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Most Recent Posts Contact and QuestionsPosted Jan-07-08 21:57:30 PST Updated Jan-12-08 18:05:03 PST For those who wish to contact me with questions regarding the blog or a figure, please send any mails to (this account is not a buyer/seller account and ebay messages cannot be replied to): antibootleganimefigure at gmail dot com OR, simply post your question in the blog comment area. Reply to a collector who previously inquired about the Kotobukiya SuperGirl figure: Q: Hi, I read your articles and they are brilliant. Really helped me out a lot. I just got a question which wasn't stated in your articles and hoped that maybe you can help. For the Supergirl by Kotobukiya, I see two versions on eBay: 1 with the 'S' stand and one with a clear circular stand. Which one is fake or are fakes for these created? Thank you for your help. A: Thanks! I'm glad that you found my posts informative! :) The SuperGirl figure by Kotobukiya has no fake versions about at current, and hopefully never will. The figure you see with the clear round base is a photo of the original prototype. The mass market PVC release and the original prototype will typically have some differences, so no need to worry about this one. Authentic PVC photo: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10060513a7/20/1 Authentic Prototype photo: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10060513a6/20/10 I hope this answers your question! :) Happy Collecting! Buyers & Bootleg ParanoiaPosted Sep-11-07 09:37:36 PDT Updated Feb-07-08 21:46:20 PST
When I wrote this bootleg figure blog, the intent was to give buyers the basic signs that can help them spot a fake. However, over the last few months, I've noticed that many new collectors have been misusing this information, and assuming every tiny flaw on their figures means they have a fake! Please keep in mind, that these figures are factory-made, mass produced products, and that no toy will ever be 100% flawless and perfect! Authentic figures can have flaws! Even legitimate retailers will tell you this! At the bottom of each figure page on Hobby Link Japan's shop, you will see: Note: Please note that figures such as this are mass produced and as a result some inconsistencies in finish and painting may occur; these are not considered manufacturer's defects. If you absolutely must have perfection, prepare to do some touch-up work on your own. Sometimes a scaled PVC will have an odd paint chip here or there, seam/mold lines that show, or a smudge, but you cannot just assume a figure is fake based on a few flaws! There are even a few authentic figure manufactures, that just make poor products, so research before you buy a figure! Also, please be aware that not ALL figure makers use autenticity stickers/seals! No sticker on your figure box does not automatically equal a fake! If you plan to dispute a seller or store about a fake figure, then you need to have evidence backing up your claim! The figures that are featured in my blog, were carefully compared against several different sets of authentic photos. I did not just assume the figures were fake based on flaws. Through much research we have found that fakes are smaller than their authentic counterparts, and at times they even weigh more or less than the originals. A lot of work goes into spotting, and it is not as simple as finding a few things wrong. If you are a buyer of gachapon, trading figures, prize goods, and other toys that have a cheap retail price, you may get a low quality figure! Flaws, seam lines, and poor paint on one of the above figures may not be an indicator that your figure is fake!! These figures are NOT on the same quality level as a scaled PVC! If you want better quality figures, then you will need to move up to more expensive scaled PVC or Statues. Also, older/vintage toys tend to be of a different type of quality. The creation process for older toys was not as advanced, as it is now. You cannot compare the quality of a figure you got , that was made back in1999, to the quality of figures now in 2007! Beware of blatant bootleg figure merchants!Posted Jun-02-07 01:45:17 PDT Updated Jan-09-08 01:44:35 PST While many anime retailers purchase their stock from legit sources, others buy from bootleg wholesale. Some merchants shop around for their stock, and might not be aware that fakes figures like these exist, but these days there is a bootleg counterpart to just about everything under the sun (not just anime), so it's hard to believe that too many sellers