New Chinese Piracy

So basically Taobao (or just the agent?) is washing their hands of it.
Good lord.

 

This is kind of scary especially for first time BJD collectors like me.

I guess everyone should be wary and more alert when buying from e-bay and 2nd hand sellers.

 

Okay if you're willing to pay 316, why not buy a REAL dool? I know Unoas are more than that and fairly rare but really for 316 or slightly more you can get a variety of very nice legitimate dolls WITH guarantees.

I just don't understand people.....

 

Fake Dion has no SDF LUTS red emblem (head plate) inside. That is one way to tell but..........maybe eventually they'll make that too. I am so disgusted!

 

Actually, Unoas aren't really that rare anymore. You just have to wait until the pre-order period... But I agree Toshirodragon, I'd rather save for a little bit longer and give my money to the person who actually put all the work into creating the doll instead of some jerk ripping them off for a quick buck.

 

Picture (mine is the new SDF Howl, so he has two magnets instead of the ridge that Dion has there)


You can see the blank space inside of counterfeit in the earlier picture posted

Currently they are selling him as head only

 

Is this for the head mold only or head with body and faceup?

The UNOA...I've only personally seen an UNOA doll once and her original faceup is not easily replicated. If they provide faceup for the UNOA, it would be interesting to see.

I think that other way a doll can be authenticated is to inspect it personally. Weight and body composition. This would require a detailed official database of photos and information. Otherwise, the doll can be brought to the company for inspection if the company is still in business. Gets difficult when companies cease business without leaving detailed databases and information.

How clever to pass the blame to the buyer.

 

Ahhhhh Anavel.....that's more like it. Thanks!

 

I was under the impression that that was the price for an Unoa knockoff w/body. I only ran the price through Xe though, which isn't always accurate.

Whitewings, was the price you were quoted through a deputy service or what? Because $300 doesn't seem that much less than an official Unoa these days, so I'd have to wonder why MoeNingyo is all "we're offering you much cheaper counterfeit dolls!!"

 

Astro: It does not look like Dion (head only) is much cheaper. I am not familiar with UNOAs, except that they're exceptionally pretty. The Luts marking/logo in the original doll is nicely done. I was horrified because I thought the copy is marked exactly the same way as the original.

 

Well, the Chinese potential buyer also raised that question about the price. They said that they are using imported high quality resin so the price is a little high. Anyway, I am glad they are not super cheap so people will not buy.

 

So it's only a head, and they're selling it for about the same price as a Luts doll?
Um...
What.

I think Unoas used to go for about $500 second hand, but I'm fairly sure that they've dropped in price. Plus you can get them through the official preorder for about $325+ (I thiiink. This is according to Gigglegeek).
So really, if the price that Whitewings quoted is without deputy fees, then there really isn't much difference in terms of Unoa prices.
I'm confused.

 

...The irony burns me.

 

yes this is so true. i feel so badly for the honest BJD companies in China who work so hard. this really does make them all look so terribly. to be honest that is something that has always bothered me about chinese companies. i know that technically not all of them do it, however it still makes me not want to buy from any chinese companies. i worry that i am supporting this because it seems to happen so often.

 

This is really annoying. D=

Their copying is good (I own a 1st release SDF Dion), but they must be insane if they think they can sell them at that price for counterfeits. I don't think anyone would pay that much when they can buy the real thing for just a little more. I mean, the whole point of any kind of "collector's items" is that they retail a high resale value and BJDs are no different (even if most owners have dolls they never plan to sell). I don't think anyone here would want to spend $300 on a head that will have no value as soon as they buy it. =/

(And imported resin my ass. Even the best resin isn't worth that much.)

 

I took my SDF Cian's head cap off (sorry Sieg, I know you hate when I do that!), to check what was inside. He also has the red Luts emblem shown on the photo several posts before, and he has a SDF number and the Luts name engraved into his resin too.

I'm curious though, does anyone know if the original, 1st edition/version of SDF Dions also have the red emblem or was that added later on when the newer SDFs came out? Comparing the Luts name engraving, I can tell right away that my Cian's engraving is different from the one shown on the fake Dion head as well... hmm...

 

It's not like $300+ USD is exactly pocket change either. Why not just save an extra $100-$150 and get the real thing? I mean, I know Unoas are very attractive dolls, but there are other MSDs that are just as gorgeous that go for just under $400 from their true makers. The prices for Limhwa's MSDs have just dropped. You can get a brand new one for $370ish now. Minifees are under $400 (though with shipping they come out to a bit more).

As stated already, Unoas aren't that expensive in comparison if you manage to jump in during the pre-ordering period. I think with shipping, my friend paid just under $550 for hers brand new the last time she ordered one through the pre-orders.

 

These statements are only valid for those who prefer an original company faceup, though. There are many collectors (like myself) who prefer to buy a doll blank and paint it themselves. For us, using the original faceup as a way to decide if a doll is a copy is really unfeasible. What about secondhand dolls with faceups by the original owner? Many of those aren't copies, and I'd hate to see them all lumped in as potential recasts just because they don't have the default company faceup.

I do agree that it poses a problem on the secondhand market though. Some of my dolls are secondhand, and some of those are just parts. (Hybrids with secondhand heads and bodies from different companies). Most of them didn't come with certificates of authenticity, and a few weren't even shipped in the "matching" company box. (Like a Delf I recently purchased that was shipped in an old Volks box). If I ever did want to resell them, I wouldn't be able to definitively prove that they aren't recasts.

Also, I thought Unoa dolls were sold as unfinished kits? Do they have an "original default faceup"?

 

I think the main reason why they're up that high (and counterfeiting them in the first place) is because Dions are limited dolls.

And yeah, Unoas are UFKs. I don't believe any of them have default faceups, save for maybe a select few from whay back when?

 

Yeah, it's definitely more than a little bizarre--I mean, usually the reason people go for copies is because they're cheaper...a lot cheaper. Granted, there might be an aspect of the originals just being difficult to get, but still. It seems less likely that the people who really go in for buying bootlegs would be happy about forking over that much cash.