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01-27-2018, 02:09 PM | #1 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Cobra Island & Massachusetts
Posts: 6,378
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Ok so lately I have been getting back into the ARAH game and I am finding boat loads of bootleg/ Knock offs floating around. I happen to be at a fellow collectors house this morning who had several Storm Shadow figures for sale. At 1st glance they looked to be very nice White original figures with all Original accessories. Once I had one in Hand it was a clear knock off and the seller seemed to be offended when I pointed this out. This got me thinking more about this issue and I can honestly say I don't like that there are cheap copies around.
Now I am all for the 3rd party stuff that goes on with Transformers, is it right? Perhaps not but at least they are not attempting to be passed off as originals. I am even ok with repro weapons for Joe's as long as it is a clear repro and no one is attempting to swindle anyone with them. I personally own a few repro parts that I love because of the cost factor on originals but I also document what parts are reproductions as to not cause any confusion if I decide to ever sell. Now I am sure that some of the people producing the fakes were not intending to be deceitful but I can't help to think others were and that kind of bothers me. A few years back I remember having similar thoughts about "re-carded" stuff when a local dealer who I consider a friend began. Selling without always disclosing that they were re carded. He claims if he was asked he would always say that the were but if he wasn't asked he just assumed you knew what you were looking at and that never sat well with me. So would anyone else care to weigh in on the issue? I would love to hear other opinions on this to know if I am in the majority or minority.
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01-27-2018, 02:22 PM | #2 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Iowa
Posts: 4,255
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Bootlegs I don't have a problem with, at some point, heck, we are pretty much there, bootlegs will become indistinguishable from the original and easier to make. Then what, you'd rather have 30 year old toy of aging plastic rather than one from the past year?
Repro parts. There's always going to be more accessory-less figures and vehicle shells than loose parts to complete them. However, dishonest sellers are scum. And I don't understand the appeal recarding. But we all know toy collecting is a mental illness. Right? LOL |
01-27-2018, 02:42 PM | #3 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Cobra Island & Massachusetts
Posts: 6,378
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Yes I would rather own an original than a replica. There are still plenty of figures out there in Marvelous condition despite being over 30 years old for me to buy before I ever needed to go the knockoff route.
Yeah I will agree that dishonest sellers and scum but what if the seller was unaware? This is where my issues come in. Like today for instance when I told the seller I thought they were knock off figures he immeaditly turned on me and began to argue that he only buys from reliable sources and would never sell copies. Yet he was clearly doing so and had I purchased SS for the $75 he was asking I would be pissed to find out it was a fake. I can't prove whether he knew they are fakes or not. But then again I won't take another chance with him.
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01-27-2018, 07:44 PM | #4 |
Cobra Lab Rat
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: California
Posts: 3,046
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It's been a problem. . . . . . a really annoying problem.
You can't tell by sight anymore, bootleggers are getting very good at what they do and they tend to enter wide circulation. They can even be of better quality than the originals due to age, technology, costs, etc. The average person just can't tell easily anymore. Bootlegs of older more valuable vintage toys such as Star Wars figures are such a problem, many vintage store sellers have departments dedicated just to identifying bootlegs and sorting them out of circulation to retain their own store's reputation. |
01-27-2018, 09:28 PM | #5 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 306
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I am a completist. Everything must be original. At least for the original figure. If I like a certain weapon with a different character or version of a character repro is fine. I'm sure I have some repro stuff in my collection, just playing the odds. Does my Night Force Falcon have an original antenna? I think so but I didn't open it, I bought it used on ebay so it could be repro for all I know. But it looks good and will only matter years from now if I or my family decide to sell it.
On the other hand, I completed my NF Shockwave by buying a sealed Headhunter Stormtrooper, swiped the knife (which is the same for both characters) and presto complete Shockwave. To my mind that's close enough to original, but kinda in the realm of bootleg in the sense it was at least made from a different plastic since Shockwave was made in 89 and Stormy was in 93. What's really the difference between that and a repro knife if it looks the same? Ten years from now I doubt we'll be able to tell the difference. As far as Your ex dealer, that's pretty lousy. There are people like that everywhere, though. Selling knock off stuff mixed in with legit. Star Wars is by far the worst from what I have seen |
01-27-2018, 11:05 PM | #6 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: sitting in my tin can far above the world
Posts: 3,933
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I'm fine with them as long as they are advertised that way. I never would have paid the money for a gold head steel brigade figure, but now I have a good enough to display one in my collection. Same for Starduster. The fact that they are reproductions does not bother me and the ladies are just as impressed with the knockoff as they are with the original.
I also love that troop builders are made in different colors and styles.
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01-27-2018, 11:16 PM | #7 |
Joes do I.T. better!
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: California
Posts: 421
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I like 'em, as long as they are sold as such. And I like the ones that are offering new deco for the Vipers, etc. I still buy older figures where I can, but I can't afford some of the highly demanded vintage figures for the prices they go for, and enjoy supplementing my collection with the new stuff.
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01-28-2018, 12:56 AM | #8 |
Bald Master
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wolverine Lake, MI
Posts: 15,130
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Quote:
I like 'em, as long as they are sold as such. And I like the ones that are offering new deco for the Vipers, etc. I still buy older figures where I can, but I can't afford some of the highly demanded vintage figures for the prices they go for, and enjoy supplementing my collection with the new stuff.
With a little research and buying via goods/services, you can limit your risks when looking to buy vintage vs scammer attempt knock offs.
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"Once got busy in the back of a Buzz Boar!" FEEDBACK: http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...ck-thread.html CUSTOM WORK: https://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-j...s-customs.html |
01-28-2018, 06:38 AM | #9 |
Commando
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Italy
Posts: 426
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The bootleg market does not give me trouble especially for small parts easy to lose like weapons. Regarding the carded figures the seller must always specify that it is repro because the most inexperienced collectors could be deceived.
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01-28-2018, 08:00 PM | #10 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Liverpool Pennsylvania
Posts: 22
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I'm a little on both sides of the fence on bootlegs. Making stuff that Hasbro never did is awesome. Unfortunately with exact or near exact duplicates it does hurt the value of originals. However it provides an opportunity for people to have rare looking figures that they could never have afforded. I kinda wish there was a universal identifying mark they would agree to use to distinguish their products to avoid any confusion or dishonesty.
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