are just buying fake stuff unknowingly. Bootleg anime wholesale shops sell just about any type of anime merchandise you can think of (figures, wallscrolls, character goods, and so on), and charge well below what a normal authentic distributor (ex; AAAAnime or Diamond Comics) would. The price to pay for buying from these bootleg sellers, is that you are more likely to get an inferior quality product, while you could have possibly found the real deal at near the same amount (or in some cases even less). Also, by purchasing fake goods of any kind, you are hurting the creators, companies, legit merchants, and the anime market as a whole. PVC fakes are also dropping the value of authentic buyers' collections! I will use this entry to list sellers that are blatantly selling fake figures. That means almost 100% of their stock consists of cheap fakes. Many of them are located in Hong Kong, as most people are aware, but these days, there are quite a few US sellers that have fallen into this horrible trend (though many are not as blatant as HK sellers). Some of the feedbacks pertaining to items being fakes have been added under each seller name (buyer names are omited). While negavite feedback does not make a seller bad or a bootlegger, finding several complaints about the same thing should let any buyer know to use caution, or steer clear of a merchant. Many buyers are unaware that they've gotten a fake, so the fb rating for such sellers is typicaly positive overall. Also, several of these sellers find a way to convience buyers to withdraw such feedback to save their reps. At the moment there's only a small amount savvy buyers who are not being fooled. Toolhaus.org is a great feedback resourse to use!! US Sellers (ebay IDs): gundamit -Item is a knock off! -He has bootleg anime statues! Contact me, I'll show you. I had a horrible time! sumodojo globalgiftdepot/globalarthome overthere! Hong Kong Sellers (ebay IDs): e.factory atv888rad tchseller999 demonjk -Poor quality paint job on one figure.Packaging was poor as well.I've seen better -item was not perfect. The leg came off and the paint on figure was badly done. -Sorry.but it is not original brand product. Im very very dissapoint..bad plastic -not sure if figures are real deal or very good copied version,not to bad though free-club -Beware this seller sells unlicensed bootleg items. Inferior quality.. -Liar, unlicensed bootleg fig. Offer to refund $12.99 on item I paid $43.99 for! -SCUM LIES,SELLS BOOTLEG CRAP,REFUSES REFUND & LEAVES REVENGE NEG FEEDBACK AVOID -The painting was sub-par and was obviously a fake...But it came -Fake, Illegal bootleg. Do not buy from this seller. x3 -Items were received in good time, but are unfortunately just pirated bootlegs -THE FIGURES ARE CHEAP REPLICAS. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS PERSON. -Horrible! 100% fakes dont original! please important! dont buy this fakes! -item was fake DO NOT BUY FROM THEM -this Set 12pc color fake off. -They were bootleg Pinkys!! -not real pinky streets,terrible quality. -DO NOT BUY FROM HERE-ANIME GOODS ARE NOT LEGIT -This seller sells cheap fakes of original works by other companies/artists. BAD. gordonlamlam/light_camp/addy_king -Item is a Knock off with defects, awaiting e-mail response, will be claimming -Item is bad quality, FAKE, parts missing, seller will not give refund -Cheap packaging came ripped, Products are not real "Bandai", but still nice toys -Fake recast figures in copied boxes. Lately multiple ebay sellers have fakes up. kinkiandmiki -Not bad for knockoffs, but the paint job needs improvement. -The product is counterfeit. (Play Arts Kingdom Hearts2 Kairi PVC ACTION FIGURE) -Figure is a recast of the one pictured.Cheaper,but not as nice.Disappointed. -counterfeit, fake, bad copy of the original one, seller has return money ....... -Figurine bien emballé mais cet objet est une contrefaçon... (Translation: Figurine packed well but this object is a counterfeit...) QPICK-ZONE -Very High Shipping Charges. Item ok but not as I expected to be (non-original) -shipping took forever, statue was damage, cheap imitation not even original -Bootleg item w/ a sloppy paint job. If you want the real thing, look elsewhere sailormoon2000hk -BEWARE!!sell FAKE item but said it is offical!never answer email after get the $ -the article is not an original waiko2002 -Item was a knock off. Not sellers fault. Bad Packaging, I was lucky no damage *sadly this is what many buyers think, but in this case the seller does know he sold a fake!