Forum - View topicSuper Plastic - Pokemon, Bootlegs, & You
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EngrishFan
Posts: 75 Location: Somewhere in chilly Canada |
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That thing he's levitating on was a lightning bolt? It could be the my resolution or the angles of the shots, but it looks like he's melting or turning into a blob to me... Ash looks like he got his head run over (cap and all) by a motorcycle. Oh well, guess this is what 3 bucks gets ya. |
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Atamaii.com
 Posts: 30 Location: Omaha, Nebraska |
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I enjoyed the story about bootleg toys. I attend shows in Hong Kong and the US, and I can tell you, manufacturers get real uptight about this.
A couple of tips. Some makers, particularly in Japan, use package labels to authenticate their products. Sometimes its a fancy holographic sticker, more often a label with the logo from the license holder, such as Shopro. Where does the seller say it came from? In our store, we identify the maker of every product we sell. Its not a secret, and if a store does not identify the maker, they may have something to hide. Will the seller take it back? If you think you got a bootleg from a seller, send it back and ask for a refund. According to the FBI, auction sites account for over 80% of online fraud compaints. Where did the product come from? I purchase directly from the manufacturer. Therefore I have high confidence the product is legit. OTOH, when I am shopping in the night markets in Hong Kong, I have confidence 100% of the toys there are fake! |
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Crix
Posts: 1 |
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About the unreasonable demand from Derek...
A figure of Ukitsu does in fact exist. Japanese toy manufacturer Epoch, of Barcode Battler fame, produced a small line of Ikki Tousen Trading Figures some years ago which sold for for about 700 yen a piece, and she was one of them. I suppose collectors who wish to get their hands on this decidedly rare item may have to go through more than just the regular motions, but obtaining it is definitely within the realm possibility. This is what one so inclined may look forward to putting on their display. It may not be Kurushima's Hakufu in limited black, but on the shelf of a western fan, it would definitely stand out like one. To each his own, and to the fandom - Niches. Don't give up on it. |
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Asako
 Posts: 751 Location: Hawaii |
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Haha I thought his hands were melting too, but he's overall cute 
Great section on the bootlegs. I've always wondered how someone can tell. I've never asked my friend (who's an avid action figure/model collector) how he can tell, but I'm sure he can somewhat have a feel about them. I feel this column is getting better and better Awesome!
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Elves
 Posts: 269 Location: USA |
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Haha. I had the same thought, though the lightning bolt makes perfect sense, but I distinctly remember - while reading the column - thinking, "Oh, that's what that is."  I think that the interpretation of what's happening to Pikachu's legs/feet is up for debate. I'm in the melting into a blob category. 
Interesting column - loved the how to tell a bootleg section. |
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DaZ616
 Posts: 327 Location: Sydney, Australia |
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The pokemon bunch looks soo poorly made, at least seperate pikachu's legs and arms:D
Geez.... talk about cheap labour. 
-DaZ |
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Richard J.
 Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
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Ukitsu would be cool, but I'd rather have a figure of Chinkyu to go with my Ryofu. Sure Chinkyu wasn't a major character or anything, but she deserves something for being in love with Ryofu. (Plus, she was at least x5 as sexy as Ukitsu.)
A Kaku would be great too. Evil, sexy girl wearing glasses? Why didn't they make a figure of her? On bootlegs: eBay can be your friend, but not often. If the price is too good to be true, if they're using the same picture multiple times, if you even THINK it might be a bootleg, it's probably a bootleg. Of course, if you buy a bootleg and you can't tell it is one even when you compare it to 100% authentic merchandise, maybe it doesn't matter. I'm surprised no one's filed a lawsuit against eBay yet for all the bootlegs that they carry DVD-wise. |
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Heretic
Posts: 177 Location: Laurel, Maryland |
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Hmm, I've been so caught up on getting Ryomou figures I forgot about Ukitsu. She would be great, but it seems that is about as unlikely as getting a figure of a male Ikkitousen character. I'd love a Toutaku statue as well.
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astroasis
 Posts: 19 Location: Chicago |
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As a side-note totally unrelated to the rest of my post: I totally thought Pikachu was melting there, too.
 Melting to make his own stand... since at $3, you can't really expect one. What a nice guy. It. Thing. Pokemon. Whatever.
This may not be a popular opinion, but I'm not really anti-bootlegs. I'm only anti-BAD-bootlegs. I've got a set of Cardcaptor Sakura figures that I know are bootlegs, but they're beautiful and only cost me as much as ONE of the real figures, so I'll smile and nod and pretend that's legal. Of course, that's only referring to a few bootlegs in my collection. There's also a few bootlegs that are NOT okay. Namely, the ones where the character literally IS melting... or has developed scoliosis and can't stand up straight. For the most part, though... I've been pretty lucky with my figure buying. They've all been legit - or close enough to it that I couldn't tell the difference, which is all that matters, I suppose. |
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shirokiryuu
Posts: 714 Location: Northern California (SF Bay Area) |
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I wasn't sure what as happening to pikachu either. I didn't think melting, rather, turning into an octopus.
Usually i can tell bootlegs from the boxes, but I have been suckered in buying bootlegged CDs. Usually it the price is too good to be true, it's a bootleg. ( or something is really wrong with it) And sometimes by bad paint jobs. I enjoy reading sites about horribly made bootleg toys  . Although, judging from today's pokemon figures, I think i might have to reevaluate myself. I initally though those were bootlegs. Since the paint jobs were.. well looked unprofessional. Maybe i've been spoiled with all the nice paint jobs with figurines in previous entries of this column.
I love the pokemon games, I've been wasting my life away playing Diamond. |
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WorldofElegance
 Posts: 42 Location: St. Joseph, Missouri |
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I'm glad the bootleg issue was brought up...it's always a sad thing when you drop 50 bucks for a statue, come home and take it out only to find something wrong with it.
A friend of mine bought a Renji statue, and his tattoos were wrong and he didn't stand up right. At least the anime store she bought it from was nice enough to take it back and refund her money...even they were fooled by it at first. I've been fortunate to never come across a bootleg statue personally; I collect Square Enix statues and I've always gotten the highest of quality from them. And bargain toys are the best...I found a McFarlane Motoko Kusanagi at a K-B for 5 bucks once.
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zcat68
Posts: 17 Location: RI |
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On the bootleg thing, I got a good laugh walking around a flea market, I was walking past a Maijin Buu figure, and it caught my eye, so I looked at the package, and there it was, a one of a kind "Mister Boo" figure.
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joel moralez
Posts: 6 Location: sacramento |
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the pkemon figures werent too bad for three dollars
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