How do know if the doll you like is a recast?

I'm really new too so I'm going to have a stab at explaining and someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

A recast is a doll that is created by taking a cast of a mold by a popular company, and using that cast to create more of those dolls. It's effectively stealing the company's property and counterfeiting it by making ones like it for sale.

A recast generally is lesser quality than the originals, and sell for much less (or should at least). The best way to ensure you're not getting a recast is to buy from here (where recast sales are not allowed) or asking for a certificate of authenticity and box.

Also if you're seeing sales of a specific doll for $400 and it's only $150 - 200 on ebay, you have a pretty good idea it's not genuine.

 

What about second hand dolls that are damaged or broken or have been sold in splits?
How can you tell? ive seen a few but im not sure if they are legit. some people try to sell recasts at higher prices :/

 

I have to admit I won't buy a doll unless they can prove it's legit. I guess for the money I want to make sure I'm not getting a counterfeit, you know?

 

Generally, if it's possible, to buy a doll directly from the company, that ensures that you are not buying a recast and also with buying a doll from the company you are helping to ensure that the company who creates the doll stays in business.

Buying second hand dolls from reputed places like Mandrake also is a good bet, since they have a reputation to keep, it's unlikely that they will a recast.

Same with most sellers on den of angels market place, selling a recast as legit will get a member banned faster then you can say "ball joints" So why risk it?

 

A good rule of thumb is to avoid Ebay entirely. Some people do sell parts of their personal collection on Ebay, but you can tell if these are legitimate if the person has a certificate of authenticity for that doll. Another way is to become familiar with certain companies and what their dolls look like - after a while, you will be able to tell what some dolls are, and you will start to learn when a head looks out of place.

A good way to go is to look at companies you like, then either buy directly from them, or find dealers in your country that sell the doll you want. Also, as DOA is completely anti-recast, once you have access you can be sure that you are only looking at legitimate dolls in the Marketplaces here.

 

Some legitimate doll companies have ebay stores, though. Be weary, but do your research.

 

The best way to avoid recast dolls are of course to buy directly from the company or from the authorized dealer; however if you're looking into secondhand markets things get little complicated. The best way, I'd say, is to ask your seller to provide as many 'authentication accessories' as possible, by which I mean headplates, authentication cards, seller's copy of the purchase history if the said person is the first owner, and offical boxes (Personally I refrain buying from a seller who cannot provide an official box).

Also if you tackle the hobby for some time you'd gain experience regarding the raw materials of different company; most BJD companies employ their unique selection of resin, and it'll take quite an effort for counterfeiters to emulate the color, quality and the weight of an original all at the same time. For example, I do have a pretty good background with dolls from Luts. I know their 2014 Normal/White skin tones and varied shades from the past since I made periodic purchases from that company. Heck, I even know how their yellowed NS appears because I have 10yr, 8yr, 4yr, 1yr and brand new Delfs with me. So if I come across a doll whose skin color looks radically different, that might be a good indicator for me to be on my guard.

Also recasts are rumored to have poor finishings, if it helps.

 

Most people here can usually back up a part or head with "I bought this in so in so's split in fall 2013" and usually there is a certificate and feedback showing who bought what from that split. So there is a paper trail for the item. Some companies allow you to trace a COA back to the original buyer/owner on their site. So their is that proof.

Some people say you can actually tell by the quality of the resin part or seam sanding and etc... since the recasters have less invested via reputation and hard work in their parts & dolls.

caleisha Maybe you should try to go to a local meetup before you buy. Different companies have different doll characters and qualities that other dolls don't have. A meetup would be a good place to find out what you like or don't like in a doll. Most people at a meetup are friendly and helpful and will let you touch their dolls if you are respectful of them and ask before hand.

 

I actually bought my first doll on ebay, but I emailed the company and asked if they were an official dealer or not. They said yes so I bought her. So that might be an option to try.

Generally if the deal looks too good to be true...it probably is. An Iplehouse doll for 1/3 the price more than likely a recast unless it has lots of damage. Also Iplehouse I know only sells direct so anyone claiming to be selling a brand new doll from them is a recaster. I'm pretty sure there are other companies that have that same policy too.

Recasts usually have thin spots but idk if you could tell that from a picture. And like someone mentioned, they just look unpolished like someone half-@$$ed it.

 

The wikia here has a list of known legitimate sellers. This should help.

http://www.denofangels.com/doawiki/index.php?title=Bjd_shops/dealers

Crazydolleyes is correct, recasters take a doll, usually a popular one and then make a mold of that doll and then cast new dolls from that mold. The colors can be off, or in colors not offered by the company. The insides will be really rough, as they don't care what that looks like. They will not have certain identifiers, like headplates or markings on the inside of the head. And price usually is one of the biggest factors. If the price is too cheap, don't buy it.

 

I have to admit I bought my first Iplehouse doll from EBay, He came in his original box and he was a full set ( with his clothes) but now I am a little more experienced. I know he is the real deal!

 

Don't buy from the seller "Doll Empire" on (Yahoo Japan Auctions) I read somewhere they are selling recasts. I thought it was a little suspicious when I saw an abundance of SWITCH Hahwa and Uhui-R when they're almost limited releases. Plus they don't show the actual item with the certificate/official papers (and or original box), just a stock photo. Watch out.

 

Some are tougher to spot than others, but there's definitely red flags to watch for.