* -Box condition very bad! Item is definitely FAKE!!No TM hologram sticker at all!! -Brittle resin. Arrived with back of boot broken.Giant pin hole on thigh and ass. xiaowenstart -Beware! Sells Fake Items. Details: good-times.webshots.com/album/559470430StDwNO -Bad product missing pieces,no communication,horrible painting,wrong description. guessmood quicksaver jlccy sungenerator milkycheck marthk123 redhothit dumbohui bestfriendship mugensell asahitoys vnvclub ndh1794 samsungeven xinxingshop tinamachine sungenerator Other countries & regions Sellers (ebay IDs): If you take the risk of making a purchase with any of these sellers, please be aware that you may get stuck with fake, low-quality garbage, that cannot be returned or refunded! Paypal requires faxed documents proving the inauthenticity of an item! I was fortunate to have a friend in Japan that could help me gather evidence to fax with my disputes. Most knockoff merchants will not admit to selling you fake stuff, but are 100% aware of what they are doing! Buyer's Beware!! Note: If you are a buyer that plans on defending one of the sellers listed above, please provide some kind of proof that the figure (anime figures & statues only) you purchased is indeed authentic! Clear photos of your item in box (front and back) and high res shots of your figure will help. Posting about the speed the seller shipped your item, his postive feedback, and the price does not help a merchant's case! Like many others on ebay, bootleg sellers are businesses, and they will still usually conduct themselves as such! If you are the seller, please provide your distribution papers (from an authentic asian distributor) if you wish to prove the legitamacy of your items. You can send me a message via ebay for details. If enough sufficient evidence can be provided, then I will gladly remove you from the list. How to spot fake anime PVC figuresPosted Jun-01-07 14:07:22 PDT Updated Jan-02-08 14:40:12 PST This was orignally posted to ebay by me as a guide, but I feel the information only reaches a small amount of buyers so I'm reposting it here: As the creation of scaled PVC figures has advanced over the years, eBay has become a haven for retailers selling cheap knock-offs of the real deal. Many of these figures look OK, and even great from the photos, but trust me, once you open the product, you'll see just how horrid these fakes really are! The defects seen with inauthentics are typically numerous, and the quality is not like what you would find in an authentic! If you own quite a few authentics, then a fake will stand out to you like a sore thumb!
Kotobukiya -Pia Carrot 3- Hasegawa Akemi Floral Mint type & Fuyuki
Miharu Floral Mint Type: Authentic: (click the photos below to see more detail) Authentic: (click the photos below to see more detail)
Fake(L) & Authentic(R) Boxed side by side:
Authentic: (click the photos below to see more detail) Fakes:
Authentic:
Fake:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t194/authenticfigurebox/Bootleg%20Figures/100_10441.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t194/authenticfigurebox/Bootleg%20Figures/100_10301.jpg A short listing (with detailed descriptions of each) of other bootleg versions often sold on ebay: Haruhi (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu) Good Smile Company: Ichigo Matsumoto Rangiku Excellent Model Rukia & Kon Excellent Model Abarai Renji One Piece POP figures Kotobukiya: Tamaki Kousaka Dorimaga Original Limited Tamaki Kousaka Ruffle Bikini Red/Black Ver Kaiyodo: Asahina Mikuru Kasumi blue ver. Alter: Meg Saber Swimsuit Other makers: (Daiki Kougyo) Tenshi San (Solid Theater) Banana is a Snack? (Toy Works) 1/8 Shana Contract of Fate Ver (Toy Works) 1/8 Shana Flame Haze Ver (Clayz) Saber White Swimsuit
Recap on things to look out for: Lastly: Buying from reputable licenced merchants may soon be the only way to ensure that the figure you recieve is 100% authentic! Official North American Figure Distributors: http://www.kotous.com/official-distributors/north-america.phpEurope & Australia: http://www.kotous.com/official-distributors/europe.php Asia: http://www.kotous.com/official-distributors/asia.php All Regions (via Goodsmile Company): http://www.goodsmile.info/overseas/overseas.html More authentic distributors are out there, and I will add them as I find more information. I hope this guide is helpful for all serious figure collectors! For more informative dissussion of fake PVC figures or figures and anime in general please visit: Zero-Type Forums |
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