A bootleg Nendoroid is like a picture of a painting; you might think you've viewed the painting because you saw a photo of it online or in a magazine, but even the most hi-res image is not the same as seeing it up-close and in person. Bootleg Nendoroids look okay from a distance, but when you get close they really aren't very good at all, you definitely get only what you paid for. I buy the real thing, either new or pre-owned.
WhyHelloThere Problem with bootlegs is that you aren't giving the money to the companies that license the character or the company that paid to acquire that license. That's why bootlegs are cheaper. They don't own or pay to use the character that aren't theirs to use. Also bootlegs aren't as nicely made. From owning 3 or 4 bootlegs and about 50 legit nendoroids I have seen the quality difference and I know I'm not along. With my bootlegs the limbs, hair pieces and more where very lose and fell off quite easily. Sure sometimes legit ones have lose pieces, but I've never had a legit one as bad as the bootlegs. So that's why I prefer the authentic ones over the fake. As for your Yoshino did you notice if it had an authenticity sticker. I can't remember if mine did, but I would think that she would. I'm only aware of vocaloids not having that sticker because they aren't from an anime company. But if you checked the signs I put in this video and still can't tell then you can check out my review for her and compare: Yoshino From Date A Live Nendoroid Review
Bloosica How did you first learn that some of your Nendorids were fake? By this, I mean: When were Bootleg Anime Products first discovered?(If you don't mind me asking)
I had heard about bootlegs and fake products for years, but since I didn;t know too much about nendoroids at the time I didn't even know how easy they were to get in the United States and how to tell if they were legit or not. I found out that my bootleg Sakura Miku was a fake when I posted the video on UA-cam. I was sad to find out that her and others I had were fakes so I wanted to make this video so others could learn about them as well and hopefully find out before they made any purchases.
Bloosica I see. Well, I first discovered Nendoroids in a UA-cam Advertisment while watching a random Video, AND I recently watched a video by *Digibro* called: *A Beginner's Guide to blowing Money on Anime Merchandise*. And he mentioned that Nendoroids are currently the Hottest Toy in Japan. So I thought: If Nendoroids are that popular, maybe I should try purchasing some to help the Anime industry. However, When I searched Nendoroids on Google, that's how I learned about Bootlegs. So out of curiosity, I looked up Bootlegs, and discovered that Bootlegs are False merchandise that does NOT help the Anime industry. And being as I want to do my best to continue supporting the Anime Industry, I decided to do some research on Bootleg Products. And when I found out that PVC Figures and Figma were also a target for Bootlegs, I checked to see if any of my current PVCs were Bootlegs. And sadly 2 out of the 3 I owned were Bootlegs. T^T Which is why I'm being more cautious when I purchase Anime Merchandise(Especially in my preparations for Animethon).
Bloosica Yeah, the Bootlegs I own are 1/8 scale PVC Figures of Nelliel, and Renji. the only official one I own thus far is Halibel. So, I'm hoping to replace my Bootleg Nelliel with an authentic one. Renji on the other hand, I'm not so sure(being as he's pretty difficult to find(at least to my knowledge) As for Nendoroids, I currently have none, But I'm hoping to find 1 or more at Animethon.
I'm not a big spender. the idea of spending 50 bucks on a nendoroid or 200 on a figure always seemed foreign to me. But I still like collecting figures. I buy cheap nendoroids and knock-offs from ebay. They honestly don't look that different to me, unless they're put side to side. I only have one legitimate figure (nami from Film Z), and I got it for 10 bucks on an auction anyway. So to me, chinese knock offs are a cheap alternative to the real thing. I'm aware that I unfortunately cant give Good Smile and other companies the money they deserve, which sucks. The knock offs don't look that bad. In fact, they look pretty good for their price. I've never been disappointed with a knock off. I get what I payed for.
I don't mind buying the odd bootleg. If I am low on money, I will get a bootleg. I just get the good quality bootlegs, some are terrible! Just google for fake Nendoroids on images... Much cringe.
Speedwagon True! I don't mind either but I'm very picky when it comes to figurines so I tend to save up a lot of money and give myself a treat ( the real ones ) because even if you sometimes can't tell them apart and the quality doesn't suffer greatly for the price you're spending... I still know it's a bootleg, and it bothers me for some odd reason. I'm not rich, rather poor but it's manageable if you save up for months, the only problem is that they aren't available ( some ) or not shippable to my county.
Speedwagon I bought a Hatsune Miku Renewal today, it was actually fake but DAMN CHEAP! It was $5 USA dollar, It was a Rin kagamine one, it was so cute! I think it’s worth it. My mom said it’s expensive, as you may know I’m Asian. But if she saw the price of a real one... Haha. But the pieces of the thingy was loose, it’s fine for me but the paint is not all the way painted, the mouth and a little part of the silver headphone part. But, DAMN CHEAP AND WORTH IT! :D and I also bought a Umaru pin thingy for 75 cents! It was a pin with a picture found online but it was cheap! I’m gonna buy more of these anime pins for my book bag, it’s gonna look so cute!
my first nendoroid is a bootleg (realized that years after XD), but its still precious to me, as my sister bought it for me when we travelled overseas, many memories in there. Even I saw an authentic one now, I wont want to replace it.
I remember when I was doing lots of research on bootlegs I came across a page about donating unwanted bootlegs and if I remember correctly the reason why they were taking donations was to show them at their lectures about bootleg prevention.
My mom bought me a bootleg Nendoroid of Platelet from Cells at work for Christmas. It came in a decent box but it was obviously a fake. I didn't say anything to her about it, didn't wanna be an ungrateful gift receiver. I have her in the back row of my collection so she blends in
I never thought that people actually made bootlegs of nendoroid or that there were so many different ways you could tell if one is a fake or not. This was very informative! Thanks for posting it! ^^
Bloosica It is mind boggling because people go from bootlegging anime to actually making figurines and toys (something that takes up time and money)! I mean its already hard enough trying to figure out which DVDs and CDs are bootlegs, but now you gotta watch out for the figurines...Its crazy!
I ordered a Nendoroid from Amazon a couple days ago and I'm praying that they aren't bootleg... the shop had good reviews and 100% positive feedback but I know you can never know:( Thanks for the video! It will help me know when it arrives! :) Very helpful:)
I noticed. I had completely forgotten about CR until you mentioned it in the video (I replied while still watching, obviously) -- CR are actually good in that you can get something from them that is sold out in Japan, due to them getting stock quite a bit later. That said, just preorder from GSC/Ami on day one, problem solved. :D Served me well for my ~80 nendos.
Thank you for this video! Just getting into Nendoroids and this is a big help~ I'm kinda picky when it comes to quality which leaves me with getting the real ones for a higher price most of the time. They're just so cute but even if it's hard to tell the fake ones apart sometimes, I still know and it will bother me. I'm saving up for getting 6 new ones currently and I know that I will cry for all the money I'm sending but be so happy to have them and in good quality. But that's just me and my opinion ^_^
I'm glad to see that this video is still helping people even years later. The authentic ones are definitely worth it for the quality. And that's how it always is. We cry when we see our money go, but once they get her it's all smiles!
You can also try Tokyo Otaku Mode, it's an American website that specializes in Japanese merchandise. I don't think they sell bootlegs, because most Nendoroids that they sell come with interchangeable parts. I've bought from them before and I am satisfied with their service.
Yes Tokyo Otaku Mode is a great source. I purchase from them quite a bit and everything is legit. This video was made years ago and hence why it's not included.
You're welcome! Glad I could help you out :) The display boxes I got from the Container Store. I bought mine from their website a few years back, but I think they might still have them.
Yesterday I bought a fake Sebastian Michaelis nendoroid... I already knew it was fake but I bought it anyways x'D Because I don't really care if it's fake or not... At least it was cheap x3
I just recently bought one as well and he doesn’t look so much like an hell of a butler He’s a bootler :v I paid for the same price as the original so I wasn’t aware it was bootlegged
awesome video :D lots of great information! I hope everyone can see this before purchasing nendoroids. My first two nendoroids were bootlegs unfortunately. I liked seeing your collection! Can you do a collection video? :D You have a lot of cute nendos it looks like
I bought a Sonic Nendoroid and a couple figurines at a favorite convention of mine from this seller a couple years ago, and I was so disappointed to only recently find out they were fake. You have to be very careful with Nendoroids, as bootlegs are very easy to pick up. I'll surely be checking to see if they're authentic!
+themoviemistro It really is sad how easy it is to find fake nendoroids and how easy they are to get at what seem like legit places. Sorry to hear you bought some bootlegs, but it's good that you are educating yourself and being careful now.
