# Optical Forums > General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum >  Maui Jim or Oakley?

## fsicare1

I am looking for a new Men's sunglass line to put into my store. I currently have Ray-Ban, Carrera, Nautica, and Suntrends.  Suns have to Rx-able. I am considering Maui's or Oakley.  Any  other suggestions?

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## Sledzinator

Nike Suns! We do really well with them here and most of them are Rx-able.

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## vcom

We do really well with WILEY X- all safety rated and rugged.  I have a pair of plano shield goggles I use when doing yard work, and my son has a cool wrap pair with a blue mirror that looks just like an Oakley that he loves to wear when he is running/ riding his bike.  We have quite a few motorcycle/atv/hunter/railroad/paper mill worker type patients up this way, and they really like these frames.  Rep is great to work with, and they have a pretty decent rx program, however I edge lenses myself from my own lab, to save money where I can.

I also carry Ray-Bans, SunTrends, Maui-Jims, and a handfull of other random brands from some of our optical collections.  Maui-Jims and Oakley, are two totally different client base in my opinion.  So you have to figure out if you have more convertable driving beach goers, or a jeep driving rock climbers.

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## scriptfiller

MauiJim $$$$
Oakley $$

Need to do some market research and determine which one will best suit your clientele.

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## Uilleann

> MauiJim $$$$
> Oakley $$
> 
> Need to do some market research and determine which one will best suit your clientele.


Uh - not so much.  Non Rx looks more like this:

MJ        $$$
Oakley   $$

vs:
Rx MJ      $$$$$
Rx Oakley $$$$$

Just remember that Oakley will likely destroy their "custom" and "limited edition" overpriced Luxottica product as they try to put Rx into their wraps.  And MJ is likely to be on extended back order and their warranties are getting harder and harder to take reasonable advantage of.  Optically, MJ walks ALL OVER Oakley - but anymore, MJ doesn't have nearly the optical advantage they used to when compared against what you can order from numerous labs in almost any frame these days.  Kaenon also makes a nice product - but be fully prepared to add another one or two of these: $$ to the above.  Their pricing is insane.

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## Caroline

I just posted this in the other Oakley thread, but Oakley is now a 100 piece buy-in. Suns and men's and women's ophthalmics. As someone else mentioned Nike suns are great, just be aware of the ones that can't be Rx'd.

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## Craig

i have been an Oakley and Maui Jim dealer for 15 years and Oakley is a mess; they kill you on shipping and the product is all on back-order with no real date available.  They do have a separate stock of frames for Lux stores that we cannot get.  They also just killed the custom program for dealers and now only direct to Oakley via the web to get a special product.
I have never had a backorder issue with Maui Jim and they ship RX work in 1-2 days; yes that is correct, if you order via computer it may ship the same day.

I have met with the folks who run Maui Jim lab and it is amazing what they do in 48 hours.

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## Johns

> They do have a separate stock of frames for Lux stores that we cannot get. .


That was reason enough for us to drop them (and the rest of Lux).

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## Fezz

I was not going to be a total *T*O*O*L* and repost this magnificent post of mine here.............but I will!


Lets be honest here for a few minutes people.

I know, I know......being honest for most on here is like me giving up ale...AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.

But...........

If you are surprised by the shenanigans with buying, displaying,  reordering, and hopefully selling OAKLY (Maui Jim, Bolle, Costa, Ray  Ban, Your Mama, etc)..............you are a clueless business person, an  inept "optician", and basically a MORON.


The majority of you DOPES who buy into the the hype and go "ALL IN'', are dead in the water _CHUMPS_! 

Yeah....I said it................_CHUMPS_!

How does it feel to become the local zip code showroom for your  investment? Man....you have made it extremely easy for every deadbeat,  hippie, 20-something limp wristed Momma's boy, Kelly Clarkson loving  female, 30-ish loser living in your divorced mom's basement, Soccer Mom,  wanna be Dad, Bald headed 50-something, KOOL KIDD WANNABEEEEE, time  wasting, bottom feeding dreg, to try on and decide which model they like  best so that they can buy online at much less than the "MSRP" and  "TERMS" that you agreed and signed your life away to!

