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Forum - View topicINTEREST: Watch Out for Fakes: How to Spot a Saekano Utaha Kasumigaoka Bootleg Figure
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bin1127
Posts: 148 |
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Look closely at the hair's similarity. And the overall model doesn't look too bad. My guess is the model maker hocked a shipment out the backdoor every time it makes a run.
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11583 |
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Why don't bootlegs include the company logo on the boxes? They're already in illegal waters - does infringing on logo trademarks make it that much worse? I see the same avoidance of logos on anime disks too.
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kiminobokuwa
Posts: 547 |
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Holy crap. Look at that difference in quality. You can really tell how bad the bootleg is compared to the real thing.
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Greed1914
 Posts: 4611 |
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There are instances where they do that. One way the manufacturers combat the logo on a bootleg box that I've seen is the inclusion of particular stickers that also need to be present for official merchandise. |
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njprogfan
 Collector Extraordinaire Posts: 1217 Location: A River Named Toms |
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Is this a first for ANN? Bootleg figures training? Hey, could be a column....hmmmm....
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11583 |
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@ Greed: Yeah, I've seen the sticker bit done, but that seems like it would be easier to fake than the box art.
Heh, I only just now got the title of this interest article. 
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Dfens
Posts: 462 |
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The actual figure is getting a re-release next year.
For a retail price before exchange rate of about $100.00 dollars. While the bootleg will cost cost you $35.00 dollars or so on average on Ebay from China. If you look at the quality of the paint and little details you can see why it only costs less than half the retail price. Lots of times these companies will re-use the same factory molds after hours to make these bootlegs and just pump out a bunch of inferior products to make a quick buck. Never ever buy a figure direct from China it's a huge red flag that it's not authentic. Also before the re-release this Utaha figure was going for up to double the retail price since when they go out of print the value shoots through the roof. |
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Crext
 Posts: 211 |
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They should do more of these, it's funny to compare them.
Though one of my primary reasons for buying original is to support the series/creators I like. Last edited by Crext on Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
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sputn1k
Posts: 52 |
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Crunchyroll sells it for $96.99. They even still seem to have stock. |
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H. Guderian
Posts: 1255 |
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I appreciate this type of article coming up once in awhile. Good work.
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BodaciousSpacePirate
 Subscriber Posts: 3019 |
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They do it every once in a while: Accept No Waifu Imitations: How to Spot a Fake Rem Bride Figure Buyers Beware: Here's How to Spot a Yuri! on Ice Fake This is the first one I've seen that wasn't explicitly sponsored by Tokyo Otaku Mode, though. |
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Estelle the White Mage
 Posts: 51 |
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Eh, personally I've bought fake figures before (Cheria from Tales of Graces, among others) and the quality seems to be alright.
Guess I'm not too picky; sure buying direct will yield the best quality but the highest cost. I've only ever bought one figure that was greater than $100. I just find that the Chinese ones look decent enough to buy. I also used to do this with Warhammer 40K models off Ebay. A set of five Terminator Marines that would cost $50 off Games Workshop's store shelf (which are like 4cm tall... combined they have the same resin content as one of Utaha's leg) can be reverse engineered by the Chinese for like $10. It matters more to be that I have them, not that I can scrutinize their collar flap to see the details. Also Ebay's "ending soonest" feature is like a drug. Figures from shows I've seen going for $10, Chinese knockoff, with a minute left is very tempting.... |
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Animorphimagi
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while the differences are quite obvious, i think i prefer the fake more.
It shows more emotions(more smile), the pose is less overly-lewd, and it's not so terribly different that it would be annoying to look at from 5 feet away, which is usually how far away I look at my figures. |
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leafy sea dragon
 Posts: 7163 Location: Another Kingdom |
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Isn't this going to help counterfeiters make more authentic-looking products? I mean, this isn't like with counterfeit money, where they provide some details while withholding others because the money is going to head back to the bank sooner or later. There isn't a bank for this--they might as well stay quiet on the details and let the counterfeiters remai ignorant about what they've missed.
It depends on the figures: I've seen the entire continuum of quality among Chinese bootleg figures, though most are on the lower end, as they want to make sales by undercutting the official stuff. I say this coming from a bit of time collecting Disney pins. Bootlegs, known as Scrappers, are usually made from the molds of retired pins and by the people who manufactured the original ones to begin with, so they are often VERY hard to tell apart from the official stuff (and have fooled the employees working in the pin-trade department). I currently collect plushes, and I'll tell you this: Bootleg plushes tend to be of VERY low quality. It's pretty late right now at night and thus not in the mood for a photo, but I have both an official plush and a bootleg plush of Spike from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, and the differences, as well as resemblance to how he appears in the show, are like night and day. |
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Lemonchest
Posts: 1771 |
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Dad: Why are you looking up your figurines skirt, son?
Son: I'm just checking for fakes! |
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