I honestly don't mind if I have bootlegs because I don't collect them, I only have Vocaloids and that's all im getting. Mine are excellent quality and they don't brake :) Cool vid btw x
Thank you! I'm new to collecting nendoroids and was unsure if my first Nendoroid was a fake. it's an official product and thanks to you, I'm now sure that it is! The Nendoroid is Zelda the Wind Waker Version and I got it from the Science Fiction Bookstore. It was my second time there and it was my first time buying a figure. Have a nice day and thank you for making this video. :)
I searched amiami, hlj, GSC main and I couldn't find the Kuroyukihime nendoroid since they were all out of stock. Tried my luck at Amazon and finally got one...Not to mention a bunch of other sellers had one in stock....It's 100% authentic too. I thoroughly inspected it. :)
Thank you for uploading this video! It's very helpful. Last year, I bought a fake PVC-figure at a convention. That sucked ass but luckily for me it was only 26 euro. (about 34 dollars) When I unboxed it, there was a black spot on the hair, and you couldn't see it while the figure was in the box, because it was on the top of the head. :(
Nooo I have a fake Kirino Kousaka is a fake D:. But I still love the bootleg, it's very cute :3. I'll just call it a "figure" not a "nendoroid" btw crunchyroll is awesome! got authentic good smile madoka magica mini figures. Don't buy Milanoo figures, only cosplay and even then BE CAREFUL
Margaret Lippincott So sorry to hear you got a bootleg too :( And yes crunchyroll is a great place, but they do release them later. Thanks for the tip.
Bloosica It's ok :3. Gonna call it a "figure" it doesn't have the title of "Nendoroid" lolz. And will get a real one from CR sometime (prolly preorder the CR Sakura Kinomoto, squeee). Also, CR is worth the like 3 years of wait XD. And no problemo.
@@paperdrum39 the blue one in the front closest to the camera, she looks adorable to me, I guess because her face shape looks more original than most nendoroids I have seen, but idk
Thank you :) I'm hoping it at least helps someone. I realized you weren't much of a nendo collector, but you have a very nice scale figure collection. I'm a bit jealous of it lol. Trying to grow my scale figure collection though.
Great guide. I do have some semi-related questions, though. Can you tell me where you got those display boxes? They do a really fine job of showcasing your collection. Also, are these cases any good at keeping the dust out? Cleaning your Nendos can be such a drag...
I always wanted nendoroids but they are always so expensive. However, the very first Miku nendoroid has been put on a special resale over 5 times, making that particular one less expensive in some stores. Crunchyroll, a store that sells real merch, had her for $28. So, taking this as a lucky opportunity, I bought her. You can still get her there for a mere $31 plus shipping everyone. And you do not have to worry about any of their products being bootlegs. I cannot wait for her to arrive and I hope I can add more
Yes Crunchyroll is legit. I do mention them in my video and are linked in the description. I'm glad that you found one you liked. Miku is a good choice :)
I have an bootleg L Lawliet I bought on Ebay. He's adorable, but he falls apart if you look at him funny. 😂 Also, Tokyo Otaku Mode sells authentic Nendos as well.
They do and I shop there all the time! However when I made this video I wasn't aware of Tokyo Otaku Mode and hadn't heard many people talk about them so I'm not sure they were the store they are today at that time. But yes definitely a trustworthy site.
The skin colour of a nendoroid face between a bootleg and authentic is mostly the same as the face never gets painted as it's molded in that colour and the only parts get painted are the mouth. The actual difference between is the look as authentic face is always given a flat matt coat finished unlike the bootleg. Flat matt is a gloss that gives the surface a different effect rather a shiny look that can affect the colour and the decal such as the eyes. They use this to protect the eye decal and facial decal from being scratched off. Alot of bootleg anime figures lack that flat matt coating as that coating is used very commonly in the entire figure.
Very informative and resourceful. Personally I am not a nendoroid collector but this would help any new figure collectors entering the nendoroid scene.
don't be fooled by their looks, yes sometimes it doesn't look any difference,. their boxing ,color or texture of the product, is just fine, but be more careful of their imperfections, I have a lot of bootleg toys and most of them have burns and are not completely molded. for example. I have bootleg nendoroid 796, watch carefully the actual figure and the picture,...I didn't even notice how bad it was. > some bootleg nendoroid problems....they dont snap and fit perfectly in short...gaps.
You are very correct. That's why I gave some legit sites to purchase from and warned people about cons. I also like to avoid Ebay as well as I've been burned on purchasing a scale figure from there before.
Amazon does have authentic nendoroids, but there are also sellers on there that sell bootlegs. So you have to be careful. I personally don't shop for nendoroids there, but I do have friends who do and have had pretty good experiences. If it's sold directly from Amazon you should be fine. If it's from another seller, check their reviews first. In the end if you do get a bootleg Amazon should help you get your money back. Keep in mind I don't work for Amazon so I can't guarantee that they will go in your favor. But whenever I dealt with their customer service they were able to help me.
I own 5 nendoroids and I've ordered them all on Amazon and I have never recieved a bootleg. I just avoid certain characters where I will most likely get a knock off like Sebastain from Black butler for example and read reviews. I like having the authentic thing because one day, they'll be worth more than my life. I saw Deathnote nendoroids at this anime store and they were just bad. They looked chalky.
Death Note nendoroids are the ones I see the most bootlegged in stores. You just aren't going to find those ones that easily or for such a decent price. Amazon is good, but there are some bootleggers so you do have to be careful.
Bloosica Yeah, I feel the deathnote nendoroids are about as rare as Sebastain. I just took a risk today of getting a Ryuko nendoroid and I've seen a few reviews of getting knock offs but sometimes you gotta take a risk :)
Well Mirai the Smart Doll by Danny Choo is not purely handmade but 3D-printed, handwork is only integrating Aeon core frame into the doll parts. 3D printer technology is very awesome so it will breed more bootlegs. Quality is an issue but with enough 3D printing effort the quality would be maybe better. I don't even think that many figurine collectors hating 3D printing are fair.
This was a very helpful video! I'm going to start collecting Nendoroids, starting with the Marth I preordered from Play Asia, I hope he won't be a bootleg!
I try to get authentic nendoroids as long as they’re affordable. For example the Solid Snake nendoroid; he runs for over $100 and I can’t justify spending that much on one tiny nendoroid, so I bought the bootleg and honestly it’s not bad! It has the same articulation as the real one and the paint job is really good. No broken pieces or anything like that. For $90 less I’m pretty impressed
Personally I don't buy bootlegs anymore. I only did because I didn't know better! But if I can't find one for a good price I just pass on it and either hope I find it later for a good deal or GSC re-releases them. Some bootlegs aren't the worst quality, but in the end it can't compare to the real thing. But you do you!
i recently got a leon kennedy nendoroid from comics-n-stuff, and while this video helped a bit on differentiating bootlegs from authentics, im still not sure if i got an authentic nendoroid. do you know if comics-n-stuff can be trusted or not?
Quick question on the amiami site are you able to buy used ones if you are in the USA I noticed that the use ones had a note of "Remarks For sale in Japan only." Wasn't sure if that was telling me no go because I am not living in Japan
Lilly waters Yes you can. I buy pre-owned all the time. "for sale in Japan only" basically means that the initial sales target is Japan and thus box text and instructions will be in Japanese only.
I would love to have more persona figures, but for now I will go with what I have. I want the Elizabeth figure that is coming out in December, but my December pre-order list is crazy right now and not sure if I can really afford to add to it. I do hope to get more in the future though.
Oh lol I just bought the one with the blue hair in 2 buns, blue dress, holding a fan and a green bag today. Didn't realize it was a fake till I saw this. I'm new to collecting these but it's ok. It's still cute and paint job is actually ok. I wondered why I couldn't remove the head. I haven't reviewed it yet. Going to probably tomorrow or Tuesday. I do know how to spot a fake My Little Pony though lol.
But after learning about the authentics I would never go back to bootlegs. The quality is much nicer and really aren't that much more expensive if you know where to look. You are also supporting the company, which is a great thing. But I have heard that people don't care about authentic or not. They just like the character and they can afford it. While I may not agree, I'm not here to tell anyone how to spend there money, just educate them :)
Hazy992 Thank you :)It's hard to get older nendoroids unless they get a rerelease because once they are released they are out of production. Sometimes you can get lucky on AmiAmi pre-owned so that's what we do a lot.
