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How to Spot A Bootleg

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New Pokemon 6" Soft Stuffed Plush Toy Doll Plushie Pokedoll Umbreon Sitting Form | eBay

I'm not so sure about this one. It looks fairly decent in quality wise however I'm still unsure due to it's price and where it's coming from ... anyone able to help?

I'd stay away, since the title and origin (China) are always triggers. The Umbreon in question isn't a Pokedoll at all, even.

Looking at the photos closer, a lot of the detail is fairly off- Threads coming off the eye, the entire plush being lopsided, and sloppy stitching, for one.. Comparing to the original (Which was made my Takara Tomy), I think it's easy to say that it's a bootleg.

I don't know how much the actual plush sells for, but I don't think they go for $11.

Also, all of the other plushes they're selling are bootlegs, so I think that Umbreon is one as well.
 
Hey, is this thread still operating?

Here's a place i found:

Pokedoll USA

It looks pretty good at first, but i had my doubts with the stock photos and the fact that they sell umbreons for $20
I asked the owner of PokeVault (the most excellent Bootleg buster) what he thought, and he said he couldnt say for sure...
so any thoughts, guys? too risky?

EDIT:

I contacted the site, and they said that the umbreons they get are the american ones that have gone in and out of production, instead of the japanese ones that have gone out of existence. I looked that up (its true), and i recalled that the guy who owns pokevault said that he only knows about Japanese pokedoll bootlegs. After a little more research, i think i'll get a couple of plushies from them :D
 
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is it bad that i'm utterly terrified right now?
when its near a birthday or christmas, i look for pokemon plushies i want and send them to my mom, but, now that i've seen this, i'm gonna guess most of my plushies are bootlegs....
i get them around 5-8 dollars, but its weird though...i have a flareon plushie that's pretty strong and there's nothing bad about it, it doesn't smell bad, its not even close to breaking apart, and it had a normal pokedoll tag, same thing with my mew. i don't wanna buy more bootlegs, but i don't wanna buy a audino plush for 29$, i guess i'll ask my mom for a audino thats around 20$, as i don't wanna buy a bootleg.

thank you SO much for this! i wish i could've seen this sooner! D: oh well, at least i know what NOT to do in the future. thanks!
 
Hey, is this thread still operating?

Here's a place i found:

Pokedoll USA

It looks pretty good at first, but i had my doubts with the stock photos and the fact that they sell umbreons for $20
I asked the owner of PokeVault (the most excellent Bootleg buster) what he thought, and he said he couldnt say for sure...
so any thoughts, guys? too risky?

EDIT:

I contacted the site, and they said that the umbreons they get are the american ones that have gone in and out of production, instead of the japanese ones that have gone out of existence. I looked that up (its true), and i recalled that the guy who owns pokevault said that he only knows about Japanese pokedoll bootlegs. After a little more research, i think i'll get a couple of plushies from them :D

That site is legitimate, I've never bought from them personally, but I recognize the name, it's run by someone that is in the pkmncollectors community on LJ. The prices look right, too.

is it bad that i'm utterly terrified right now?
when its near a birthday or christmas, i look for pokemon plushies i want and send them to my mom, but, now that i've seen this, i'm gonna guess most of my plushies are bootlegs....
i get them around 5-8 dollars, but its weird though...i have a flareon plushie that's pretty strong and there's nothing bad about it, it doesn't smell bad, its not even close to breaking apart, and it had a normal pokedoll tag, same thing with my mew. i don't wanna buy more bootlegs, but i don't wanna buy a audino plush for 29$, i guess i'll ask my mom for a audino thats around 20$, as i don't wanna buy a bootleg.

thank you SO much for this! i wish i could've seen this sooner! D: oh well, at least i know what NOT to do in the future. thanks!

