PSA On fake figures

Creations, construction techniques, and news from the world of plastic toys

Moderators: Dr. X, ikensall, fredde

Post Reply
User avatar
dilanski
Now with added tractor fetish
Now with added tractor fetish
Posts: 1914
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:41 am
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain & FUCK THE DUP
Contact:

PSA On fake figures

Post by dilanski » Sun Jul 30, 2017 3:05 pm

So today I was out at the MCM Manchester Convention (Which in a totally unrelated note has now instituted bag checks and has heavy police presence. British cops are bro's, so this is fine, but still, Thanks Obama Allah). Anyway, lots of stalls had large selections of minifigures for sale at not exactly overwhelming prices. After scouring the con floor, I found a store doing them for £2 each, or 3 for £5. This seemed good (but not too good to be true). And as I am putting together a small force of Space Piltogg's, my eyes were immediately drawn to the selection of Death Troopers. Enough for a small squad, with extra black clad imperials to make up the numbers. They looked to the naked eye under convention hall conditions fine. I even briefly handled some of them.

Then I sat down outside of the convention hall, and went to inspect my l00t

Image

Image

Immediately I put the crack team over at Discord to work. I hadn't even seen a Death Trooper figure up close before, I also haven't seen any recently released minifigures, nor have I any clue what the current quality of the dreaded Chinese plastic was. But something was off.

Discord's judgement was a swift and merciless "Faker than Melania Trump's Tits" verdict. The evidence was damning.

Image

Bootleg Lego identification expert Kaplan had linked this to either the Pogo or Xhin Bootleg Forge Worlds of the Maoist empire. Quickly event security was alerted, and things had played in our favour, the perpetrator was surrounded by law enforcement officers, ready to beat him within an inch of unreasonable force with truncheons should he try and escape. Thanks Allah. Recompense was quickly dispensed, and the perpetrator will likely taught the perils of fucking with a Brikwarriors need for cool looking troops. So all's well that ends well? Well no. Not to sound arrogant, but I am pissed with myself for not spotting the bootlegs from a mile away. The second I had peace quiet and time to examine the figures, it became obvious from touch alone that these were not right. SO what went wrong? Well below I present what I believe allowed me to fall for the fakes, and what you can do to protect yourselves from this cancer.

6) Ignorance of the quality of Bootlegs: Know your enemy. I knew Lego forgeries were getting more convincing, but I didn't realise how convincing. Without the ability to focus on the details, and properly feel the plastic, as well as the connectors, I'd say the figures are at a distance indistinguishable to anyone who isn't familiar with the figures printing.

7) Missing the obvious signs: Excess flash on blasters and helmets. Obnoxious mold lines. Freaking solid stud heads. I could have saved myself a lot of bother by looking closely for the easy things that distinguish a bootleg from genuine crack ABS.

8) False sense of security: I have seen MCM take a hard line of fake merchandise before, with vendors being ejected mid-day for selling fake goods. I let my guard down, and it almost cost me. Even after the incident, event staff assured me the store would be looked into to see how they were selling fake merchandise. (We passed 3 other stores selling minifigures on the way to the culprit. I say they have their work cut out from them).

Buying used and third party lego is a recommended method of building a Brikwars army. I am saddened that these were fake, as they would have allowed me to build an awesome set of troops with which to slaughter the genetically inferior with. Irony is a cruel mistress. Learn from my failures, keep your guard up, don't be afraid to thoroughly inspect models, and say outright no to bootleg models. So no one is under any impression to the contrary, these figures were of an objectively worse quality, and were being sold at close to a premium price.
Almond Status: ACTIVATED

User avatar
Venge
there are no brakes on the ban train
Posts: 1609
Joined: Sun May 15, 2016 1:46 pm
Location: Banned by Natalya

Re: PSA On fake figures

Post by Venge » Sun Jul 30, 2017 3:09 pm

:trap:
Formerly known as TheVengefulOne. Times banned by Natalya: 10 (+ 1 alt).

My BrikWars Stuff: http://brikwars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=16684

My Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/150398410@N07/

User avatar
Duerer
Forum Champion 2016-2017
Forum Champion 2016-2017
Posts: 2908
Joined: Sat May 03, 2014 11:22 am

Re: PSA On fake figures

Post by Duerer » Sun Jul 30, 2017 4:20 pm

dilanski wrote:
Spoiler
Show
Image
Boy, this is some gross flash on the blaster, now that I took a closer look at your photo.
Winning Contest Entries
Show
ImageImageImageImageImageImage
Image
Battles and Stories and Stuff

User avatar
AZKAMAT
Minifig
Posts: 288
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:44 pm
Location: SC, USA.