Bloosica Yeah I've been looking on AmiAmi's preowned section but they don't have figures of what I want :P In your opinion would you say this is legitimate? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131394996012?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT They seem to have good feedback and all the feedback for Nendos seems positive. Thanks :)
Looking at it I check for feedback like you said, which seemed to be really good. I also look for location and they are from Japan so another positive sign, but doesn't mean it's 100% legit. Another thing to look at of course is the price. If it seems to good to be true then it probably is, but this one does seem like a fair price. The last thing I like to look at is pictures. Since they used stock photos you really can't compare and see if it's legit. Overall it looks alright. Wouldn't know for sure until it arrive, but it doesn't look to much of a gamble.
Or if you want to be very safe you can check GoodSmileCompany's partners that sell the nendoroids and figures either online, retail, or both. For example Crunchyroll is one of their partners in the US
Great Review, I only have 7 nendoriods so far...i'm hoping to get more in the future! I just found your channel when i was look up How to Spot a Fake Nendoroid on UA-cam lol
Hi stupid question I've bought afew fake and real Nendoroids lately, the knockoffs don't exactly have issues but they are missing parts for their bases. I've looked on ebay for bases for them but I can't find them bar this one time by chance, theres no chance you could tell me what to search for is there?
Infelious Kazkari As far as I know GSC doesn't sell just the bases alone. They do have some nendoroid more sets that have larger bases and comes with odds and ends like butterflies or kitties. They also come with some stand arm pieces but I don't know if they are like the ones that hold up the figures or if they are just for the butterflies in stuff. But if you need the square bases with the holes then search for nendoroid more after parts.
well one of the problems are that usually boxes are sealed so u can only tell the flap box clue when u actually buy it but chances are after u know its a bootleg the seller wont give refunds back
Yes I have gone to crunchyroll when items have been sold out elsewhere. I had to pre-ordered the rerelease of Mami from crunchyroll because it sold out within hours on amiami. I kinda like how they charge you right when you order too because then I don't have to worry about the funds later. However if I did that all the time I probably wouldn't have enough funds to pre-ordered everything I wanted if I was paying right away.
Thank god I have a shop nearby to buy authentic figurines. But my first two Nendoroid Azusa and Saber Lily that I brought on Amazon thank god is not a bootleg. Lucky beginner Nendoroid Collector!
as I was saying when you think about it $5-$25 for a bootleg nendo adds up so in reality people who buy bootlegs are spending just as much money as people who buy the official ones and what gets me kind of mad is when people say its better than spending stupid $50-$100 they don't understand that the people who create the figures work really hard and are very talented plus its their job so the money they make could be to support their families and also support the company.
Hi! Maybe you can help me. I recently purchased my first Nendoroid from a convention in charlotte NC. It is Windwaker Link while im 99% sure that he is legit one this is really bugging me. His shifty eyed sneaking face in missing from the box replaced with a copy of his "blank stare" face The pait job is really good nintendo stickers on the box and an instruction manual included. Any idea why this happened or what i should do about it?
coreyxhalo When you opened the box did you have to remove any tape or was it already cut for you. If it is legit like you think, then the only possible reasons that I can think of for the swapped face plate are a factory mistake or the person who previously owned it made the face swap themselves.
Hi thank you for your response! When i got it there was a small dent to the left of the clear plastic on the front. Hold the box closed at the top was circular clear plastic one sided adhesive. inside everything thing seemed untouched all the plastic surrounding the figures were in place i don't recall anything else.
Well if you know the name of the person you bought it from, like if it was a store, then I would contact them. If that doesn't work since Link is new enough you can contact GSC directly and tell them of your situation. They are usually pretty good with replacement parts for their newer figures.
I ordered the miku 2.0 nendo from crunchyroll which should be here in 2-3 days, I'm so excited because she's going to be my first nendoroid ^ - ^ about the bootlegs idk why people buy them when they know its fake, if they saved up a little more to buy a real one & if they no longer want the figure they could sell it. I think bootlegs are a waste off money thats just my opinion though
Thanks for the video, very informative! Im plan on buying my first (preowned) nendoroid from amiami tomorrow! Im just slightly worried that the price is on sale for half-off ^^; Im just gonna assume its a good sale and trust amiami's good rep!
Glad that you found it helpful. As for amiami you should be safe. I've been purchasing from them for 2 or 3 years and getting a package at least once a month. They have never sold me a bootleg so you should be safe. Which one are you going to get?
Bloosica What if a *Nendoroid*, *PVC Figure*, or *Figma* doesn't have a Bootleg product?(aka: there are no Bootlegs reported for that Figure) Should I still look it over thoroughly just to be safe?
I would always be extra cautious if you purchased it from a site or store that you aren't sure about. It is more likely that someone has found it before you so your chances are greater that if you can't find a bootleg out there that the one you are looking at is legit. But just double check the figure to be sure or purchase from a trusted retailer.
Bloosica Okay, Thanks! The reason I asked is because I was looking at the Nisekoi Beach Queens PVC Figures on myfigurecollection, and according to the links, there were Zero Bootleg images for those specified PVCs. (Same with the Esdeath PVC Figure)
So, I have seen many nendoroids come in the exact same looking packages. I have just started collecting nendoroids, and I just got one at a random shop at universal studios. Does a certain box have to look similar to other packaging? And I got mine at least over 20$. How much are most nendoroids?
I may just be confused by the way you worded it, but all my nendoroid boxes have two flaps, even the ones that I know are authentic. I don't think this means they're fake, does it?
If you look at the box I'm opening when I talk about the top flaps that is what I'm referring to. The top flip only covers only half the top instead of all the way over. The only Nendoroid box that I know is authentic that does that is the black rock shooters box. Iirc all other authentic boxes, except special ones like Snow Miku 2013 which are different boxes entirely, have a top flap that covers the whole length of the box. Then when you flip it open you will see a second flap which is actually the background insert that can be removed. Is that what you are thinking about? I have quite a few nendoroid reviews that show me opening authentic boxes if you want to look for comparison. Just look for ones that don't say bootleg in the title and you should be fine. I hope that answered your question.
I know :) there's a video on the hatsune miku channel that shows the company and explaining how the figures are made, it looks like a very nice place to work at.
I have a question. I ordered a Vocaloid Meiko Nendoroid from Amazon. The seller is from Japan and I've had the Nendoroid for quite a while actually. As far as I'm concerned she's authentic, she comes with all her parts, official box and everything. She looks professionally made, too. The only thing is that she smells REALLY bad like PVC, I want to know... Is this normal? The smell isn't as bad as when I first took her out of the box but she still has a faint smell. I want to make sure she isn't made of Lead Paint or something deadly.
If everything else looks legit then you should be fine. If a figure is kept in the box for too long they can start to smell as well as the paint getting sticky. Since you said you got the Meiko Nendoroid I'm guessing that's the reason as she is a rather old nendoroid.
Okay! So I want to buy a nendoroid online. However, the authentic ones, when converted to US dollars, typically cost just a little over $30. The one suggested on eBay (probably not the smartest place to shop, haha) is roughly $20. In addition, it is produced in China. When I looked on the Good Smile Company's website, though, it said it had distributors in China and Hong Kong. Unfortunately, it really is difficult to tell online, as the seller can easily use fake pictures, and some of them charge for the return (if I happen to be dissatisfied), so I want to be sure before I order. Do you have any tips?
+Cinderpelt333 While Good Smile Company does distribute nendoroids all over the world, usually it's not done by private profiles on Ebay. When checking ebay I would look at their ratings and check the bad ones to see if anyone has received a bootleg from them. Another thing to do is that if someone uses a stock photo to ask them to take a pic of the actual product they are selling. Then I would try searching for that picture on google and seeing if there are others who have used that picture to make sure they didn't just take one.
I can only justify buying a bootleg on purpose if it looks actually good or if it looks nearly identical to the real. The money you pay is well worth what you're getting otherwise. I once got my friend a bootleg Sebastian without realizing it, when it came I was scared for her but it looks EXACTLY like the real one. Down to every piece. The only thing bad with it is a joint is a bit janky sometimes. And I know it was a bootleg because it was $12
They should just re-release Sebastian and a few other early ones. They are really popular and I see people wanting to get them all the time, but there isn't enough out there and when you find one they are really expensive.
Ya. Not sure what I'm going to do with my bootlegs. I don't think I have enough space to bring them with me when I move and I would never sell them to people making them think they are real. Or even really selling them as bootlegs.
Hello! I wanted to say thank you for this awesome video! I just started to collect nendroids myself and find them absolutely adorable! I do have a question about ordering through Amazon. If the nendroid comes from Amazon itself, not from a seller company, do you think that's safe? Or should I look into reviews of other sellers? The nendroid is priced at $45 with tax it comes out to be around $52, and this is through Amazon. Thank you so much for this information again! > w
Kiki Asakura You're welcome! Glad it could be helpful to you. If you order directly from Amazon then you should be safe. If you do get it and find out it's a bootleg then you are covered from Amazon's guarantee and they should refund you. This is also true of other sellers, but since it didn't come from amazon your options are more limited to how they can help out.
