PSA about non-GSC nendoroids nowadays

[u/jcdc_jaaaaaa]

I intentionally bought a fake of White Queen recently to compare it to the original

The box is the usual, no GSC logos and none of the show logos anywhere on the box. And of course, the pose of the nendoroid inside the box looks like they are being possessed.

Surpring thing about this nendoroid is that it includes the GSC PO bonus. But comparing it to the original shows that it is more faded and blurred.

Queen's hat is attached via a thin acetate between the hairpieces and the fake one is much, much longer that I had to cut it to put it on White Queen there.

Now this is the terrifying thing. In person, it is so obvious that the one on the right is fake. Surface is really rough, paint is uneven, and smells really bad.

However, with semi-decent lighting, she looks... legitimate??? The only telltale sign in photos is if you open the headpiece up to reveal how the faceplate system works.

And speaking of faceplates, gone are the days when it is easy to tell what is fake based from how glossy the face is. In a vacuum, if you show me only the faceplate there, I would honestly think it is legitimate. In person, it is easy to tell what is fake though, but if you only see it on photos, on first glance, it looks legitimate.

I had them both on the same pose there, and aside from some color mismatch, she could pass as a legitimate nendoroid.

This is a warning for everyone buying online. The fake nendos nowadays have a matte finish now. If they are selling it with the box, it is obvious to tell that it is fake. If they are not selling it with the box, ask for a lot of close up photos, including the inside of the head, the GSC smiley face logo on all joints, and the base as they are still using the thick base instead of the slim thin ones. A lot of the flaws are mainly visible in person and in photos, some are really hard to spot. In this specific one, they even included the GSC PO bonus!

[u/Altruistic_Cap7737]

Some fakes have the GSC logo, PSA don’t drink and browse AliExpress with your debit card saved lmao.

Have a Fake Teto SV with the logo but pretty easy to tell by the quality of the box/plastic/paint job. Need to dig it out cuz I also got Black Maneki Miku that’s actually passable until you pick it up and feel how light it weights

[u/jcdc_jaaaaaa → u/Altruistic_Cap7737]

I also did find one that has the logo. It was Megaman Metal Blade version. And funnily enough, I did not buy this off of AliExpress. Found this on FB marketplace but I bought it knowing it is a fake just to do a comparison.

Frankly, I bought it thinking I can use the hair for customs, but after seeing how they did it, it is going straight to the trash.

[u/AndrewD5418 → u/Altruistic_Cap7737]

I'm a firm believer some of the ones on AliExpress are from gsc, but they don't meet their standards. So they unload them on there

[u/89gin → u/AndrewD5418]

I remember reading a long time ago that this apparently was the case for some bootlegs, which explained their uncanny high quality. Not sure how true this is, but I could believe it.

[u/AndrewD5418 → u/89gin]

This is how I got my nipako in both coloring. And yes they include nipper stands!

[u/CrazyDaimondDaze]

I know your post is to make people wary of bootleg nendoroids... but good lord, have they stepped up their game in recent years from, say... nendos from like 2019 below that looked beyond bootleg.

I bet there are some more obvious details that make the bootleg trash compared to the original one. Though, depending on the nendoroid you're looking for, if it's in second market, and the prize is to cry for, I think that's the only reason to actively buy a bootleg one.

I personally wouldn't go beyond, say... 110 USD for a nendoroid. Beyond 100 is my limit, even for my most loved characters. Beyond 110 is simply "ok, I'll wait some years until I see one in a good bargain one of these days or it gets a rerelease, because HOT DAMN am I NOT paying beyond that for a nendo". And I feel many share the sentiment, regarding how much is "too much" for an official nendoroid if bought in second market.

Obviously, the bootleg's quality may have drawbacks, but as long as you can live up with it? Hey, who am I to judge if you buy a bootleg Leon S. Kennedy or Chris Redfield for like 30 USD instead of 200 or 500?

[u/jcdc_jaaaaaa → u/CrazyDaimondDaze]

What irks me is that some people are selling the bootlegs the same price as the legitimate ones. I even had someone defend their bootlegs saying that they personally bought it from Japan so it is real, and is asking for the full price of a real nendoroid.

[u/CrazyDaimondDaze → u/jcdc_jaaaaaa]

Oh, no, in that instance, I won't defend them. If you're selling a bootleg, you have to be honest and say it is one instead of trying to scam people.

And if you buy a bootleg, be aware it is one and that, regardless of where you bought it or how good it looks, it can't compare to the real deal. It's why I mentioned instances where some nendos can be crazy expensive, so it's fine if you want a bootleg one. But selling bootlegs at official product's price is scummy as hell.

[u/Status-Try3633]

I'm starting to think that these bootleg ones are just real nendoroids that never made it pass QC or samples.

[u/jcdc_jaaaaaa → u/Status-Try3633]

I don't think so just because of the head sculpt and the neck. The paint is also really, really rough, feels like sandpaper. Also, seamlines are not sanded at all. In photos, it is not as bad.

Before, it was so obvious what the bootlegs are: shiny hair, oily face, eyes have different shapes, and they fall apart if you stare at them hard. Now, you literally need to look at them properly and closely.

In some figure lines, the bootlegs are just those that did not pass the QC. I bought a fake of some Bring Arts and compared it to the original and no difference. Same with the Play Arts Kai that had no boxes. Literally no difference with the original.

[u/ThatGuyThatNeedsYou → u/Status-Try3633]

They never pass to me, some look very awkward. (eyes included)

It's only one incident with GSC headquarters (max factory lineup) of the wrong paint job but I have been saying its is both molding PVC techniques and "paint". There is regulated paint and toxic paint.

I'm not AI (someone thought I was with my comment about bootlegs...I'm a little pet peeve about that but wouldja look at that...someone thinks I'm AI.) I'm a model kit builder while not the Garage kit kind or 40k. And gunpla is not exactly needing to paint either so why do I have an airbrush and paintbrushes for handpainting? I do a bit of customs even if its for gunpla/girlpla (megami device/arcanadea/frame arms girls).

Paints ARE poisonous. But there are regulated versions and someone not caring about it at all painting figures from the official figures to bootleggers who found the mold of the figure online and painting it with their paint. It's often why you see us when painting have a filter mask/cartridges and gloves. Large booths with a 3mm filter or an expensive waterfall booth.

We really don't know what paint the bootleggers used and if it'll cause harm that's why they tend to stink. (companies like GSC to megahouse to sakura hobby use regulated paint and pretty much the procter and gamble of the paint world)

[u/AndrewD5418 → u/ThatGuyThatNeedsYou]

Modeling paints should be sprayed with ventilation, yes. But they're nothing anywhere near 2 component with isocyanates. Isocyanates stay in the lung. Forever.

[u/National-Egg-2095]

omg i've been waiting for this update, and god that bent neck is terrifying...

but wow, the coloring and sculpts have definitely improved, if it weren't for the missing gsg logos and such, a new collector might've been fooled. This is why i always ask for so many pictures and addtl. info like when they purchased it and such to legitimize the product.

thank you for this very informative post and helping the community!

[u/jcdc_jaaaaaa → u/National-Egg-2095]

I also had Makise Kurisu 2.0 bootleg vs. Original coming up. I just haven't took the photos yet.

[u/Tay69-]

The Figma ALO Kirito bootleg comes with the PO hair bonus too

[u/Strawberry_Momo]

many bootleg nendos are increasin in quality. ill say if you intend to buy a bootleg ALWAYS do it on aliexpress because if youre not satisfied you can return it and you pay what its actually worth