In recent years, it has become more and more difficult to distinguish between authentic merchandise and cheap bootleg rip-offs. Here at figmaWORLD.com, we GUARANTEE that all our figmas are 100% AUTHENTIC. We only source our figmas from reputable industry wholesalers who have years of positive history in the Japanese merchandise import business.
But how can YOU, as the consumer, be sure what you are getting is the REAL DEAL?
Here are 5 easy tips to help you detect bootleg figmas before you waste your hard earned cash.
1. If it says "Chinese version", "China copy", "Hong Kong version", or "like Japanese version", you can pretty much guarantee these are all fakes. The only "version" that is real is the one that comes straight from Good Smile Company and Max Factory.
2. If the price is absurdly low, you have a fake. There is a reason authentic Japanese collectible figures are relatively expensive. Many of the intricate parts and details on the figures are hand painted and therefore require a high level of skill and attention. Bootleg copies will not have nearly the same level of meticulous detail about them and this will take away from the overall presentation and aesthetic of your figma.
3. Look for the proper sticker on the front of the box. Authentic figmas sold in Japan should have a holographic sticker or some other type of indication on the front of the box beside the figma title. Some of these make their way to the United States with individuals who buy them in Japan and bring them back to sell on eBay or Amazon. On the other hand, authentic figmas that are exported to be sold overseas may be labeled with a white sticker in place of the holographic sticker. This white sticker should read "SALES OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY". If there is no sticker, the sticker appears to be tampered with,or the sticker image is simply printed onto the box, you likely have a bootleg!
4. Check the edges of the images printed on the outside of the box. Authentic boxes from Max Factory will have images with clean, crisp edges. If you look closely at the images on a bootleg box, the edges will be fuzzy or pixelated. This is because the Chinese companies scan the images off the original Max Factory boxes and then reprint them onto their own boxes! Due to the scanning process, the images will never be quite as sharp as the real deal. A fuzzy or pixelated image is a dead giveaway. You have a bootleg!
5. ALL authentic figmas come with a genuine figma stand. ALL figma stands have the figma logo embossed on the base plate. If the base plate does not have an embossed figma logo on it, you absolutely have a bootleg!
So if you're ever concerned about the authenticity of your figma, check these 5 easy giveaways to make sure you have the real deal. Or just order all your figmas from figmaWORLD.com and you'll never have to worry!
For more information concerning individual bootleg products that are currently being circulated on the market, visit https://partner.goodsmile.info/support/eng/fake/listing/.