Forum - View topicBuying legit action figures/model toys.
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Rukiia
 Posts: 1897 Location: British Columbia, Canada |
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I am considering making a figurine collection yet I'm don't want to get burned with buying crappy Hong Kong fakes. I took a look around eBay and spotted a few legit looking figures, yet I can't tell if they are the real deal or not. I never bought models before and I have no clue on how to shop around for them. Here is one I found that I am interested in getting:
It looks pretty good yet the person selling it is from Hong Kong so I'm a bit skeptical. What are some ways of spotting a bootleg (aside from the obvious mismatch colors and gibbled faces) figure/model? Better yet, where are some good places to go, aside from Rightstuf, for buying legit toys? I would appreciate any helpful tips from figure/model collectors. 
Last edited by Rukiia on Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:27 am; edited 1 time in total |
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_Emi_
 Posts: 498 Location: Langjökull |
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The surefire way to recognize a legit figure is that there will be a shiny, metallic sticker on the box with the company's logo. For example, the boxes for my Bleach figures have the Studio Pierrot logo in it. My Skuld figure has the Kodansha figure on it. Although this can be hard with ebay. Shoot the person an e-mail and ask.
And Hobby Link Japan and Rob's Anime Corner Store are other places to buy figures. They have a much larger selection than Rightstuf. |
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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When shopping, feedback is critical here. Any overseas seller with less than 99.9% (1000+ FB) gets no business from me. With this, I've only come across one counterfeit item and it was from a local vendor, ironically. The seller didn't know they bought counterfeit items (which they marked up in price to resell). It is always up to you to do your homework. Do not ever rely on a seller's words. Remember, they want your money. Here are some tips: Tip 1: Compare photos (especially for out-of-production figures). Use Google's image search and compare product packages closely. Look for spelling mistakes, changes in font, or even packaging (is the figure on the left/right/center). Tip 2: If the photo is "stock" (meaning it's been used by many people), request fresh photos. Be sure to ask the seller to write your eBay name on a piece of paper and include it in the photo. If they refuse, that's a tip they're not legit. Tip 3: For rare, out-of-production auctions, use the internet for assistance. There are many collector forums out there you can use to your advantage. Search and read. If still in doubt, you can ask for assistance. Though be wary this may attract people to an auction they didn't know was out there. Tip 4: When in doubt, walk away. Your instinct is the #1 warning sign and if it picks up something is "off" by the auction, leave it immediately regardless of the price. Tip 5: Shop around. The price on eBay can often be beat by Amazon or local retailers once the shipping cost is factored in. Amazon has buyer protection and local retailers offer money back guarantees. Ebay can be a good place to score some great deals, but it most certainly is Caveat Emptor. Use it wisely and to your advantage and you shouldn't have any problems. Good hunting. |
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EricDent
 Posts: 997 Location: Georgetown, TX |
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When I used to live up in the Seattle area there was this great store for buying that kind of stuff. I think they actually closed down the storefront, and went all online (they said they were going to do that).
The name was Kicks Hobby Japan. http://www.kicks-hobby.com/ They import directly from Japan, so they could be a bit "pricey". |
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poonk
 Posts: 1490 Location: In the Library with Philip |
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 ). Yeah, the seller can lie to your face but if you then receive a bootleg-- assuming you recognize it as such, and your communications/purchase is made through a site like eBay where there is recourse for misrepresenting items-- you can open a claim. Not the ideal outcome of course but at least you'd probably get your money back and the vendor would get repercussions from eBay, which they reeeeeally don't want. So I find most bootleg vendors don't bother lying to buyers who are knowledgeable (or at least seem so). They just ignore you or feign ignorance. They're relying on people not asking/not knowing any better for the most part.
Also, get thee to MyFigureCollection (MFC) and sign up. It's not only a fun place to look around but a great resource. You can see what exists, figure-wise (by series, character, company, etc.); start "owned/ordered/wished" lists (My own wishlist is approximately 4x the size of my owned list!  Dream on, girl...); and even see if there are any known bootlegs for a figure and often what they look like.
