I took a look at GSC's catalogue and almost everything I have an interest in is sold out or out of stock. Do they just produce limited quantities each and never again?

secondary market. rdy ur wallets

or u can try amiami pre-owned section

But it's still caveat emptor, right? Maybe that is why the bootleg market is flourishing.

On the other hand, some of the stuff I want don't even have bootlegs.

the bootleg market is always flourishing. until today still so many dvd/brd street peddlers around. personally i have had two bootlegs in my collection... not intentional. sellers tried to pass them off as genuine stuff... and tbh, they're not exactly value for money. the ones i got used a (cheaper?) different grade material that was stiff and brittle with parts snapping off fairly easily. i would consider myself a very careful person but even then the accessories (weapon) snapped... and she didn't quite stand right. as for the paint app, the dead giveaway is when the prints don't come together perfectly... like broken lines and stuff. i wouldn't recommend bootleg stuff, but hey... this is malaysia after all. we have a popular street dealing with counterfeit stuff!

This post has been edited by WingNut: Sep 15 2017, 10:22 AM

Even bootleg stuff is pricey though (relatively). I see Figmas for USD15-25 on AliExpress and the negative reviews can be really negative. Perhaps the price is actually even lower, but jacked to secret include shipping (they advertise as Free Shipping). Otherwise how do they earn a profit...

Maybe it's because I don't understand the production process, but I find it difficult to see how the pricing is made for these toys (whether original or bootleg). From pictures, the Play Arts figures look nice but they seem to be double or triple the price I'm willing to pay for. Then again, maybe it's because I've never seen or held one yet, and in my mind I still see them as "toys" instead of "works of art".

careful there. the reason why the prices are high is simply because they want you to think it's genuine stuff. pricing it low will instantly trigger you. i learnt this the hard way...

Well, what's the ballpark for bootlegs? Figmas are as low as USD13 (without box), Play Arts Batman (Japanese armor) averages USD45, a 71cm Arthas on his Frozen Throne is USD2,500...

don't think i can answer this half as well as the senpais here, but i'd say between 30-50% off, perhaps? and they probably say it's as good as the original, top quality, first grade or something vague of that sort (or nothing at all) and usually use the official pics to sell their product. only way to stay safe is to buy from reputable retailers in japan, i guess

Well, a good thing about AliExpress is that the buyers are allowed to leave feedback on their purchases and include pictures (up to 150 days after purchase in fact), and from there I can get a rough idea on what to expect from a bootleg compared to the official photos. Plus you can open disputes with AliExpress to get a refund or return, and often the seller would acquiesce to avoid a negative rating.

Eg:

I have no idea if the original product looks the same.

This post has been edited by ray123: Sep 15 2017, 05:13 PM

Hope she doesn't get delayed. JPY exchange rate is good now.

Welcome to the dark side

Usually, if the figure is cheaper by 20-30% or more in a local shop compared to the official recommended retail pricing, you can always suspect something is not right. Every figure has a MSRP price, you can check it online. If that figure is priced at 12,800yen (a tad bit over RM500), and you see RM3xx local pricing, which is still a lot of money, it is most likely a bootleg. You will only find massively discounted price like these, from 500 down to 300+ in Japan (including online japanese shops). It is best to avoid AliExpress and Taobao if you are inexperienced - there are actually a lot of genuine figures in Taobao. You have to read descriptions carefully - the sellers don't really lie. Buyers get "cheated" mainly because the buyers either don't read item description in detail, or they don't understand the description in the first place.

For those who can read Chinese, terms you should know:
正版 = genuine
正品 = genuine
日版 = genuine (literally, "japanese version")

正版散货 = product was genuine but boxless. Was.
1. If it was originally an expensive scale figure, usually they are quality rejects straight from the factory, but people sell them at a way lower price closer to bootleg pricing. Actually a genuine item but will have paint issues, scratches, etc. Depends. In short, it is a genuine figure with original sculpt but with bootleg quality paintjob, sometimes with missing optional parts - good option for those who have skills in painting/repairing figures or you just wanted to practice painting. Otherwise you should avoid.
2. If it was a genuine prize figure + boxless, most likely it is a displayed-in-shop unit. You may purchase if the seller provided pictures of the actual item if you don mind having no box.

初国版 = bootleg
国产 = bootleg (literally, "locally manufactured")
国产/初国优质版 = high quality bootleg

This post has been edited by EXkurogane: Sep 16 2017, 05:14 PM

How reasonable are the prices in AliExpress when making comparisons (taking account of shipping, which AliExpress claims to be free)? Are their quoted prices (examples to show price variance): figmas USD15 (Kirito)- 25 (Gilgamesh), Play Arts USD38 (Deadpool), Sephiroth (USD50) reasonable for being bootlegs?