Depending which plush you mean, $29 is a pretty fair price for a lot of plushes out there ^^; Bootlegs are usually never more than like $10 or so from what I've seen, and even that's a lot. Pokedolls are usually about $20-$30 when they're still in stock in Nintendo World/Pokemon Centers, sometimes a bit more or less depending where you buy them from, once they're off shelves and no longer have a 'shelf' value, their price can often rise dramatically if it's one that is still popular, though it can drop as well.
 
Hey Araragi-hakase! Are you by chance a member of pkmncollectors on Livejournal? :D You seem very familiar but I cannot recall your username. ^^;

This is a very good How To guide. One of the things I hate about eBay is that if one item isn't a bootleg, a legit item is really overpriced. It's ridiculous but sometimes if you look hard enough you can find some rare gems for a great price. Still, I do all my buying on pkmncollectors, Sunyshore, animeraro, and pokevault just as a precaution to avoid these people selling bootlegs.

EDIT: Got to watch my language! XD
 
Hey Araragi-hakase! Are you by chance a member of pkmncollectors on Livejournal? :D You seem very familiar but I cannot recall your username. ^^;

This is a very good How To guide. One of the things I hate about eBay is that if one item isn't a bootleg, a legit item is really overpriced. It's ridiculous but sometimes if you look hard enough you can find some rare gems for a great price. Still, I do all my buying on pkmncollectors, Sunyshore, animeraro, and pokevault just as a precaution to avoid these people selling bootlegs.

EDIT: Got to watch my language! XD

Yup, my username on LJ is 'dreamaria'. I don't post much on there but I'm a member :)

And yeah, eBay is really hit or miss. In my personal experience, if there is something I REALLY want and I have the money, I buy it as soon as I see it because often times with pokemon stuff, you turn around and it's unavailable (see: the substitute plushes XD) and then go for ridiculous prices on eBay and even bidding on pkmncollectors, etc. But more often than not, most of the stuff on eBay is bootlegs, tbh :/

And no worries, you can curse here :p
 
Does this Haxorus plushie exist?

If yes, but the linked plush is not legitimate, where can I get one?

If not, well, I think I'll get one from a craftmaker (think someone from deviantART, for example) instead. Anyone make them?
 
Does this Haxorus plushie exist?

If yes, but the linked plush is not legitimate, where can I get one?

If not, well, I think I'll get one from a craftmaker (think someone from deviantART, for example) instead. Anyone make them?

I don't think the plush you linked to is legit. The only Haxorus plush I know 100% that was made is an MPC (My Pokemon Collection, by Banpresto), and those are much, much smaller, about 3-4 inches tall. Also, from looking at the seller's items, they look to be all bootlegs. The plush that are that large from the Pokemon Center are usually about $50+.

For example, this is from the same seller, and it's from Hong Kong New Pokemon Charizard Orange Dragon Vintage Plush Stuffed Doll Toy Figure Gift | eBay most definitely a bootleg. Sometimes they list their location being in the states to look more legit or something.

But anyway, here is a photo of the legit Haxorus plush, it was released in December.
S9qgb.jpg
 
Several questions on the subject of bootleg Pokemon figures. Please help!

Ok, so my first question is, has anyone ever dealt with the eBay seller MyBuddy-Gifts? The items in their shop look legit and I see no one in the sellers feedback complaining that the item was fake. The prices seem reasonable, too. But I have noticed that some of their plushes say 'Takara Tomy Pokedoll', and we all know here that Tomy does not make Pokedolls. But I was thinking it could possibly be just a generic term.

My next question is, are there any known sellers in China/Hong Kong who sell legit figures and plushies? I've heard there are a select few, but I've never seen any myself.

And finally, who is the cheapest seller on eBay (or anywhere else) that sells legit merchandise and ships to the UK? I'm talking about Japanese import items like Moncolle, not the figures that we can just go on down to Toys R Us and buy.

Thanks!
 
Re: Several questions on the subject of bootleg Pokemon figures. Please help!

