How to spot a bootleg figure

A bootleg is an unlicensed copy of a real figure, usually cast from a genuine one and painted quickly. Good ones are hard to tell from photos alone, so no single check settles it. Look for several signs together, and when a listing leaves you unsure, ask before you pay.

The box and packaging

• Print quality. A genuine box has sharp text and photos with even colour. Blurry or pixelated images, washed-out or over-saturated colours, misspelt words and flimsy, thin card are warnings.
• The maker's logo and authenticity sticker. Most large Japanese makers put a holographic or foil sticker on the box. Good Smile Company boxes, for example, carry a holographic sticker. Compare its position, shape and shine with the maker's photos. A missing sticker, one that looks printed rather than holographic, or one in the wrong place should make you look closer. Some makers and some older or prize figures never had one, so a missing sticker alone isn't proof.
• The licensor sticker and copyright line. The box names the rights holders in a © line, and many figures carry a small licensing sticker as well. Figures sold officially in some regions, mainland China among them, often add a local distributor's sticker. A box with no © line at all is a strong warning.
• The barcode and JAN code. Figures made for the Japanese market have a 13-digit JAN barcode, and Japanese makers' codes usually start with 45 or 49. Search the number: it should bring up the same figure. A missing barcode, a barcode on a sticker pasted over the print, or a number that finds a different product are all warnings.
• Inside the box. Genuine figures usually sit in a fitted clear plastic tray with parts in their own bags. Loose parts rattling in a box, or a tray that doesn't fit the figure, are worth a second look.

The figure itself

• Paint. Look at the face first: genuine eyes are crisp, even and placed where the maker's photos have them. Paint that bleeds between colours, smudged or lopsided eyes, a flat or overly glossy finish, and colours that don't match the maker's photos are common on bootlegs.
• Seams and joins. Visible mould lines down the hair or limbs, gaps where parts meet, glue marks, and pegs that don't fit their holes point to a rough copy.
• The plastic. Soft, bendy or sticky plastic, and thin parts such as hair tips or weapons that droop or warp, are typical of bootlegs.
• Smell. A strong chemical smell that lingers for days is a warning. A new, genuine figure can smell a little of plastic when you first open it, so smell on its own proves nothing.
• The base. Genuine bases usually carry the © line and the maker's name, moulded or printed underneath. A plain base, one of the wrong shape or colour, or one the figure's peg doesn't fit is a sign of a copy.

The price

• Too good to be true. A new, sealed figure listed far below its original retail price is the most common sign, especially one that sold out years ago and now resells above retail. Check what other copies have sold for recently, and the maker's original price, before you decide.
• “Pre-owned, no box.” Collectors do sell loose figures honestly, but without the box you lose most of the checks above, and bootlegs are often sold this way. Ask for photos of the base's underside and close-ups of the face before you buy.

The seller

• Where it ships from. Most figures are made in China, so “Made in China” on a box is normal. What's worth questioning is a figure made for the Japanese market shipping straight from an overseas warehouse at a low price, or a listing that won't say where it ships from.
• Stock photos only. A listing that shows only the maker's promotional photos tells you nothing about the item you'd get. Ask for a photo of the actual figure, box included.
• Many of an old figure. A seller with several new, sealed copies of a figure that sold out long ago, at the same low price, is very likely selling copies.
• New accounts. An account with no reviews and many high-value listings deserves extra care. On the Marketplace, the seller's card on a listing shows their rating, and their page shows their reviews.

If you think it's a bootleg

• Ask first. Message the seller for photos of the authenticity sticker, the barcode, the base's underside and the face up close. An honest seller can usually send them. If they won't, walk away.
• Report the listing. On the Marketplace, use Report listing on the listing page. Counterfeits and bootlegs aren't allowed (see the Marketplace policies). On another site, use its own report or counterfeit complaint flow.
• If you've already paid. For a protected Marketplace order, choose Open dispute on the order before the hold window ends: a bootleg sold as genuine arrived not as described (see buying on the Marketplace). Elsewhere, use that site's buyer protection claim, which is one reason to pay through the site and not off it.

Where to buy

Open a Wanted or Preordered item on your Figure Shelf and use Find a copy: partner stores first, then the Marketplace, then import retailers (affiliate links, for adults only). When the item has a maker's page, Find a copy links to it too, and many makers list the retailers they sell through there. Step by step: find a copy and keep a build log.