OK.. i finally talked to the guy from EWR. He seemed unwilling to give a solid number, but after i pressed him for a number, he said typically if we ordered about 12 of the same type of jersey (eg. short sleeve mens), there would be a 25-30% discount. He said that they can't go lower because they have agreements with the stores that sell their jerseys at retail. To split the difference, this means a jersey would come out to 81.40, or let's call it $83 with shipping, plus $11.20 for the re-sending business (higher because the more expensive jerseys incur higher PayPal fees), and you've got an EWR jersey for $93.20 via this rigamarole, instead of the normal price of $113 shipped.
But here's the kicker - the jerseys ARE made in China. Yes, the rep was quick to assure me, for what it's worth, that they are made in "established factories" that are not sweatshops, etc. However, the fact remains that these are Chinese made jerseys, just like the Portland ones, and what's more, i would be willing to bet that they are made in the same factory. How many factories in China are producing such a specialized item? If there are two or three tiny companies in the US importing 100% merino wool cycling jerseys from China, I'm almost sure they are coming from the same place.
So what it comes down to is this: we can pay almost double to buy what i think is most likely the equivalent jersey sold by a different company, just because the other company's rep is an arse. Or we can buy the jerseys from Portland and get a really good deal.
Frankly, at this point i'm all for the latter. That and i think Portland's designs look a bit nicer than EWR's, and don't have brand logos on them.
-robin