You have become the local "TRY-& BUY"! CONGRATS!


I admit that there are a very select few, very savvy business people on  here who make this hangman's noose work for them and they have my  admiration...they really do.

But lets face it, most of you are optical peons with little or no  education, ZERO retailing knowledge and even less buying and selling  savvy to even have a clue to understand what you don't know and the  extreme apathy to change it!

Rock on people.....ROCK ON!

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## optical24/7

Fezz, stop candy coating it and beating around the Busch (beer), tell us what you really think! I "chump" MJ's all day long, but 90% of my sales are Rx's. Let em get that at Costco or the net!

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## optimensch

Mr. Fezz,
That is a bit harsh, but I pretty much agree with your point.
I think a savvy approach is to select a limited number (like 1 or 2) of these coca cola brands and have a very edited selection, price them very aggressively (well below msrp) and laugh it off. The brands bring people in, and your job is to sell them something else, that they need more.
this is especially true in plano sun of course, and if you wind up selling a lot of raybans at a lower margin, but larger turnover, that is fine too. JMHO.

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## Rialeigh

We do well with Adidas, have just brought in Nike, and Smith has been a bit of a flop. I would never do Oakley because the market is so saturated. Any thoughts on Serengeti?

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## edKENdance

> We do well with Adidas, have just brought in Nike, and Smith has been a bit of a flop. I would never do Oakley because the market is so saturated. Any thoughts on Serengeti?



Carried Serengeti for years.  Don't carry them anymore.  Personally like the product.  RX program is good but quite limited.  Available at Cosco's and Superstores in these parts at greatly reduced prices.  They also sell them from their website so I'd check there and compare the prices being charged directly through them compared to what they're charging you and figure out if you'd be ok with matching those prices.

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## drk

What about Carrerra's stuff?  Some of them X-cite lenses (or whatever) are good...

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## Johns

Has anyone tried 7eye?  Initially, they marketed exclusively to dry eye clients, but now they look edgier, and are marketing to bikers as well.  Glancing through their material, I did notice a $20 "handling fee" on all orders...not sure what that's about, but the frames look decent.

Anyone?

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## Fezz

> Has anyone tried 7eye? Initially, they marketed exclusively to dry eye clients, but now they look edgier, and are marketing to bikers as well. Glancing through their material, I did notice a $20 "handling fee" on all orders...not sure what that's about, but the frames look decent.
> 
> Anyone?



I believe that the owner of that company is a member and has posted before*. I have not used them but have considered it.



*http://www.optiboard.com/forums/memb...8889-bob66hall

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## Johns

> I believe that the owner of that company is a member and has posted before*. I have not used them but have considered it.
> 
> 
> 
> *http://www.optiboard.com/forums/memb...8889-bob66hall


Yes, he did, and I spoke to him a number of times.  I hadn't heard anything from them in quite some time.  It doesn't sound like anyone (here on Optiboard) has tried them yet.

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## edKENdance

> Yes, he did, and I spoke to him a number of times.  I hadn't heard anything from them in quite some time.  It doesn't sound like anyone (here on Optiboard) has tried them yet.


We carried them about 4 years ago.  They were ok but there were limited style choices and rep issues.  One thing to totally be cautious of is the backside anti-fog which works really well however if you're in the practice of writing the frame price on the back of the lenses: DO NOT DO THIS!  That anti-fog coating sucks up ink and it can't be removed.

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## kentmitchell1961

I have oakleys and maui's the mauis are a hell of a lot better and I don't look like a tool.  I also find that the MJ's are cheaper (once you add the mirror and ar to the oakleys) so are a better bargain, oh and they will actually make them quickly and get them too you....

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## EyeManFla

> We do well with Adidas, have just brought in Nike, and Smith has been a bit of a flop. I would never do Oakley because the market is so saturated. Any thoughts on Serengeti?


I stopped using Serengeti when they left Sarasota and moved to Kansas. They were great sunglasses....15 years ago...

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## Uilleann

> I stopped using Serengeti when they left  Sarasota and moved to Kansas. They were great sunglasses....15 years  ago...