Looking at MyBuddy-Gifts, they seem to sell legitimate Pokemon plushes. The prices are fair, and they do exclaim that the plushes are 100% Authentic. Even though they are based in Hong Kong (And that usually turns me away), they seem like a reputable business.

As for the rest of your questions, I'm not entirely sure, as I never buy my merchandise through eBay. I think @Araragi-hakase; may be able to help you, though.
 
Re: Several questions on the subject of bootleg Pokemon figures. Please help!

Ok, so my first question is, has anyone ever dealt with the eBay seller MyBuddy-Gifts? The items in their shop look legit and I see no one in the sellers feedback complaining that the item was fake. The prices seem reasonable, too. But I have noticed that some of their plushes say 'Takara Tomy Pokedoll', and we all know here that Tomy does not make Pokedolls. But I was thinking it could possibly be just a generic term.

My next question is, are there any known sellers in China/Hong Kong who sell legit figures and plushies? I've heard there are a select few, but I've never seen any myself.

And finally, who is the cheapest seller on eBay (or anywhere else) that sells legit merchandise and ships to the UK? I'm talking about Japanese import items like Moncolle, not the figures that we can just go on down to Toys R Us and buy.

Thanks!

I've never purchased from this seller but I am weary. Looking through the Neutral feedback you see "item not as described" "not as nice as the one pictured" etc. eBay Feedback Profile for mybuddy-gifts eBay doesn't care if they're selling bootlegs, they only care if the buyer got what they paid for and the seller delivered, that's why you always look in neutral. A lot of legit sites do use stock images, especially for things that aren't released yet, but the price is usually the first indicator that what you're getting isn't legit. If it's too good to be true, it probably is.

As for listing it as "Tomy pokedoll", sometimes sellers do that just for the keywords. So if someone types "pokedoll" their items will come up, too, even if it's not a pokedoll. Even some legit sellers do this, though it is way more common with bootlegs.

There are a few sellers out of Hong Kong that sell legit pokemon goods - though I can't say I have any experience with them because I'm too paranoid to purchase anything from China/Hong Kong. 9 out of 10 times you're going to get a factory reject or a straight up bootleg.

If you look through the guide, you may be able to find and compare prices easier. I'm in the US so I don't know anything about import fees that may be charged or what will be the best option for you ^^;

Also, I'm going to merge this with the bootleg thread :)
 
Hi, does anyone know if the ebay seller MangaAnimeGadgets sells legit Pokemon merchandise? They have some plushies of my favourite Pokemon that I didn't even know existed as plushies (Nidorino and Cubone) and I'm just hoping it's not too good to be true. The plushies seem really high quality and definitely look legit, but I'm no expert so I can't be sure. The prices seem reasonable, not like the bootleg £3 plushies and they do have tags. Here is one of their listings: Pokemon CUBONE plush 12"/30 cm Pokemon plush doll 12" UK Stock *Fast Shipping | eBay
 
Hey guys, this is my first post on the forums as I have just join needing some help with bootlegs. It is my 13th birthday in September and i want my parents to get me something special so I started lookin at pokedolls. I have one I love. Shadow Lugia but from what I read they don't make these anymore. Apprantly the last ones made were in 2008-2009 for a revamp of it. I don't want a bootleg or spend a ridiculous price on one like I saw one LEGIT shadow lugia $70 and I want at least one around £20 I need help and I know this may be a bit hard but any help with this as I would love one of these sat on my shelf basically screaming at me HUG ME!! Much appreciated if you help me with this hard task and I don't want to travel to Japan for one and I am goig to look on the American pokecentre website when it comes out on August 1st much appreciated
Thebrit
 