The biggest being that the seller states flat-out that they're selling recasts. There are some who do this, but there's others who hide what they're doing.
If they're selling from a company that has no dealers (ie Soom), they're probably selling recasts.
Likewise, if they have a lot of limited sculpts (Soom's older MDs, for instance), they're probably selling recasts.
If the price is too good to be true? Probably a recast.
If it's an unusual color (tan from a company that rarely or never does tan, for instance), again, probably a recast.
If there's no company or sculpt identification on the doll, just a generic label like "SD Super Dollfie BJD New!" that's also probably a recast.
Likewise, if there's company-name keyword spamming, like "Volks Soom Luts Iplehouse Dollfie BJD," again, it's likely a recast.

There's a lot of good tips here for spotting them, but there's still no substitute for being a cautious buyer. And if anything about a sale makes you uneasy, or a seller refuses to give more information or answer your questions, you have every right to back out.

 

Resin quality isn't always a give-a-way. For example, I've seen some horribly cast Fairyland dolls that were legit, and I've also seen recast Fairyland dolls where the casting and resin were flawless. Arguably, depending on the company and the recaster, the resin quality can actually be superior the the legit company's. As has been said before, it's best to buy directly from the company, or use a well known reseller, like Denver Doll Emporium or Mint On Card, to a name a couple.

 

As to the "why" behind why recasts are definitely not something you want to be involved with in any way, read here.

 

It's also illegal to ship them into the U.S. as they are seen as bootleg/stolen items. The only way you can have them is if you bring ONE at a time with you on the plane back from the country of origin. But I wouldn't want a doll that's a recast of a beautiful doll with terrible sanding and marks, combined with the roughness of the inside of the joints and the odd restringing they sometimes have. Not to mention, the resin usually ends up looking... off. Like plastic used for dollar store dolls (you know those tan-ish color dolls that have thin, plastic, hollow arms and if you hold it up to the light it just looks cheap?)... I wouldn't want to turn an amazing expensive doll into an cheap and unsellable resin wreck. Always assume that if the doll is very very cheap that it is a recast or you haven't read the listing title or description correctly. If there's a $400 doll on ebay for $200 or less and it's used, chances are that it's recast or has some kind of terrifying damage. Just make sure you research the company they're selling from, and always try to find the doll on a reliable source or from the manufacturer's site before you throw your money into a potentially fake item

 

A re-cast is when people take a real doll and make copies without permission. It is illegal and it is stealing the hard work of the artists. They are sold below the price of the original and so also cuts into sales from the artist--and from other companies, since those who buy those dolls aren't buying from the legitimate companies. Legit companies spend long hours creating the dolls, casting them, trying to publicize them, paying those who work for them, etc. They are not getting rich, just trying to stay in business without starving anyone who works for them. Re-casters and those who buy from them hurt the doll-makers and hurt doll-owners who have to watch for fakes and who have a harder time selling their legit dolls because buyers are worried.

How to spot a re-cast:

1. Seller on Ebay or amazon, usually from China. They offer "custom" dolls they make, maybe in various color choices, for much less than the true doll. They often are selling multiples of these dolls (10 available, etc.).

2. The re-casts will often be copies of rare or limited sculpts. You should know your sculpts and if you see a rare limited doll that doesn't come in the right colors and doesn't say exactly what sculpt and company it is, is a cheap price, and does not come with anything that would come from the true company, such as certificates, box, proof of sale by the company, default faceup, default items, etc., do not buy it unless you know the seller is honest (do not rely on ebay feedbacks!).

3. Many doll companies do not have agents in other countries or sell on ebay or other places, so if you have researched your doll, you will know this and be suspicious of people who offer lots of dolls from these companies.

4. You should know the popular and limited sculpts and be very careful when buying those, since they are usually the dolls that are being copied-- such as popular models from Soom, Iplehouse and Fairyland (and sometimes very small companies like Aileen Dolls' tiny dragon).

How to know a doll is NOT a re-cast:

1. You do your homework and can identify the sculpt and know if the company makes dolls in those colors, and what the doll usually sells for, etc.

2. You check with other doll owners to see if the sale looks legit or not.

3. You be very careful when you are buying on ebay or amazon or from owners on fb or non-Doa boards. DoA bans re-casts, so the Marketplace here is about as safe as you can be. You can buy elsewhere, but just make sure you know what you are doing and check on everything.

4. A legit seller will have something to prove the doll is legit, such as the company box and papers and can answer questions about the legitimacy. They may show receipts of purchase and have info about where they got the doll. Yes, some sellers can lie. If the doll doesn't seem quite right, you don't know the seller, the seller isn't selling on DoA, you run the info and photos by some friends--online or not, and there's no proof it is legit, then it might be best to wait until you find another seller that has more proof the doll is real. You can ask for the seller's DoA name and check them out here--look at feedback, look at their dolls, etc. to see if they are a legit owner.

5. Even on DoA, or if the seller is a member on DoA, it is good to check feedback and see how long they have been a member. Long-time members don't want to mess around with re-casts--and don't want to be banned from DoA if they are caught messing about with re-casts, so that is slightly safer than newer members (but not a guarantee; you need to be careful and check even from DoA sellers).

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Yes, it is the safest to just buy from the company, but the second-hand market is important--for the owners of dolls who might want to sell, and to buyers who want to find sold-out dolls or dolls in their country to avoid shipping and customs, etc. You can still buy safely on the second-hand market if you know what you are doing! Just research your doll before throwing hundreds of dollars at anyone!!! This is important when buying ANYTHING, really.

 

Other people covered recasts I think. I just wanted to add one thing.

Maybe I'm just unlucky, but the vast majority of dolls I see on Ebay (not counting the official ebay sellers of new dolls) are obvious recasts or incredibly poorly maintained dolls. In my experience, I feel the best secondhand deals can be found here in the marketplace.