+Bloosica I wasn't sure whether Amazon itself was safe since I couldn't, strangely, find them as a partner through the Good Smile Company shop. I think what I'll do is contact the seller beforehand from now on and ask for pictures and product details before buying from places/sellers I'm not sure about. Thanks again! ^ . ^
I have a Len cheerful who I think is fake, which breaks my heart. My character store sold him and the box was the same on they had online! His quality was horrible and he had spots of his hair that the paint chipped off. I shop from Ami Ami now. My question is do bootlegs sometimes use the same style box? I noticed this when I saw that a Postcard should have been included, which made me happy, because I was never going to buy from nendoroid if this was their figures quality. Now I preordered two from Ami Ami and waiting on their release.
I don't think I've ever gotten a legit nendoroid with the problem you described, but it could have just been a bad batch. However I notice a huge difference between my bootleg and authentic ones in terms of quality. The paint job was better and for the most part joints stay in better, though I have come in contact with some legit ones with some lose joints. For instance, my saber lion nendoroid had a really lose neck joint that you can see in the video. To answer your question though yes sometimes bootlegs will have the same box. I've seen some nendoroids like the BRS one that do a good job at copying the original. That's why it's a good idea to look up individual nendoroid bootleg traits. I'm sure you will be pleased with the nendoroids that come from amiami. Don't lose faith!
I looked up my particular nendoroid bootleg traits and found out that mine was a fake. I wonder how that store got a hold of fake ones. It was my first time actually buying something from them. I will never do it again and just shop on Ami Ami. Sad that I think a legit store is unsafe, yet online I feel more secure lol. I preordered a Dramatical Murder Aoba and Link nendoroid. I will let you know how they favor (Which I hope is good, because they are so cute!)
Ya I found out the hard way about "legit" stores selling bootlegs. That's where I got all my bootlegs in fact. I went back to California again this year and looked at some of the stores and their nendoroids again and it was so obvious that they were fake even though I didn't know too much about that specific nendoroid. It wasn't just one store either, but many hobby and japanese stores. That's why I wanted to make this video. I know I don't have all the time in the world to talk about each one individually and keep updating it as new bootlegs are found, but I hope giving people a starting point to know what to look for will help. Sorry yours was a bootleg though :( I also have the Link Nendoroid pre-ordered from amiami. So excited to see how he turns out.
Ahaha thanks. I am not a big fan of nendoroids but I'll collect the ones of characters I really like or unless if it's a super exclusive. Otherwise, yes I am a scale figure collector and my collection is trying to grow -.-;; (Currently working on finishing my Persona collection but that won't be until next year possibly)
It only means that it's a Japanese product for the Japanese market. However they can sell them outside of Japan. I've been shopping there for years and never had a problem.
Olivia Parker If it's actually from Good Smile you should be safe. I couldn't find that listing with a quick search, but did see amiami had a listing and that one should be fine as well. Amazon does have legit ones, you just have to be careful. If you find it is a bootleg then contact Amazon and they should take care of you.
Olivia Parker An easy tip to find out whether or not it's a bootleg it to check where it's coming from. If the seller is from China or Taiwan, it's most likely a bootleg and this goes with any anime-related item.
- Bootlegs usually cost between 0-30€, has no value once bought. - Nendroids cost 30-XXX€, price goes up with the years and will depend on Rarity and Availability of that specific Nendroid. Note: The reason of the video isn't about purity or outcast ppl its about know your ***shit***, If u pay more for a Bootleg than you would for a Nendroid you got scammed hard. This is the real problem with Bootlegs, you pay for something that's not worth that price. And lets not get started on the licenss and author copyrights infringement... please.
Neiko The Lucario The faces themselves have different face plates that swap out, but are on a ball joint so they can look in many directions. The limbs are on a ball joint where it attaches to the body so they can move around a lot as well. If you want to see more check my earlier reviews where I show their articulation.
Nendoroids are definitely not made in the US, so a very good tip indeed. Most are made in China, but a couple are made in Japan starting with the Sakura Miku Bloomed in Japan version.
I don’t know why I would buy one that was made in USA but I did and I know now not to and I bought another figma miku and it’s not a bootleg so at least I have one now
While I agree and since I've educated myself I no longer purchase bootlegs, but I didn't want this video to tell people what to do. I just wanted to give them the information. If I didn't think owning an authentic nendoroid wasn't important I wouldn't have made the video.
Oh it's just a display case that I got at the Container Store a few years ago. Looks like they still have them too: www.containerstore.com/s/collections/display/cubes-cases/multi-level-display-box/123d?productId=10022884&green=109D82F2-7F1B-52C9-BABA-1B55B7789B0B
"How to Spot a Fake Nendoroid"
It's fucking 1/3 the price and I can't be doing with that expensive shit
yeah but the parts fall off literally every 10 seconds and the stand sucks imo.
honestly im too hobo so screw it
Alyxis same wth I get my shit from the wish app
my wallets gunna be mad at me
Melvin Bartolome lol my wallet is always mad at me
I don’t have a wallet to get mad
go iff
@@stuckintrafik *mood*
@@Bloosica my wallet hates me
A bootleg Nendoroid is like a picture of a painting; you might think you've viewed the painting because you saw a photo of it online or in a magazine, but even the most hi-res image is not the same as seeing it up-close and in person. Bootleg Nendoroids look okay from a distance, but when you get close they really aren't very good at all, you definitely get only what you paid for.
I buy the real thing, either new or pre-owned.
WhyHelloThere Problem with bootlegs is that you aren't giving the money to the companies that license the character or the company that paid to acquire that license. That's why bootlegs are cheaper. They don't own or pay to use the character that aren't theirs to use.
Also bootlegs aren't as nicely made. From owning 3 or 4 bootlegs and about 50 legit nendoroids I have seen the quality difference and I know I'm not along. With my bootlegs the limbs, hair pieces and more where very lose and fell off quite easily. Sure sometimes legit ones have lose pieces, but I've never had a legit one as bad as the bootlegs.
So that's why I prefer the authentic ones over the fake. As for your Yoshino did you notice if it had an authenticity sticker. I can't remember if mine did, but I would think that she would. I'm only aware of vocaloids not having that sticker because they aren't from an anime company. But if you checked the signs I put in this video and still can't tell then you can check out my review for her and compare: Yoshino From Date A Live Nendoroid Review
Bloosica How did you first learn that some of your Nendorids were fake? By this, I mean: When were Bootleg Anime Products first discovered?(If you don't mind me asking)
I had heard about bootlegs and fake products for years, but since I didn;t know too much about nendoroids at the time I didn't even know how easy they were to get in the United States and how to tell if they were legit or not. I found out that my bootleg Sakura Miku was a fake when I posted the video on UA-cam. I was sad to find out that her and others I had were fakes so I wanted to make this video so others could learn about them as well and hopefully find out before they made any purchases.
Bloosica I see. Well, I first discovered Nendoroids in a UA-cam Advertisment while watching a random Video, AND I recently watched a video by *Digibro* called: *A Beginner's Guide to blowing Money on Anime Merchandise*.
And he mentioned that Nendoroids are currently the Hottest Toy in Japan.
So I thought: If Nendoroids are that popular, maybe I should try purchasing some to help the Anime industry.
However, When I searched Nendoroids on Google, that's how I learned about Bootlegs. So out of curiosity, I looked up Bootlegs, and discovered that Bootlegs are False merchandise that does NOT help the Anime industry.
And being as I want to do my best to continue supporting the Anime Industry, I decided to do some research on Bootleg Products. And when I found out that PVC Figures and Figma were also a target for Bootlegs, I checked to see if any of my current PVCs were Bootlegs.
And sadly 2 out of the 3 I owned were Bootlegs. T^T
Which is why I'm being more cautious when I purchase Anime Merchandise(Especially in my preparations for Animethon).
Sorry to hear that you picked up some bootlegs too. It is hard to avoid them for sure.
Bloosica Yeah, the Bootlegs I own are 1/8 scale PVC Figures of Nelliel, and Renji. the only official one I own thus far is Halibel.
So, I'm hoping to replace my Bootleg Nelliel with an authentic one. Renji on the other hand, I'm not so sure(being as he's pretty difficult to find(at least to my knowledge)
As for Nendoroids, I currently have none, But I'm hoping to find 1 or more at Animethon.
I'm not a big spender. the idea of spending 50 bucks on a nendoroid or 200 on a figure always seemed foreign to me. But I still like collecting figures. I buy cheap nendoroids and knock-offs from ebay.
