1- Introduction.
Counterfeit figurines are made in the following way:
The counterfeiters create a mold from an original figurine and use it to produce fake copies
The Figurines from certain companies are more copied than others. Among these are GOOD SMILE COMPANY, ALTER, MAX FACTORY, GRIFFON, SQUARE ENIX and JUN PLANNING.
Counterfeit products represent a real threat : the fake Final Fantasy Action figures are also considered toys and of course do not conform with the safety norms imposed by the European Community.
Where are these fakes sold ?
By going directly to Asian distributors (outside Japan), European sellers expose themselves to the risks of acquiring fake productThe following is a list of the more common sales points where you are likely to by proposed a counterfeit figurine :
- online auction sites
- Asian mail order companies (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thaïland, Singapore)
- fairs and shows (including in Europe and including some high profile events)
- in certain shops who have been caught out by sellers offering fake products in the place of originals.
If you come across a counterfeit product in a shop, don’t hesitate to bring it to the attention of the sales staff
2- How to identify a counterfeit product
The most popular anime series are the most liable to be couterfeited.
If you have a doubt about whether the product you wish to buy is an original or not, the following points could help you tell the difference between an original and a pirated product
- The Price
A distributor buys a counterfeit product for less than the original, and, due to this, resells the item at a price much lower than the normal market price for the original. Be careful when a price seems too low, don’t hesitate to ask whether the item is an “original” or a “copy”
- The importer’s stamp
One of the best methods today to detect if a product is a Japanese original is the presence of the sticker or printed information indicating the name and contact details of the European importer. We usually find the company name, logo and other information about the importing company.
- The Quality
It’s possible that not all of the aspects listed below will apply to the potential pirated product you find. In that case, examine the overall figurine and packaging quality and trust your instinct.
The Packaging :
Official products generally have excellent quality packaging which has been artistically conceived and executed.
The product is probably a pirated item if :
- the colours on the packaging come off easily and the packaging is easily marked.
- the are printing is not correct including unusual lines and brakes in the printing
- there are blurred areas or overlaps
- the design is graphically weak
- if the colour schemes and tones do not correspond exactly with the figurine itself.
- The quality of the card making up the packaging is poor.
The Product :
The quality of non-licenced copies is notibly inferior to that of the official products originally destined to satisify the demand of the Japanese collectors. The production cost of pirated copies have been reduced to a minimum thus effecting quality.
The quality of non-licenced copies is notibly inferior to that of the official products originally destined to satisify the demand of the Japanese collectors. The production cost of pirated copies have been reduced to a minimum thus effecting quality.
The following photos show some of the more common production errors characteristic of counterfeit figurines:
3- LA CITE DES NUAGES Guaranties
All the products which we offer are originals under licence coming on line from the manufacturer or the European importer who in obtained the official distribution for Europe near the manufacturer. There is not and there will be never copies proposed in our sign! Here a nonexhaustive list of the marks which we propose:
If you have buy a product published by one of the companies above, out of our shop, and that you have a doubt about the legitimacy of this product, do not hesitate to contact us.
If the product proves to be a copy we will transmit the case near the manufacturer, distributor. If your purchase were carried out on a site of bidding, do not hesitate to contact its customer service to announce it with the pseudo name/of the salesman, the sites of bidding are held to fight against the counterfeits and to sanction the forgers.
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