I recently met a young lady who had an issue with receiving a bootleg figure and paying the price of the authentic version with CRAZY shipping cost added as well. Where did she get the figure? How did she not know? Is she stupid?
No, No, and No.
Bootlegs, Bootlegs are everywhere!
Amazon, Ebay, Craigslist, Etsy, Storenvy, and even on actual, accredited websites!
...Yes accredited websites.
How can I avoid falling for this trap?
Let's start it off with pricing:
Ex:
Alter's 1/7 scale Sonico Figure
Original pricing for the original. As you can see, she's not very cheap!
Now.... Let's look at the pricing for another ad for the "Same" figure:
Hmmmm.. $26.98, damn what a deal? But...you're wrong.
How can you tell the difference? Pricing! A scaled figure can be very expensive due to quality, it's rare to find any of them especially if the figures newly released or not even released yet(if the figure hasn't been released and you find it on Ebay...there's something wrong with that picture)...for such a cheap price!
Also, where the seller is located: China.
China is one of the top countries in which manufacturing bootlegs is a big deal and common, so keep an eye out, as well as Hong Kong.
(Not my photo)
Even boxing can be copied to perfection, but as we see here: one has her head piece on, the other doesn't.
Some might ask: "What does it matter if it's bootleg or real, I just like the character?"
Thats okay, and no one is forcing you to pay full price, because not everyone is able to afford such a thing, but remember: "You get what you pay for!" Quality is huge in the figure community, especially if you want this figure to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, mainly your eye! Sometimes you might want a bootleg, to use it as a prop or it's parts, which by all means, go for it!
Quality and Appearance:
Some bootlegs tend to be very close to the original, almost making it impossible to tell the differences. I use sites such as My Figure Collection to help me see the original figure and inform me if theres any bootlegs.
Ex:
(Not my photo.)
On our left:
Tan skin, glossy looking, blotchy and sloppy paint job, different colors used, smaller looking frame as well. Added gloss tends to make a figure or pvc almost look like hard plastic.
Still not seeing it?
Let's take a look at one of the most infamous bootlegs to date:
(Not my photo)
SADER!
Many of you know Saber and the lovely Arturia Pendragon.
This tragedy has gone viral and many have bought just for fun, but this is an example as to quality and appearance. The main pinpoint is that face. What happened to that gorgeous face?
Now some sellers can be tricky and even use the photo to the left as an advertisement but you really get what's on the left.
How can I prevent that?
To be honest, it's almost impossible, sneaky people are everywhere. If you're unsure of a seller (via Ebay or Amazon, and other listed sites) always read reviews, they can give a great insight from past customers. If the photos for the item are taken first hand and show the item within it's box and it's not just a promo photo, you are possibly in the clear and I say "go for it!" I have bought a few figures off Ebay, so not every seller is on there to rip you off, but there's many!
And if even that doesn't soothe your concern, stick to accredited sites!
But what if I don't want to wait for it to come from a foreign country?
Patience is virtue, waiting is a must at times. But regardless of your location, theres plenty of local "home" sites available, one I use myself: Big Bad Toystore , plenty of figures and they are based in the U.S.
Now this by no means is a "Don't use Amazon or Ebay!" this is just a bootleg mini guide for those who have asked me how to find the differences. I have purchased some of my favorite figures from Ebay sellers and had an amazing experience, I have also finished an entire " Holy Grail" collection by finding each of the dolls on Ebay. This is simply a heads up and keep your eyes open. Bootlegs may be cheap but could break just by you trying to pose it, remember: "You get what you pay for."
Happy shopping everyone!
To be continued.....
No comments:
Post a Comment