They honestly don't look that different to me, unless they're put side to side. I only have one legitimate figure (nami from Film Z), and I got it for 10 bucks on an auction anyway. So to me, chinese knock offs are a cheap alternative to the real thing. I'm aware that I unfortunately cant give Good Smile and other companies the money they deserve, which sucks.
The knock offs don't look that bad. In fact, they look pretty good for their price. I've never been disappointed with a knock off. I get what I payed for.
I don't mind buying the odd bootleg. If I am low on money, I will get a bootleg. I just get the good quality bootlegs, some are terrible! Just google for fake Nendoroids on images... Much cringe.
Speedwagon True!
I don't mind either but I'm very picky when it comes to figurines so I tend to save up a lot of money and give myself a treat ( the real ones ) because even if you sometimes can't tell them apart and the quality doesn't suffer greatly for the price you're spending... I still know it's a bootleg, and it bothers me for some odd reason.
I'm not rich, rather poor but it's manageable if you save up for months, the only problem is that they aren't available ( some ) or not shippable to my county.
Speedwagon even speedwagon knows value
same
Speedwagon I bought a Hatsune Miku Renewal today, it was actually fake but DAMN CHEAP! It was $5 USA dollar, It was a Rin kagamine one, it was so cute! I think it’s worth it. My mom said it’s expensive, as you may know I’m Asian. But if she saw the price of a real one... Haha. But the pieces of the thingy was loose, it’s fine for me but the paint is not all the way painted, the mouth and a little part of the silver headphone part. But, DAMN CHEAP AND WORTH IT! :D and I also bought a Umaru pin thingy for 75 cents! It was a pin with a picture found online but it was cheap! I’m gonna buy more of these anime pins for my book bag, it’s gonna look so cute!
my first nendoroid is a bootleg (realized that years after XD), but its still precious to me, as my sister bought it for me when we travelled overseas, many memories in there. Even I saw an authentic one now, I wont want to replace it.
Very useful tips! I just started collecting and I'm going to follow your advice next time I go to conventions.
Good luck! Glad you found my video helpful and welcome to the addiction :)
I remember when I was doing lots of research on bootlegs I came across a page about donating unwanted bootlegs and if I remember correctly the reason why they were taking donations was to show them at their lectures about bootleg prevention.
My mom bought me a bootleg Nendoroid of Platelet from Cells at work for Christmas. It came in a decent box but it was obviously a fake. I didn't say anything to her about it, didn't wanna be an ungrateful gift receiver. I have her in the back row of my collection so she blends in
Readon why i buy fake nendos are so that i can customize them 😂 and fix it myself
I never thought that people actually made bootlegs of nendoroid or that there were so many different ways you could tell if one is a fake or not. This was very informative! Thanks for posting it! ^^
Glad you found the video helpful! It is scary how many bootlegs are out there and how good some of them are.
Bloosica It is mind boggling because people go from bootlegging anime to actually making figurines and toys (something that takes up time and money)! I mean its already hard enough trying to figure out which DVDs and CDs are bootlegs, but now you gotta watch out for the figurines...Its crazy!
I showed me shop “fake nendroid” and almost all of them were emilia😂
Must be the current popular fake. Poor girl haha
I ordered a Nendoroid from Amazon a couple days ago and I'm praying that they aren't bootleg... the shop had good reviews and 100% positive feedback but I know you can never know:( Thanks for the video! It will help me know when it arrives! :) Very helpful:)
When I started collecting figures, I never bought any bootlegs even tho its under $25 and NEW in box too :'D
+MintyMiku Sweet! That's both awesome and lucky!
I noticed. I had completely forgotten about CR until you mentioned it in the video (I replied while still watching, obviously) -- CR are actually good in that you can get something from them that is sold out in Japan, due to them getting stock quite a bit later.
That said, just preorder from GSC/Ami on day one, problem solved. :D Served me well for my ~80 nendos.
Thank you for this video! Just getting into Nendoroids and this is a big help~
I'm kinda picky when it comes to quality which leaves me with getting the real ones for a higher price most of the time.
They're just so cute but even if it's hard to tell the fake ones apart sometimes, I still know and it will bother me.
I'm saving up for getting 6 new ones currently and I know that I will cry for all the money I'm sending but be so happy to have them and in good quality.
But that's just me and my opinion ^_^
I'm glad to see that this video is still helping people even years later. The authentic ones are definitely worth it for the quality. And that's how it always is. We cry when we see our money go, but once they get her it's all smiles!
I'm so relieved to know mine are real.
You can also try Tokyo Otaku Mode, it's an American website that specializes in Japanese merchandise.
I don't think they sell bootlegs, because most Nendoroids that they sell come with interchangeable parts. I've bought from them before and I am satisfied with their service.
Yes Tokyo Otaku Mode is a great source. I purchase from them quite a bit and everything is legit. This video was made years ago and hence why it's not included.
Thanks for the informative video. I just started collecting nendoroids and this really helps! Can I ask where you get your display boxes?
You're welcome! Glad I could help you out :)
The display boxes I got from the Container Store. I bought mine from their website a few years back, but I think they might still have them.
+Bloosica Thanks again! They are still available there.
You're welcome :) Glad you can still get them.
That Nendoroid is a bloody SPY!
Yesterday I bought a fake Sebastian Michaelis nendoroid... I already knew it was fake but I bought it anyways x'D Because I don't really care if it's fake or not... At least it was cheap x3
oso nigga, you act like normal people making millions
I just recently bought one as well and he doesn’t look so much like an hell of a butler
He’s a bootler
:v
I paid for the same price as the original so I wasn’t aware it was bootlegged
awesome video :D lots of great information! I hope everyone can see this before purchasing nendoroids. My first two nendoroids were bootlegs unfortunately.
I liked seeing your collection! Can you do a collection video? :D You have a lot of cute nendos it looks like
Everywhere I look I cannot find the nendroid I’m looking for, if it was there, it wasn’t for sale. Any advice for that?
I bought a Sonic Nendoroid and a couple figurines at a favorite convention of mine from this seller a couple years ago, and I was so disappointed to only recently find out they were fake. You have to be very careful with Nendoroids, as bootlegs are very easy to pick up. I'll surely be checking to see if they're authentic!
+themoviemistro It really is sad how easy it is to find fake nendoroids and how easy they are to get at what seem like legit places. Sorry to hear you bought some bootlegs, but it's good that you are educating yourself and being careful now.
I honestly don't mind if I have bootlegs because I don't collect them, I only have Vocaloids and that's all im getting. Mine are excellent quality and they don't brake :) Cool vid btw x
Pikachoo UA-cam! Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video.
2:14 This might have been pointed out already, but the official BRS Nendoroid opens that way. I have the official one and can confirm that.
Thank you! I'm new to collecting nendoroids and was unsure if my first Nendoroid was a fake. it's an official product and thanks to you, I'm now sure that it is! The Nendoroid is Zelda the Wind Waker Version and I got it from the Science Fiction Bookstore. It was my second time there and it was my first time buying a figure. Have a nice day and thank you for making this video. :)
You're welcome. Glad I could help you out!
I searched amiami, hlj, GSC main and I couldn't find the Kuroyukihime nendoroid
since they were all out of stock. Tried my luck at Amazon and finally got one...Not to mention a bunch of other sellers had one in stock....It's 100% authentic too. I thoroughly inspected it. :)
icantw8 Glad you could find her! She does seem to be out pretty much everywhere.
Thank you for uploading this video! It's very helpful. Last year, I bought a fake PVC-figure at a convention. That sucked ass but luckily for me it was only 26 euro. (about 34 dollars) When I unboxed it, there was a black spot on the hair, and you couldn't see it while the figure was in the box, because it was on the top of the head. :(
Nooo I have a fake Kirino Kousaka is a fake D:.
But I still love the bootleg, it's very cute :3. I'll just call it a "figure" not a "nendoroid"
btw crunchyroll is awesome! got authentic good smile madoka magica mini figures.
Don't buy Milanoo figures, only cosplay and even then BE CAREFUL
Margaret Lippincott So sorry to hear you got a bootleg too :( And yes crunchyroll is a great place, but they do release them later. Thanks for the tip.
Bloosica It's ok :3. Gonna call it a "figure" it doesn't have the title of "Nendoroid" lolz. And will get a real one from CR sometime (prolly preorder the CR Sakura Kinomoto, squeee). Also, CR is worth the like 3 years of wait XD. And no problemo.