Hey guys, this is my first post on the forums as I have just join needing some help with bootlegs. It is my 13th birthday in September and i want my parents to get me something special so I started lookin at pokedolls. I have one I love. Shadow Lugia but from what I read they don't make these anymore. Apprantly the last ones made were in 2008-2009 for a revamp of it. I don't want a bootleg or spend a ridiculous price on one like I saw one LEGIT shadow lugia $70 and I want at least one around £20 I need help and I know this may be a bit hard but any help with this as I would love one of these sat on my shelf basically screaming at me HUG ME!! Much appreciated if you help me with this hard task and I don't want to travel to Japan for one and I am goig to look on the American pokecentre website when it comes out on August 1st much appreciated
Thebrit

I can't help, I'm afraid. Someone might have been able to make one for you if it wasn't for the fact you wanted an official one, but an official one would definitely be special. Hopefully someone will know where to look for a good deal :)
 
Hey guys, this is my first post on the forums as I have just join needing some help with bootlegs. It is my 13th birthday in September and i want my parents to get me something special so I started lookin at pokedolls. I have one I love. Shadow Lugia but from what I read they don't make these anymore. Apprantly the last ones made were in 2008-2009 for a revamp of it. I don't want a bootleg or spend a ridiculous price on one like I saw one LEGIT shadow lugia $70 and I want at least one around £20 I need help and I know this may be a bit hard but any help with this as I would love one of these sat on my shelf basically screaming at me HUG ME!! Much appreciated if you help me with this hard task and I don't want to travel to Japan for one and I am goig to look on the American pokecentre website when it comes out on August 1st much appreciated
Thebrit

I can't help, I'm afraid. Someone might have been able to make one for you if it wasn't for the fact you wanted an official one, but an official one would definitely be special. Hopefully someone will know where to look for a good deal :)


I don't know... I want a offical one for the feels but I also want a bootleg that us just as cute so any help guys?
 
Hey guys, this is my first post on the forums as I have just join needing some help with bootlegs. It is my 13th birthday in September and i want my parents to get me something special so I started lookin at pokedolls. I have one I love. Shadow Lugia but from what I read they don't make these anymore. Apprantly the last ones made were in 2008-2009 for a revamp of it. I don't want a bootleg or spend a ridiculous price on one like I saw one LEGIT shadow lugia $70 and I want at least one around £20 I need help and I know this may be a bit hard but any help with this as I would love one of these sat on my shelf basically screaming at me HUG ME!! Much appreciated if you help me with this hard task and I don't want to travel to Japan for one and I am goig to look on the American pokecentre website when it comes out on August 1st much appreciated
Thebrit

I can't help, I'm afraid. Someone might have been able to make one for you if it wasn't for the fact you wanted an official one, but an official one would definitely be special. Hopefully someone will know where to look for a good deal :)


I don't know... I want a offical one for the feels but I also want a bootleg that us just as cute so any help guys?

I could make one if I could successfully create a pattern. I'd probably have to use fleece instead of minky unless I could find some baby clothes in the right colour, though, because it's ridiculously hard to find minky in Britain and would be very expensive to import.
 
Man I would love to have a Sylveon or a Zorua plushie for myself, they would be so cute!
 
Just a reminder that this thread is for discussing ways to avoid bootleg plushes/asking for advice on how to avoid them.

If you are looking for a specific plush, you can look in this thread to find places that sell pokemon goods, and search on the sites to see if they have what you are looking for!
 
I have a question.

I bought a Fennekin plushie at AX this year, but I wasn't sure if it was a bootleg or not. It has a Banpresto tag on it, and I bought it for $30.

Is this Fennekin bootlegged?
 
I have a question.

I bought a Fennekin plushie at AX this year, but I wasn't sure if it was a bootleg or not. It has a Banpresto tag on it, and I bought it for $30.

Is this Fennekin bootlegged?

Do you have any photos of it?

If it has a Banpresto tag with a blue ShoPro sticker, it is legit, but it's hard to say otherwise without seeing it ^^; I think there are a few Banpresto Fennekin plushes out, so they definitely do exist.

Pokemon XY Fennekin Super DX Plush Banpresto UFO - Fennekin (48597) This one doesn't have its tag because it's a stock photo, but it's about the same price.
 
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