Edit: I'm not trying to promote bootlegs, just curious after having my interest sparked. I'm the type that gets overly obsessive about knowing stuff once I'm interested. I've made other purchases from AliExpress (after being annoyed with Lazada, and since the same stuff is also shipped from overseas and same pricing...) and curious about the wide range of anime-related goods/toys often promoted there. Recently I was intrigued by an Android-powered console emulator but begged off once I realize it would be subject to import tax.

This post has been edited by ray123: Sep 17 2017, 04:53 AM

Usually the free shipping is for domestic only. They includes their sister company taobao and tmall where some sellers mention free shipping. I don't know how the shipping system in aliexpress works, but in taobao and tmall, they ship the item to a warehouse, and from the warehouse Skynet or any other courier in charge will ship it over to Malaysia. So, you can actually buy several items from different sellers, where all arrive at the same warehouse, and then u combine ship all as one single package.

So there are two payments -
payment 1 = item price + domestic shipping from seller to warehouse (which might be free depending on seller)
Payment 2 = International shipping cost from warehouse to your doorstep. 1st kg is between 23 to 26 yuan, and then the costs go up after that. Volumetric weight calculation will apply if your parcel is too big.

However, from what i know, Aliexpress is more of a middleman than a seller. Meaning they usually don't sell one single item, u need to order at least 10 units. If they do sell one single item only unlikely you will get benefits like lower price point or free shipping.

As for customs and taxes, my experience with taobao - so far not even once. My highest purchase record was rm900 or so but i wasnt taxed.

This post has been edited by EXkurogane: Sep 17 2017, 02:23 PM

Your description about Taobao charges is accurate. I actually have a singular experience with Taobao, I bought the Transformers Matrix of Leadership via ezBuy. Unfortunately the item arrived without its stand, but ezBuy managed to negotiate a 1/3 refund for me. Everything else worked very well though, and I managed to light many a darkest hour.

But the entire experience made me feel completely helpless as I am entirely dependent on ezBuy to conduct the transaction and negotiations after I have made my order.

Ah, I think you have confused AliExpress with Alibaba. Aliexpress is for b2c (business to consumer) and they are willing to sell and ship in single units.

The reason I ask about bootleg prices is because they list figmas (USD13-25) and play arts (USD50~) at the prices I mentioned previously and often say "free shipping"; I'm not sure the 'free shipping' is really free or they simply calculated the cost into the product's price.

Alibaba is the b2b (business to business) version and often they would ask for a minimum order of 1000, though there are some who would put sell one unit, and usually at the same pricing and terms as AliExpress. Unfortunately the single units offered are often the same products already advertised in AliExpress, and usually the ones unavailable in AliExpress are the ones that require the said 1000 minimum order from Alibaba.

More on AlieExpress (not anime goods specific):

I moved to AliExpress if the thing I want to buy from Lazada is listed as "shipped from overseas", because that is usually where they got it from anyway lol. The pricing is about the same but AliExpress has a much more intuitive and robust customer protection system. In Lazada I can't even message the seller directly, and in the Q&A section you're not even allowed to put in a sequence of numbers (eg, your order number) to ask the seller for a follow up because the Lazada website thinks you're putting your phone number and 'helpfully' prevents you from posting it.

AliExpress is a middleman and very powerful one at that, they will only release money to the seller after the buyer has acknowledged receipt. Even after that, you can still put in a dispute and get your money back. I had a case of fraud: the seller gave a fake tracking ID and I put in a dispute. Even though at first glance someone might say "according to courier tracking, someone received the goods", I managed to convince AliExpress that it wasn't me (with help from PosLaju) and got my money back. The seller got his store erased from AliExpress.

I'm going to buy a bootleg figma as a test, I'll let you guys know how it goes in 3 weeks.

This post has been edited by ray123: Sep 17 2017, 05:36 PM

Lazada is total shitte
It is the last place i would want to buy things from, half of their inventory does not exist - they ship from China

The only thing I buy regularly from Lazada is computer-related things (eg: usb hard drives) because the nearest pc shop for me needs a long drive, and the price offered is not too different and they deliver almost always the very next day (if fulfilled by Lazada).

I'm a regular Taobao kaki (or rather my wife for misc stuff NOT figurines) and also bought a few stuff (tabs, laptops etc) from AliExpress.

Taobao, you got dispute good luck to you, almost zero recourse. But overall stuff cheaper.

AliExpress sellers are more inclined to acquiesce to your demand and you can dispute if item does not match description (remember its vs description not vs your expectation). But overall AliExpress slightly more expensive.

hmm this does look like when the airbrush painting wasn't applied. The original for this pak have lots of shading, which require more man hours to do, which will reduce the profit margin i guess.

Can't tell from your lighting. But here's mine the original.