@Lifuu not only because it's authentic but also because it's cute~ also I've never bought one just yet (even though it's been several years xD)
@Lifuu :3
0:34 WHY DOES THAT MIKU LOOK SO CUTE THO
HER FACE IS SO ADORABLE
There's a lot, which one?
@@paperdrum39 the blue one in the front closest to the camera, she looks adorable to me, I guess because her face shape looks more original than most nendoroids I have seen, but idk
Thank you :) I'm hoping it at least helps someone.
I realized you weren't much of a nendo collector, but you have a very nice scale figure collection. I'm a bit jealous of it lol. Trying to grow my scale figure collection though.
Thank you for the tips. Very helpful for me and your collection is awesome👍
Thank you! Glad I could help!
Great guide. I do have some semi-related questions, though. Can you tell me where you got those display boxes? They do a really fine job of showcasing your collection. Also, are these cases any good at keeping the dust out? Cleaning your Nendos can be such a drag...
***** I got them from the container store and yes they do a pretty good job at keeping dust out :)
I got them from the container store. I believe they were a little over $10 a piece and they are plastic. I think they work well for nendoroids.
I always wanted nendoroids but they are always so expensive. However, the very first Miku nendoroid has been put on a special resale over 5 times, making that particular one less expensive in some stores. Crunchyroll, a store that sells real merch, had her for $28. So, taking this as a lucky opportunity, I bought her. You can still get her there for a mere $31 plus shipping everyone. And you do not have to worry about any of their products being bootlegs. I cannot wait for her to arrive and I hope I can add more
Yes Crunchyroll is legit. I do mention them in my video and are linked in the description. I'm glad that you found one you liked. Miku is a good choice :)
I have an bootleg L Lawliet I bought on Ebay. He's adorable, but he falls apart if you look at him funny. 😂
Also, Tokyo Otaku Mode sells authentic Nendos as well.
They do and I shop there all the time! However when I made this video I wasn't aware of Tokyo Otaku Mode and hadn't heard many people talk about them so I'm not sure they were the store they are today at that time. But yes definitely a trustworthy site.
The skin colour of a nendoroid face between a bootleg and authentic is mostly the same as the face never gets painted as it's molded in that colour and the only parts get painted are the mouth. The actual difference between is the look as authentic face is always given a flat matt coat finished unlike the bootleg. Flat matt is a gloss that gives the surface a different effect rather a shiny look that can affect the colour and the decal such as the eyes. They use this to protect the eye decal and facial decal from being scratched off. Alot of bootleg anime figures lack that flat matt coating as that coating is used very commonly in the entire figure.
Very informative and resourceful.
Personally I am not a nendoroid collector but this would help any new figure collectors entering the nendoroid scene.
This looks like a well done guide, along with telling us some reliable shop sites.
+EmeraldRuby Thanks ^_^ Glad you found it helpful!
+Bloosica if and when I start buying Nendoroids, I'll be sure to use this guide. :)
don't be fooled by their looks, yes sometimes it doesn't look any difference,. their boxing ,color or texture of the product, is just fine, but be more careful of their imperfections, I have a lot of bootleg toys and most of them have burns and are not completely molded.
for example. I have bootleg nendoroid 796, watch carefully the actual figure and the picture,...I didn't even notice how bad it was.
> some bootleg nendoroid problems....they dont snap and fit perfectly in short...gaps.
You are very correct. That's why I gave some legit sites to purchase from and warned people about cons. I also like to avoid Ebay as well as I've been burned on purchasing a scale figure from there before.
Hi I know it’s been 6 years since you have made this I don’t think you will respond but is Amazon a good place to buy nendoriod ?
Amazon does have authentic nendoroids, but there are also sellers on there that sell bootlegs. So you have to be careful. I personally don't shop for nendoroids there, but I do have friends who do and have had pretty good experiences. If it's sold directly from Amazon you should be fine. If it's from another seller, check their reviews first. In the end if you do get a bootleg Amazon should help you get your money back. Keep in mind I don't work for Amazon so I can't guarantee that they will go in your favor. But whenever I dealt with their customer service they were able to help me.
@Angie Hi 0.0 omg I just asked the same question- COINCIDENCE???!! 😂😂
I own 5 nendoroids and I've ordered them all on Amazon and I have never recieved a bootleg. I just avoid certain characters where I will most likely get a knock off like Sebastain from Black butler for example and read reviews. I like having the authentic thing because one day, they'll be worth more than my life. I saw Deathnote nendoroids at this anime store and they were just bad. They looked chalky.
Death Note nendoroids are the ones I see the most bootlegged in stores. You just aren't going to find those ones that easily or for such a decent price. Amazon is good, but there are some bootleggers so you do have to be careful.
Bloosica Yeah, I feel the deathnote nendoroids are about as rare as Sebastain. I just took a risk today of getting a Ryuko nendoroid and I've seen a few reviews of getting knock offs but sometimes you gotta take a risk :)
Very true! Hope it's legit!
Well Mirai the Smart Doll by Danny Choo is not purely handmade but 3D-printed, handwork is only integrating Aeon core frame into the doll parts. 3D printer technology is very awesome so it will breed more bootlegs. Quality is an issue but with enough 3D printing effort the quality would be maybe better. I don't even think that many figurine collectors hating 3D printing are fair.
nice i subscribed
This is why I bought a blank doll and head from goodsmile to customize
This is a fantastic video, very helpful as I’m buying my first nendroid on Marketplace and wanting to make sure it’s legit, thank you!
I have a bakugou nendorid coming and I’m kind of nervous because I didn’t spend much on it, and I’m scared it’s a fake😣
This was a very helpful video! I'm going to start collecting Nendoroids, starting with the Marth I preordered from Play Asia, I hope he won't be a bootleg!
+Critical Falchion (Logan) Glad to help. I ordered my very first figure from Play Asia years ago. You should be good.
Bloosica Quick reply. I can't wait until May, it was a gift from my parents...now I need to try to get Shiida when she comes out too!
I already have a few figures for pre-order next year. Looks like there are going to be a lot of good ones and Link is no exception :)
Link looks good.
I try to get authentic nendoroids as long as they’re affordable. For example the Solid Snake nendoroid; he runs for over $100 and I can’t justify spending that much on one tiny nendoroid, so I bought the bootleg and honestly it’s not bad! It has the same articulation as the real one and the paint job is really good. No broken pieces or anything like that. For $90 less I’m pretty impressed
Personally I don't buy bootlegs anymore. I only did because I didn't know better! But if I can't find one for a good price I just pass on it and either hope I find it later for a good deal or GSC re-releases them. Some bootlegs aren't the worst quality, but in the end it can't compare to the real thing. But you do you!
i recently got a leon kennedy nendoroid from comics-n-stuff, and while this video helped a bit on differentiating bootlegs from authentics, im still not sure if i got an authentic nendoroid. do you know if comics-n-stuff can be trusted or not?
My first nendoroid will come in the mail soon, its Lady Venera, i wish the rest of Zvezda had nendoroid but im super exited none the less
+Professor Um Yay! She looks like a very nice nendoroid. Hope you enjoy her and who knows maybe some day they will make the others.
Quick question on the amiami site are you able to buy used ones if you are in the USA I noticed that the use ones had a note of "Remarks
For sale in Japan only." Wasn't sure if that was telling me no go because I am not living in Japan
Lilly waters Yes you can. I buy pre-owned all the time. "for sale in Japan only" basically means that the initial sales target is Japan and thus box text and instructions will be in Japanese only.
I would love to have more persona figures, but for now I will go with what I have. I want the Elizabeth figure that is coming out in December, but my December pre-order list is crazy right now and not sure if I can really afford to add to it. I do hope to get more in the future though.
Oh lol I just bought the one with the blue hair in 2 buns, blue dress, holding a fan and a green bag today. Didn't realize it was a fake till I saw this. I'm new to collecting these but it's ok. It's still cute and paint job is actually ok. I wondered why I couldn't remove the head. I haven't reviewed it yet. Going to probably tomorrow or Tuesday. I do know how to spot a fake My Little Pony though lol.
But after learning about the authentics I would never go back to bootlegs. The quality is much nicer and really aren't that much more expensive if you know where to look. You are also supporting the company, which is a great thing. But I have heard that people don't care about authentic or not. They just like the character and they can afford it. While I may not agree, I'm not here to tell anyone how to spend there money, just educate them :)
Great video, very informative. My problem is that most of the Nendos I want to get are sold out at AmiAmi etc. so I have to resort to eBay :/
Hazy992 Thank you :)It's hard to get older nendoroids unless they get a rerelease because once they are released they are out of production. Sometimes you can get lucky on AmiAmi pre-owned so that's what we do a lot.
