Guide · batches
The batch is the product
Two rows on the same spreadsheet can show the same shoe at $42 and $89. The difference is not the photo, the colourway or the seller’s mood. It is the factory run — the batch — and it is the single most useful column on the sheet.
What a batch actually is
A batch is one production run from one factory. Buyers name them by factory initials or by the hole they come out of: LJR, H12, PK, TopStoney and a dozen others. The names are not official and nobody polices them, which is exactly why the sheet keeps them next to the price.
What matters is not the name. What matters is that the name tells you which run you are buying, so a review from six months ago still means something. Without a batch, a five-star review is a review of a product that may no longer exist.
Why the same link shows a different product
A seller page is a product page. It does not promise a factory. When a run sells out, the seller relinks to the next supplier and the page keeps the same URL, the same photos and often the same price. You order from a link that was reviewed as one batch and receive another.
This is the number one reason a first order disappoints: not quality, but a silent swap. The fix is not to distrust the sheet. It is to read the batch column and confirm the batch before the parcel leaves the warehouse.
How to confirm a batch in four steps
- Ask for the box label. One photo, factory name and size visible.
- Compare it to the sheet. If the row says one batch and the box says another, stop.
- Ask for the inner tag. A close-up of the size tag inside the shoe catches relabels.
- Decide at the warehouse. Rejecting there is free. Rejecting after delivery is not.
Batch names you will see, and what they usually mean
| Batch | Typical reputation | Where it shows up | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJR | Consistent shape, mid price | Shoes, especially Jordan 1 and 4 | Sole glue on the newer runs |
| H12 | Heavier build, boxy lasts | Shoes, bulky silhouettes | Half-size large is common |
| PK | Soft leather, close pattern | Shoes, low-tops | Colour drift between runs |
| TopStoney | Best known for outerwear | Jackets, knitwear | Weight varies by run |
Treat this table as a starting point, not a ranking. Reputations age faster than the sheet does, and a batch name is only as good as its most recent run.
Where the batch column is empty
An empty batch column is information too: it means nobody has confirmed which run is behind the link. On the LitBuy sheet those rows are kept but demoted. If you order from one, ask the agent first and treat the answer as the real batch.
See rows with a confirmed batch ↗