhere in Norman, Oklahoma, owners John Brockhaus and Brad Shipman faced a familiar challenge: how to efficiently reduce inventory before the big move. Their solution? Partnering with liquidation specialists Wilkerson for a second time.
"We'd already experienced Wilkerson's professionalism during a previous sale," Shipman recalls. "But their approach to our relocation event truly impressed us. They strategically prioritized our existing pieces while tactfully introducing complementary merchandise as inventory levels decreased." The carefully orchestrated sale didn't just meet targets—it shattered them.
Asked if they'd endorse Wilkerson to industry colleagues planning similar transitions—whether relocating, retiring, or refreshing their space—both partners were emphatic in their approval. "The entire process was remarkably straightforward," Shipman notes. "Wilkerson delivered a well-structured program, paired us with a knowledgeable advisor, and managed every detail flawlessly from concept to completion."