Bloosica Yeah I've been looking on AmiAmi's preowned section but they don't have figures of what I want :P
In your opinion would you say this is legitimate? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131394996012?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
They seem to have good feedback and all the feedback for Nendos seems positive. Thanks :)
Looking at it I check for feedback like you said, which seemed to be really good. I also look for location and they are from Japan so another positive sign, but doesn't mean it's 100% legit. Another thing to look at of course is the price. If it seems to good to be true then it probably is, but this one does seem like a fair price. The last thing I like to look at is pictures. Since they used stock photos you really can't compare and see if it's legit.
Overall it looks alright. Wouldn't know for sure until it arrive, but it doesn't look to much of a gamble.
Bloosica I might take the risk and go for it to see how it's like. Thanks for the help :)
You're welcome. I hope she is legit :)
This is gonna be helpful when my DIO Nendoroid arrives.
Or if you want to be very safe you can check GoodSmileCompany's partners that sell the nendoroids and figures either online, retail, or both. For example Crunchyroll is one of their partners in the US
Great Review,
I only have 7 nendoriods so far...i'm hoping to get more in the future!
I just found your channel when i was look up How to Spot a Fake Nendoroid on UA-cam lol
Hi stupid question I've bought afew fake and real Nendoroids lately, the knockoffs don't exactly have issues but they are missing parts for their bases. I've looked on ebay for bases for them but I can't find them bar this one time by chance, theres no chance you could tell me what to search for is there?
Infelious Kazkari As far as I know GSC doesn't sell just the bases alone. They do have some nendoroid more sets that have larger bases and comes with odds and ends like butterflies or kitties. They also come with some stand arm pieces but I don't know if they are like the ones that hold up the figures or if they are just for the butterflies in stuff. But if you need the square bases with the holes then search for nendoroid more after parts.
Thank you, though I swear I've seen ones that has the base and good afew parts only, I suppose they could be unofficial ones. Thank you though.
well one of the problems are that usually boxes are sealed so u can only tell the flap box clue when u actually buy it but chances are after u know its a bootleg the seller wont give refunds back
Is amazon a good place also? :3
Thank you so much! I ordered a Kurumi nendoroid from amazon and Ill use these tips to make sure it isnt a bootleg!
You're welcome! Hope yours is legit!
Bloosica Thanks
(( Ahh, I'm so relieved! I recently got a Mikudayo nendoroid, and she's authentic!! :D thank you so much for making this video! ))
Gumina Glassred Glad I could help you out and that you have an authentic nendoroid! Yay!
Yes I have gone to crunchyroll when items have been sold out elsewhere. I had to pre-ordered the rerelease of Mami from crunchyroll because it sold out within hours on amiami. I kinda like how they charge you right when you order too because then I don't have to worry about the funds later. However if I did that all the time I probably wouldn't have enough funds to pre-ordered everything I wanted if I was paying right away.
Thank god I have a shop nearby to buy authentic figurines. But my first two Nendoroid Azusa and Saber Lily that I brought on Amazon thank god is not a bootleg. Lucky beginner Nendoroid Collector!
+Ariel Jersey Jr That's really awesome that you were able to get authentic nendoroids and not fall into a beginner trap.
Bloosica Yeah...
Some of my friends their first Nendoroid are bootlegs and brought from a convention.
+Ariel Jersey Jr I bought 5 Nendoroids on Amazon and they are authentic :)
as I was saying when you think about it $5-$25 for a bootleg nendo adds up so in reality people who buy bootlegs are spending just as much money as people who buy the official ones and what gets me kind of mad is when people say its better than spending stupid $50-$100 they don't understand that the people who create the figures work really hard and are very talented plus its their job so the money they make could be to support their families and also support the company.
Hi! Maybe you can help me. I recently purchased my first Nendoroid from a convention in charlotte NC. It is Windwaker Link while im 99% sure that he is legit one this is really bugging me. His shifty eyed sneaking face in missing from the box replaced with a copy of his "blank stare" face The pait job is really good nintendo stickers on the box and an instruction manual included. Any idea why this happened or what i should do about it?
coreyxhalo When you opened the box did you have to remove any tape or was it already cut for you. If it is legit like you think, then the only possible reasons that I can think of for the swapped face plate are a factory mistake or the person who previously owned it made the face swap themselves.
Hi thank you for your response! When i got it there was a small dent to the left of the clear plastic on the front. Hold the box closed at the top was circular clear plastic one sided adhesive. inside everything thing seemed untouched all the plastic surrounding the figures were in place i don't recall anything else.
Everything seems really well made and anywhere I look I can't find any instance of a bootleg version.
Well if you know the name of the person you bought it from, like if it was a store, then I would contact them. If that doesn't work since Link is new enough you can contact GSC directly and tell them of your situation. They are usually pretty good with replacement parts for their newer figures.
I ordered the miku 2.0 nendo from crunchyroll which should be here in 2-3 days, I'm so excited because she's going to be my first nendoroid ^ - ^ about the bootlegs idk why people buy them when they know its fake, if they saved up a little more to buy a real one & if they no longer want the figure they could sell it. I think bootlegs are a waste off money thats just my opinion though
Thanks for the video, very informative! Im plan on buying my first (preowned) nendoroid from amiami tomorrow! Im just slightly worried that the price is on sale for half-off ^^; Im just gonna assume its a good sale and trust amiami's good rep!
Glad that you found it helpful. As for amiami you should be safe. I've been purchasing from them for 2 or 3 years and getting a package at least once a month. They have never sold me a bootleg so you should be safe. Which one are you going to get?
Im getting Kagamine Rin - Cheerful Ver ^^ I wanted Kasane Teto because she's adorable, but Rin is my favorite vocaloid and the price was too good ^^
Awesome! I have Miku's Cheerful version myself. They are all pretty cute.
Bloosica Oooh, that one is so pretty! All the different poses and faces, it awesome!
Bloosica What if a *Nendoroid*, *PVC Figure*, or *Figma* doesn't have a Bootleg product?(aka: there are no Bootlegs reported for that Figure) Should I still look it over thoroughly just to be safe?
I would always be extra cautious if you purchased it from a site or store that you aren't sure about. It is more likely that someone has found it before you so your chances are greater that if you can't find a bootleg out there that the one you are looking at is legit. But just double check the figure to be sure or purchase from a trusted retailer.
Bloosica Okay, Thanks! The reason I asked is because I was looking at the Nisekoi Beach Queens PVC Figures on myfigurecollection, and according to the links, there were Zero Bootleg images for those specified PVCs.
(Same with the Esdeath PVC Figure)
So, I have seen many nendoroids come in the exact same looking packages. I have just started collecting nendoroids, and I just got one at a random shop at universal studios. Does a certain box have to look similar to other packaging? And I got mine at least over 20$. How much are most nendoroids?
Usually 40ish and up
Usually 30-40. You can get really good deals on real Nendoroids on OtakuMode, I buy mine from there.
I may just be confused by the way you worded it, but all my nendoroid boxes have two flaps, even the ones that I know are authentic. I don't think this means they're fake, does it?
If you look at the box I'm opening when I talk about the top flaps that is what I'm referring to. The top flip only covers only half the top instead of all the way over. The only Nendoroid box that I know is authentic that does that is the black rock shooters box. Iirc all other authentic boxes, except special ones like Snow Miku 2013 which are different boxes entirely, have a top flap that covers the whole length of the box. Then when you flip it open you will see a second flap which is actually the background insert that can be removed. Is that what you are thinking about?
I have quite a few nendoroid reviews that show me opening authentic boxes if you want to look for comparison. Just look for ones that don't say bootleg in the title and you should be fine.
I hope that answered your question.
wow that reply is long O_O
I try to be thorough :P
I know :) there's a video on the hatsune miku channel that shows the company and explaining how the figures are made, it looks like a very nice place to work at.
I have a question. I ordered a Vocaloid Meiko Nendoroid from Amazon. The seller is from Japan and I've had the Nendoroid for quite a while actually.
As far as I'm concerned she's authentic, she comes with all her parts, official box and everything. She looks professionally made, too. The only thing is that she smells REALLY bad like PVC, I want to know... Is this normal? The smell isn't as bad as when I first took her out of the box but she still has a faint smell.
I want to make sure she isn't made of Lead Paint or something deadly.
If everything else looks legit then you should be fine. If a figure is kept in the box for too long they can start to smell as well as the paint getting sticky. Since you said you got the Meiko Nendoroid I'm guessing that's the reason as she is a rather old nendoroid.