Once you get something, please do come back to ANN's own Anime-Related Figures thread and tell us what you got and how it went. In regards to the specific figure you are eyeing at the moment, here is the MFC listing for it. If you scroll down a bit and click on the "Counterfeit: Yes (view bootleg shots)" link you will see some pictures of known bootlegs. If you click on the first pic you'll see a comment below it saying, "The text on the [bootleg] box is green, the original has a pink text." So if the photo your vendor provided is accurate-- that may be a legit figure (it's not proof, but it is promising). I'd still ask for confirmation though in case, as PetrifiedJello mentioned, they're using a stock photo of a legit figure. Good luck! Edit: I looked up the vendor whose name is in the pic you provided and though I don't really have experience pricing girly-type figures, $20 w/free S&H seems awfully cheap for a 9.5 inch figure. It looks like all the other similar Kasumi figures are $20-30 PLUS some padded-out S&H (an additional $9-15), putting them closer to MFC's listed original selling price of 4500 Yen (~$45, roughly). I'd be a bit suspicious. I'd definitely ask for confirmation that it's an official Kaiyodo (manufacturer) product. *Almost all of my figures were purchased via eBay-- from Hong Kong vendors, no less-- so most of my experience applies to that site. I've only been burnt once-- on a Sebastian Nendoroid. I was newer to figure buying and didn't do enough research/compare prices/"ask that question." Could've been worse-- at least it was only a $20 lesson. Last edited by poonk on Fri Oct 08, 2010 12:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Rukiia
Posts: 1897 Location: British Columbia, Canada |
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Thanks everyone for the helpful tips. I don't ever want to support to bootleg industry in any shape or form again. I been there, done that long ago when I didn't know anything about fake merchandise. I went to alot of cons in the past where a number of venders would sell bootleg junk and they would be telling their customers their items were "straight from Japan". I foolishly believed them and bought a Keyblade keychain that broke within an hour of purchasing it. It was an awful and expensive experience (the keychain cost me $15).
@poonk Oooo! That site looks like fun. I just might sign up on it. And that guide is simply marvelous. I'm very glad I didn't go ahead and buy the Kasumi model. Thank you for wonderful tidbit.
Btw, has anyone seen the Evangelion Mermaid figurines of Rei and Asuka? They are so cute and I would love to get them if they are real. I'll go look it up. Edit: Yay! They are real. |
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poonk
Posts: 1490 Location: In the Library with Philip |
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In case you didn't notice, Rukiia, I edited my post above after looking up the specific eBay item you're referencing. I'd proceed cautiously, if at all.
I've only been to a few small local cons and only bought a few cheap (and almost assuredly not legit) posters. I wasn't into figures at the time (~3 years ago) so I never gave the figure vendors a second glance. Granted, as someone who's not interested in girly figures the overwhelming boobage on display caused me to dismiss the table entirely but now I'd be much more interested in at least browsing the stock, boobs or not, and seeing the variety of merchandise and whether it was legit or not. I suppose many convention merchants are similarly after a good deal and are lured in by the cheapest price when buying wholesale stuff to resell. It's a bit disappointing but perhaps, like many of us, they don't know the difference. At least at a con you can inspect the actual item in question before you purchase, I guess. |
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Rukiia
Posts: 1897 Location: British Columbia, Canada |
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Oh, I definitely noticed. Hense my quote:
The website helped me decide to not buy it as I prefer the ones from Japan. I was sad to find a Chobits figure, that I wanted, to be a bootleg. 
Thankfully, cons these days have been cracking down on bootlegs being sold in the Dealers Room. I've also gotten pretty knowledgable on most items (DVDs, wallscrolls, plushies, etc). Models and Figures are not my strong point as I never thought about starting a collection until now. The venders I dealt with were at a newer convention 4 years ago where the con staff didn't have a clue about fake merchandise. The venders managed to get away with selling their garbage until the convention had its last year in 2009. |
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doncorleone
Posts: 1 |
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new store i bought from: www.otakusentai.com
based in US everything seems authentic & legit. Shipment quite fast and the price is the lowest that i found on the net. |
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