Seriously. Is this person trying to
pass a custom doll off as an Irwin original? I have no idea what's going on here. This is a messed up post. :D
Also, I've had a ton of bootleg gashapon. Most of the ones on eBay are bootleg. How can you tell a real gashapon? First of all, if it's $0.99 for a whole set, then it's probably not real. All the figures have imprinted marks on them that say "© T.P.TA.T" followed by four dots in a diamond shape, followed by: "B. CHINA"
Bootlegs are either missing PART of this, or all of it. I have some bootlegs that have the four dots and the "CHINA" but no "© T.P.TA.T" and no "B." I have some bootlegs that have nothing at all. NONE of my bootlegs have ever had all the required markings!
The most noticeable things to look for are:
- have you seen that SAME photo of that same set 100x on eBay? If so, it's probably a bootleg set
- does it have THE WHOLE copyright? If not, it's surely a bootleg
- Is it a KEYCHAIN!? Most of the world gashapon that are keychains are bootlegs (I have yet to see a licensed gashapon as a keychain)
- deformed body parts (should the leg go straight but it curves? Should the arm be at one angle but it's at another? Yes, not all real gashapon are perfect but if it's WAY off then it's most likely a bootleg!)
- the EYES. Real gashapon have nicely painted eyes and details that you won't find on the bootlegs, The bootleg eyes are poorly painted and smudgy.
- Other paint issues! Gashapon are tiny so the painting on them can be spotty even if they are real. However, the bootlegs are noticeably worse sometimes missing paint on key elements of the outfit.
Of course, in most pictures you won't be able to see these kind of details. But don't be afraid to ASK sellers, "Does this figure have these markings?" If they are too busy to look or answer then they probably aren't worth buying from anyway :P
REFERENCES:
If you want to know the specific locations for markings on a particular figure, feel free to ask <3
