Some people are not bothered by counterfeit action figures, considering them to be a cheaper alternative. I am not one such person. It is an illegal, immoral, and, frankly, aggravating practice that, before I knew how to combat it, was the bane of my collecting life. To prevent the pain any readers of that early pain, here's my guide to avoiding buying bootlegs and, if you might have already, how to identify them.
The best way to avoid counterfeits is to learn how to avoid places that sell them. Online, this means eBay, for the most part. If there are stores that sell counterfeits, I have never encountered them. Some sellers on Amazon look suspect, so do your homework before ordering from them. In a previous post (find it here) I go into how to tell if an eBay listing could be a counterfeit. I'll go over it again:
1.) Check out the seller. Check the seller's history and feedback on eBay and search the web to see if anyone has listed them on a bootlegger's blacklist. Myfigurecollection.net has some, but they occasionally fall out of date. Just because a seller is not listed on a blacklist, does not mean they are okay. They change names often.
2.) Check the listing. Even if the seller's ID checks out, scan the listing. Look for codewords that mean bootleg: HK Version, Chinese Version, China Version, or Special Edition. If it says it is new, but does not have a box, it is almost assuredly a bootleg. Compare pictures of the item to official pictures. The inferior plastics used in bootlegs warp and bend easier, and the paint applications are often much more unsightly. Also, if the price is just too good to be true, it is probably a fake.
3.) Avoid Hong Kong or China. I never buy from sellers from either of these countries. There are legitimate sellers living in these areas, but there also hundreds of bootleggers.
4.) Search for similar bootlegs. If there are pictures online of a bootlegged version of a figure, you can use that to compare to the item you're interested in on eBay. Myfigurecollection.net notes if there are known counterfeits of a figure, with links to uploaded pictures.
5.) Ask the seller. They will sometimes be honest and say it is a bootleg, although they will most likely use a term like "HK Version. If the pictures on the listing are not of the specific figure you will be receiving, ask for some.
Avoiding brick-and-mortar fakes is similar. You cannot check their past history, but if the figure is open, pre-assembled or looks low-quality, it is likely a fake. You can always just ask. Some stores sell a mix of legitimate and bootleg figures.
But what if it's too late? How can you determine if a figure is a bootleg?
1.) Look at the figure. Bootleg figures are sometimes obvious. Are the colors incorrect, blurry or off-center? Has the plastic warped, bent or melted? Many bootlegs are acutally manufactured by the original manufacturing plant. They simply continued to create figures after the official order was fulfilled, and sell the excess themselves. This is why they often lack boxes (which are made elsewhere). They also use inferior materials to save money, and this is where the obvious bootlegs happen. Another way noticeable counterfeits are made is by casting an original and then replicating it. These figures will lack detail (from the casting process) and will sometimes be pre-assembled and glued, when the original is meant to be assembled by the buyer.
2.) Ask the seller. If you threaten action against them on eBay (or whatever) they will often admit it was fake, and send you a refund. I have occasionally had to get aggressive, but they usually acquiesce.
3.) Get help online. Check if others have posted pictures of their fakes. If nobody has, post high-res pictures on a forum, asking other collectors who own the item to compare it. Boxes are a great thing to compare too, they often differ greatly. For the figure, compare paint colors, quality and detail. For boxes, compare the pictures printed on the box (they often re-create them with bootlegs) for clarity and contrast. Check all the printed text for differences. Boxes can also be of different glossiness.
There you have it, good luck collectors.
No comments:
Post a Comment