Agreed.  Since they ditched Corning optics lenses (as I was told)  their old level of quality did a lawn dart into the ground.  Same with  the beloved old Rēvo line as well.  Complete shame too - not only were  they independent lines, they were literally orders of magnitude above  and beyond anything else that was available at the time.

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## OPTICALTROLL

Oakley doesn't want your business and its best their LUX crap can be bought online cheap.

Check out reptile sun

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## lightbender27

yes Criag, imo MJ is the only way to go, no one does optics better in suns than Maui.

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## Barry Santini

I have both. And IMHO, both are good, but for different markets. For my money, in Plano form, Oakley frames have it all over MJ (exceptions aside). Maui has ia different offering than Oakley in polarized lenses. Oakley has no polarized .....not a bad thing,

For me, deserted island, I'd like to have each.

b

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## drk

Which one is Ginger and which one is MaryAnn?

(You would definitely be "the professor".)

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## CCGREEN

Why did you last three jump on this post that was started 07-24-13? Nine months ago.

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## drk

Ha ha.  Just to get you to jump on, too!

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## cjorden

Wiley X.  They have high quality and LOW price point.  Also are OSHA approved.  Low minimum requirement.  NASCAR and Harley Davidson fans would recognize frames as well as military and law enforcement. They are great frames to have and with the lower price point keep the 2nd pair sale volume high

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## AngeHamm

I find that there is very little overlap between my patients who buy Oakley and my patients who buy Wiley X. Both fit very comfortably and profitably in my dispensary.

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## EyeManDan

Maui is going to require all retailer to carry 54 frames,  For me not worth the room

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## Browman

> Maui is going to require all retailer to carry 54 frames,  For me not worth the room


Here's a question: Why either? Sure, there's name recognition, and you may have requests; you can simply explain to those patients that Oakley and MJ will restrict their choices of lens color, material, and quality, dictating what is best for them rather than allowing your patient to choose for him or herself what he or she wants out of a pair of glasses/sunglasses. Most people respond negatively to having their actions and choices dictated so rigidly. Carry a quality frameline of comparable aesthetics (Wiley X is a pretty good start) and then explain that THIS manufacturer allows the patient to make their own decisions about their lenses, and that, with your staff's knowledge, the sky's the limit in customizing glasses that will work for them, not work the way a company THINKS they should work.

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## Jstanfast

We are thinking of Maui, but also considering Rudy Project. any opinions?

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## golfnut

> We are thinking of Maui, but also considering Rudy Project. any opinions?


We have both but have never really committed to rudy project by having enough on the board to show. I think that may change due to maui wanting even more board space. Maui is a great line don't get me wrong,  I just think rudy has so much more to offer in tints and styles. My only problem will be our sales staff being a bit resistant to it because of ALL the possible options! I am working on that as of now. And of course there is the insurance reimbursement things to work through...

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## wileyguy

I agree with what's been said about the Wileys and my experience is they bring in another group of customer that the others don't.Also,the safety aspect is another plus.

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## cjorden

> We are thinking of Maui, but also considering Rudy Project. any opinions?


Also need to think about "minimum buy-in"  Wiley can work with as low as 12 if necessary.  I like that there isn't a huge requirement and they don't keep upping it.  They also are bringing a lot of color options in this year (I already saw the 2015 catalog) and they are bringing in ASTM F803 sport goggles for kids, teens, adults.  Lot of unique styling to them.

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## EyeManFla

Let's see. That last time I commented on Maui Jim, the Eastern Vice President of Maui tried to get me fired,so.....

I was a great fan of Maui Jim a decade ago. My personal sunglasses are Maui Jim......however, having said that, I hate loathe and despise the company..and thankfully, so does my current boss.

Oakleys. Great frames, great lenses...horrible customer service!!!!

Serengeti. Well, when they left Sarasota and moved to Kansas, I stopped selling them . Unfortunately, they were and are some of the best sun product on the market.

Ray Bans......the best sunglesses ever...50 years ago....

Costa del Mar.....love them, but you can buy them in the gas station down the street.........

I sell i-Deal Suntrends and the damn things fly off the shelves....go figure???

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