Re: PSA On fake figures

Post by AZKAMAT » Thu Aug 03, 2017 12:14 am

Duerer wrote:
dilanski wrote:Boy, this is some gross flash on the blaster, now that I took a closer look at your photo.
The texture of the plastic also looks grainy.

Tell me, what is MCM? It sounds like some kind of UK-based Lego flea market. I've only bought Lego from either retail stores and Lego Shop or from Bricklink, and to date I've had no fakes from the latter.

But every time I look somewhere less reputable (ebay), I see a deluge of fakes everywhere.

Here's a couple tips I've learned; if the prices are too good to be true, check their average on Bricklink! Also, if the vendor's writing appear to be in Engrish, run away!
Check out mah BOL's of STIL! http://brikwars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16612

Kant b'leev uh wun! Image

User avatar
dilanski
Now with added tractor fetish
Now with added tractor fetish
Posts: 1914
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:41 am
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain & FUCK THE DUP
Contact:

Re: PSA On fake figures

Post by dilanski » Thu Aug 03, 2017 11:41 am

AZKAMAT wrote:Tell me, what is MCM? It sounds like some kind of UK-based Lego flea market.
Basically weeb conventions that have gone pop culture in general, although unfortunately have turned into a weekend geek market. As Lego is vogue in pop culture, there is usually plenty of Lego around. Bought quite a few good finds in the past there, even seen some really nice MOC's for sale (favourite had to be a microspace Red Dwarf).

I'm still not sure if 3 for £5 is too good to be true territory. Most vendors were doing 2 for £5 although looking back, I have no idea of the authenticity of those models. Looking at bricklink now, then yeah, basically 1/3rd the price of the cheapest lot (I'd assumed they were readily available in battlepacks). Although a lot of the other figures on display were much more common.

Honestly, given Star Wars now belongs to the mouse, I'm surprised Lego hasn't gotten Disney to bring the hammer of god down on these fakes.
Last edited by dilanski on Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Almond Status: ACTIVATED

User avatar
AZKAMAT
Minifig
Posts: 288
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:44 pm
Location: SC, USA.

Re: PSA On fake figures

Post by AZKAMAT » Thu Aug 03, 2017 4:36 pm

Last I checked the battlepack with DT's was being discontinued for some reason (fucking why? It was one of the most ossum BP's in a while and you're not even running it for 1 year, Lego). Further, the DT's in that set are quite different from the ones in Krennic's shuttle, which have more printing detail. That kind should be considerably more valuable than the BP version, so if you're looking to buy them I suggest looking up the differences and deciding what you want to hunt for and knowing what to expect.

"Honestly, given Star Wars now belongs to the mouse, I'm surprised Lego hasn't gotten Disney to bring the hammer of god down on these fakes."

I think it has to do with the copyright laws in the eastern countries who make them. They can't do anything about the production as the manufacturers no care 'bout no stoopehd round-eye laws. They can really only be crushed on the distribution end, like in your case.
Check out mah BOL's of STIL! http://brikwars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16612

Kant b'leev uh wun! Image

User avatar
dilanski
Now with added tractor fetish
Now with added tractor fetish
Posts: 1914
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:41 am
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain & FUCK THE DUP
Contact:

Re: PSA On fake figures

Post by dilanski » Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:23 pm

AZKAMAT wrote:They can really only be crushed on the distribution end, like in your case.
Or the import stage. If I remember correctly, Games Workshop still stops genuine merchandise being imported to Australia.

Regardless, this is a pain. I can foresee fake figures being mixed into the collections of the unsuspecting, and then sold on. It's going to suck buying collections in bulk, only to find half the figures are fakes.
Almond Status: ACTIVATED

User avatar
Kastrenzo
all I have is anthrax and rage
all I have is anthrax and rage
Posts: 1056
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:49 am
Location: RAM RANCH

Re: PSA On fake figures

Post by Kastrenzo » Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:36 pm

The battlepacks are probably being discontinued because there's probably been a quarterly loss or something,

its probably the fastest I've seen them retire a pack,

Keep in mind though that retiring just means that they're not producing them anymore

My local walmart still carries like 4 generations of battlepacks, I still see the chrome troopers and geonosis troopers once in a while.

I also suspect that adult nerds buying stuff in mass, is a turnoff for lego. Lego as a company tends to hate adult buyers, they've made a lot of steps in the past few years to take away the tools that adults have to enjoy their brick collecting. Namely the shut down of the LDD Market function

Oh well, I already bought like 6 packs of them and decided that was enough for me.
Faction Index - Flickr Gallery

Image
You can't ride a scooter when you're drunk and 9 years old.

Post Reply