Bloosica Ah, okay. Thanks for your help :3
You're welcome :)
Okay! So I want to buy a nendoroid online. However, the authentic ones, when converted to US dollars, typically cost just a little over $30. The one suggested on eBay (probably not the smartest place to shop, haha) is roughly $20. In addition, it is produced in China. When I looked on the Good Smile Company's website, though, it said it had distributors in China and Hong Kong. Unfortunately, it really is difficult to tell online, as the seller can easily use fake pictures, and some of them charge for the return (if I happen to be dissatisfied), so I want to be sure before I order. Do you have any tips?
+Cinderpelt333 While Good Smile Company does distribute nendoroids all over the world, usually it's not done by private profiles on Ebay. When checking ebay I would look at their ratings and check the bad ones to see if anyone has received a bootleg from them. Another thing to do is that if someone uses a stock photo to ask them to take a pic of the actual product they are selling. Then I would try searching for that picture on google and seeing if there are others who have used that picture to make sure they didn't just take one.
Thank you so much! I'll get right to it. :D
There are some authenic nendoriods at this app you can download called mercari, they have cheap prices. promise me
I can only justify buying a bootleg on purpose if it looks actually good or if it looks nearly identical to the real. The money you pay is well worth what you're getting otherwise.
I once got my friend a bootleg Sebastian without realizing it, when it came I was scared for her but it looks EXACTLY like the real one. Down to every piece. The only thing bad with it is a joint is a bit janky sometimes. And I know it was a bootleg because it was $12
They should just re-release Sebastian and a few other early ones. They are really popular and I see people wanting to get them all the time, but there isn't enough out there and when you find one they are really expensive.
Really nice video! It is very helpful ❤
I bought a bootleg Flandre but still the only problem was the off colored crystal wings
Ya. Not sure what I'm going to do with my bootlegs. I don't think I have enough space to bring them with me when I move and I would never sell them to people making them think they are real. Or even really selling them as bootlegs.
Hello! I wanted to say thank you for this awesome video! I just started to collect nendroids myself and find them absolutely adorable! I do have a question about ordering through Amazon. If the nendroid comes from Amazon itself, not from a seller company, do you think that's safe? Or should I look into reviews of other sellers? The nendroid is priced at $45 with tax it comes out to be around $52, and this is through Amazon.
Thank you so much for this information again! > w
Kiki Asakura You're welcome! Glad it could be helpful to you. If you order directly from Amazon then you should be safe. If you do get it and find out it's a bootleg then you are covered from Amazon's guarantee and they should refund you. This is also true of other sellers, but since it didn't come from amazon your options are more limited to how they can help out.
+Bloosica I wasn't sure whether Amazon itself was safe since I couldn't, strangely, find them as a partner through the Good Smile Company shop. I think what I'll do is contact the seller beforehand from now on and ask for pictures and product details before buying from places/sellers I'm not sure about. Thanks again! ^ . ^
I got mine on clearance at target yesterday
I have a Len cheerful who I think is fake, which breaks my heart. My character store sold him and the box was the same on they had online! His quality was horrible and he had spots of his hair that the paint chipped off. I shop from Ami Ami now. My question is do bootlegs sometimes use the same style box? I noticed this when I saw that a Postcard should have been included, which made me happy, because I was never going to buy from nendoroid if this was their figures quality. Now I preordered two from Ami Ami and waiting on their release.
I don't think I've ever gotten a legit nendoroid with the problem you described, but it could have just been a bad batch. However I notice a huge difference between my bootleg and authentic ones in terms of quality. The paint job was better and for the most part joints stay in better, though I have come in contact with some legit ones with some lose joints. For instance, my saber lion nendoroid had a really lose neck joint that you can see in the video. To answer your question though yes sometimes bootlegs will have the same box. I've seen some nendoroids like the BRS one that do a good job at copying the original. That's why it's a good idea to look up individual nendoroid bootleg traits. I'm sure you will be pleased with the nendoroids that come from amiami. Don't lose faith!
I looked up my particular nendoroid bootleg traits and found out that mine was a fake. I wonder how that store got a hold of fake ones. It was my first time actually buying something from them. I will never do it again and just shop on Ami Ami. Sad that I think a legit store is unsafe, yet online I feel more secure lol. I preordered a Dramatical Murder Aoba and Link nendoroid. I will let you know how they favor (Which I hope is good, because they are so cute!)
Ya I found out the hard way about "legit" stores selling bootlegs. That's where I got all my bootlegs in fact. I went back to California again this year and looked at some of the stores and their nendoroids again and it was so obvious that they were fake even though I didn't know too much about that specific nendoroid. It wasn't just one store either, but many hobby and japanese stores. That's why I wanted to make this video. I know I don't have all the time in the world to talk about each one individually and keep updating it as new bootlegs are found, but I hope giving people a starting point to know what to look for will help. Sorry yours was a bootleg though :(
I also have the Link Nendoroid pre-ordered from amiami. So excited to see how he turns out.
What is the nendroid at 0:14 with the blue and the very cute hoodie thing
Epicprism-(unknown youtuber) That is Super Sonico Tiger Parka Version. Nendoroid #252.
Thnx
Ahaha thanks. I am not a big fan of nendoroids but I'll collect the ones of characters I really like or unless if it's a super exclusive. Otherwise, yes I am a scale figure collector and my collection is trying to grow -.-;;
(Currently working on finishing my Persona collection but that won't be until next year possibly)
Hi can you make for Edward scissorshands nenedroid beacuse scared to buy fake Edward. 😢
The fake ones are some what just as good. Paint is just a little bit back and plastic isn't the same. They're good when you're on a budget.
All the figures i found on AmiAmi are only sold in Japan :/??
It only means that it's a Japanese product for the Japanese market. However they can sell them outside of Japan. I've been shopping there for years and never had a problem.
I found an amazon luka one and it says it's been shipped by good smile and has all the same pictures but should I buy it off amazon?
Olivia Parker If it's actually from Good Smile you should be safe. I couldn't find that listing with a quick search, but did see amiami had a listing and that one should be fine as well. Amazon does have legit ones, you just have to be careful. If you find it is a bootleg then contact Amazon and they should take care of you.
Okay thank you. I read the reviews and they were all good so I think I'm safe
*crosses fingers* good luck!
Olivia Parker An easy tip to find out whether or not it's a bootleg it to check where it's coming from. If the seller is from China or Taiwan, it's most likely a bootleg and this goes with any anime-related item.
- Bootlegs usually cost between 0-30€, has no value once bought.
- Nendroids cost 30-XXX€, price goes up with the years and will depend on Rarity and Availability of that specific Nendroid.
Note: The reason of the video isn't about purity or outcast ppl its about know your ***shit***, If u pay more for a Bootleg than you would for a Nendroid you got scammed hard. This is the real problem with Bootlegs, you pay for something that's not worth that price. And lets not get started on the licenss and author copyrights infringement... please.
Which face plate is at 2:40 (right with open grey eyes) ?
I filmed this so long ago, but if I'm not mistaken I think it's from the Kirito nendoroid.
Who's the nendoroid at 0:13 with The pink hair red looking eyes and red outfit
Can you review a Mikasa Ackerman nendoroid? Please
I bought an authentic simon figure but the flowing jacket doesnt fit so watch out for faulty ones too
I heard the faces were posable, is this true and how moveable are they, plus how flexible are the limbs?
Neiko The Lucario The faces themselves have different face plates that swap out, but are on a ball joint so they can look in many directions. The limbs are on a ball joint where it attaches to the body so they can move around a lot as well. If you want to see more check my earlier reviews where I show their articulation.
Thanks and I gladly will check out more reviews
Neiko The Lucario Thanks :)
Don’t buy figures when it says made in USA cuz I sorta fell for that but I only have 1 bootleg
Nendoroids are definitely not made in the US, so a very good tip indeed. Most are made in China, but a couple are made in Japan starting with the Sakura Miku Bloomed in Japan version.
I don’t know why I would buy one that was made in USA but I did and I know now not to and I bought another figma miku and it’s not a bootleg so at least I have one now
I'm happy to hear that you could get an authentic one, but it's so easy to fall into the bootleg trap when you are first starting out.
I know and it was my first figma too
While I agree and since I've educated myself I no longer purchase bootlegs, but I didn't want this video to tell people what to do. I just wanted to give them the information. If I didn't think owning an authentic nendoroid wasn't important I wouldn't have made the video.
what is the name of the place where you put your nendoroids
+lally librando I'm not sure I understand your question. Could you please elaborate?
+Bloosica The case you put your nendoroids in
Oh it's just a display case that I got at the Container Store a few years ago.
Looks like they still have them too: www.containerstore.com/s/collections/display/cubes-cases/multi-level-display-box/123d?productId=10022884&green=109D82F2-7F1B-52C9-BABA-1B55B7789B0B