Figure Fakes?

[Babelfish]

Can't really add much to the advice given above, which pretty much covers it. I'll just repeat the old saying "if it looks too good to be true, it probably is" (i.e. beware of deal-of-the-century type bargains).

- Steve

 

[Ron Tamburrini]

Mozzy

There are lots of dodgy companies selling bargains ..at the end of the day it's a personal choice and conscience ....my take on it is if folk was to buy from these then it's a nail in the coffin of the genuine company.

No one has unlimited money but support the genuine sellers.

There are lots of threads on this subject

Nap

No one has unlimited money .Trump has
You are right Kevin ; support the bona fide Guys

 

[Ong]

Another factor is that most recast figures are made in white or light pink resin and tend to have a lot more flash and/or pour blocks. Original figures come in light gray, cream, or beige resin.

Ebay is especially notorious for selling recasts. One has to compare the color of the resin figure to the actual resin color on the box art because some sellers post the original box art in hopes of selling their recast. If the resin colors don't match to the original packaging, then chances are it's a recast. Sellers from China, Russia, and Hong Kong often sell white recast figures.

Another determining factor is examine where the pour blocks are located. Recasts may have the pour blocks in different locations than the original figure's.

As others have mentioned, if the price if 10-20% below the MSRP and listed as new, chances are that it's a recast. The best bet is to buy from an actual figure vendor's website and not from eBay.

 

[Mozzy]

I'm so pleased I asked this question, rather than get months into a stash of fakes!

Naivety doth come with oldy age

Mozzy

 

[theBaron]

You've taken the biggest step, Mozzy, towards doing what you can do to avoid buying recasts, by asking the question in the first place. Your path should take you to familiarizing yourself with the manufacturers and catalogs as best you can, and as a backup, using this and other forums to get familiar with products and subjects. You'll find yourself spotting pirated copies with increasing frequency, as you learn more.

When you do spot something that you think is a pirated copy, the best thing you can do, after choosing not to buy it, is to alert the manufacturer. As others have noted, the manufacturer is probably in the best position to pursue action against the pirate. The manufacturer may decide not to do anything, but that's his business at that point.

Prost!
Brad

 

[jai]

Plus ebay figures from China, Thailand, South Korea, Italy, Hungary, Argentina and especially ebay busts from Russia and Hungary.

just saw the seller from germany (sells figurines in resin companies that produce lead only) .... if you want to upgrade your list.

You can not generalize, honest sellers there are also the countries you mentioned

 

[DEL]

One of the things that is noticable is the way that some obvious recasters prices have gradually crept up to a point where they are often not too far away from the price of an authentic piece.
So for a few quid / Euros / Dollars why wouldn't anybody pay more to ensure quality, and excellent after service that you get from nearly every legitimate manufacturer or supplier.
With a recaster you might be lucky and get (rarely) a faultless casting. What you are more likely to get is something full of pits and bubbles from a mould that is completely worn out.
A few years ago I deliberately purchased a recast Scale 75 of a figure I already had in my grey army just out of interest, I don't like expressing opinions without evidence. Only cost me £9 and it was diabolical, cast well beyond the end of the moulds life. Not that I ever intended to paint it.
Do yourselves a favour don't be tempted, save up a bit longer it's unlikely you're going to rush to paint it anyway.

 

[theBaron]

just saw the seller from germany (sells figurines in resin companies that produce lead only) .... if you want to upgrade your list.

You can not generalize, honest sellers there are also the countries you mentioned

Yes, we absolutely can generalize. A generalization is a way of describing the world. It need only be generally true, to be accurate, but it allows for exceptions. Now, if the number of exceptions reaches a point at which they represent a large portion of the thing discussed, then we have to re-examine the generalization and change it.

In this case, I would say that Germany is not a country from which pirates operate, to the same degree as they do in Russia, Red China, Thailand, and so, to say Germany is a pirate country in the same sense as the others is not accurate. There aren't enough counterfeiters operating from Germany for us to warn people not to buy from German sellers, as we might warn people to be extremely careful with sellers in Russia, and even avoid sellers in the PRC.

Prost!
Brad

 

[jai]

Yes, we absolutely can generalize. A generalization is a way of describing the world. It need only be generally true, to be accurate, but it allows for exceptions. Now, if the number of exceptions reaches a point at which they represent a large portion of the thing discussed, then we have to re-examine the generalization and change it.

In this case, I would say that Germany is not a country from which pirates operate, to the same degree as they do in Russia, Red China, Thailand, and so, to say Germany is a pirate country in the same sense as the others is not accurate. There aren't enough counterfeiters operating from Germany for us to warn people not to buy from German sellers, as we might warn people to be extremely careful with sellers in Russia, and even avoid sellers in the PRC.

Prost!
Brad

I agree with you

perhaps it is because he cited Italy and I felt offended ... not really, but I can not find the right word now.

In Italy I found just a little honest seller.
in Italy I find drawings(paintings) and miniatures a bit 'more expensive than in other European countries, but honest people ... generally. and I always look at the feedback

I do not buy outside Europe (china russia hong kongThailand U.S.A.), the customs fee too expensive.

in any case the soldiers I prefer to buy them in the show, I can see them, open the packs ... and even get discounts.

on ebay I buy little. postcards, drawings etc ... documentation in short

Giorgio