Ebay guide to identifying fakes
This is a good guide to learn how to identify which what bootleg Pikazards look like that are being sold on eBay, Amazon, etc. To sum up the guide tips -- you can tell if they are bootlegs by the positions of the arms stitched, the positions of the eyes, and if the coloring is off. Just remember how they authentic ones look like and compare it to the bootleg versions. You can see that for one of the bootleg angry plush has the wrong arm position as it is pointed to its tummy and not towards its cheeks. Now some people might get confused because the authentic smile version had the arm position stitched towards the tummy. Hopefully you'll be able to spot the differences. It's not too hard! What the guide does not mention are the bootleg versions of the mascot keychain Pikazard. Yes, I've seen pictures on Instagram of them :/
This is a good guide to learn how to identify which what bootleg Pikazards look like that are being sold on eBay, Amazon, etc. To sum up the guide tips -- you can tell if they are bootlegs by the positions of the arms stitched, the positions of the eyes, and if the coloring is off. Just remember how they authentic ones look like and compare it to the bootleg versions. You can see that for one of the bootleg angry plush has the wrong arm position as it is pointed to its tummy and not towards its cheeks. Now some people might get confused because the authentic smile version had the arm position stitched towards the tummy. Hopefully you'll be able to spot the differences. It's not too hard! What the guide does not mention are the bootleg versions of the mascot keychain Pikazard. Yes, I've seen pictures on Instagram of them :/
Here are my tips:
☆ Look at the eyes and nose! The bootleg ones have weird looking derpy eyes. Overall, look at the whole quality! If you want a nice looking plush that's the real deal do your research and make sure the seller is based in Japan! If they are selling it not from Japan, double check the pictures and compare it to the authentic pictures. As you can on the picture on the right, the angry one's eyes looks derpy compared to the real ones plus the nose looks off.
☆ I recommend buying them off Yahoo! Japan as it won't cost over $50 shipped as opposed getting it from overpriced sellers/bootlegs on eBay. and Amazon. I use FromJapan as my middleman/deputy site. Here's a guide how to purchase from FromJapan. You can use these keywords メガトウキョー ピカチュウ ぬいぐるみ to search on Yahoo! Japan Auctions.
メガトウキョー Mega Tokyo
ピカチュウ - Pikachu
ぬいぐるみ - plush
☆ Look at the eyes and nose! The bootleg ones have weird looking derpy eyes. Overall, look at the whole quality! If you want a nice looking plush that's the real deal do your research and make sure the seller is based in Japan! If they are selling it not from Japan, double check the pictures and compare it to the authentic pictures. As you can on the picture on the right, the angry one's eyes looks derpy compared to the real ones plus the nose looks off.
☆ I recommend buying them off Yahoo! Japan as it won't cost over $50 shipped as opposed getting it from overpriced sellers/bootlegs on eBay. and Amazon. I use FromJapan as my middleman/deputy site. Here's a guide how to purchase from FromJapan. You can use these keywords メガトウキョー ピカチュウ ぬいぐるみ to search on Yahoo! Japan Auctions.
メガトウキョー Mega Tokyo
ピカチュウ - Pikachu
ぬいぐるみ - plush
☆ However, I have noticed there's an increased amount of bootlegs on Yahoo! Japan Auctions which is a place many people buy items from Japan. You can see from the Yahoo! Japan listing of the fake bootlegs (notice the eyes?) this seller takara666666 sells many bootlegs including the unofficial X plush.
☆ Be sure to look at the pictures and check the seller's profile. Just because it's on Yahoo Japan Auctions doesn't always mean the seller in is Japan. If you're browsing on your phone scroll down and look for: 商品発送元地域 ( item location)/ on desktop/ 発送元 (shipping origin) if you see 海外 (foreign country) then the item is not located in Japan.
☆ A general rule of thumb in the collecting world... is that you don't purchase from eBay sellers located in China and Hong Kong where bootlegs are made/sold for a lot of profit...
☆ A lot of bootleg sellers use stock images with watermarks.
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When they were released, depending where people preordered/requested pick up from middlemen/deputies in Japan they paid between $32-45 USD shipped for the regular size plush. The angry, opened mouth version is more rare as it was only available for purchase at the Mega Tokyo Pokemon Center. Yes, so that's why the price is high and demand for it also make prices higher but you can find them cheaper if you do your research and are able to find one off Yahoo! Japan Auctions before they jump in price in a year or two.
The Mega Tokyo Pokemon Center opened on 12/12/2014 and celebrated with the release of the Pikazards! It was rereleased on April 25th with the high demand and there was also the 55cm Mega Pikazard!
Just make sure not to purchase the bootlegs ones! The authentic versions are definitely worth the price. They are my favorite in my collection. <3
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I personally do not like bootlegs as they are not authentic and look bad compared to the officials ones. In such cases, you see there is bad stitching such as the wrong color stitching in the eyes. The Mega Stone on the Pikazard hoodie is also sideways and you have to keep adjusting it to fix it. Definitely not good quality. It grinds my gears seeing picture on Instagram and elsewhere with bootlegs... and I wonder do people even know the difference?
Also, I don't want to support bootlegs... I want my money to go to Pokemon not the counterfeits... I don't support people ripping off artists' work and it's the same with merchandise.
As one of my Pikachu collector friend in the community said, "You might as well throw your money down the toilet."
Questions? Feel free to ask me in the contact page.
☆ Be sure to look at the pictures and check the seller's profile. Just because it's on Yahoo Japan Auctions doesn't always mean the seller in is Japan. If you're browsing on your phone scroll down and look for: 商品発送元地域 ( item location)/ on desktop/ 発送元 (shipping origin) if you see 海外 (foreign country) then the item is not located in Japan.
☆ A general rule of thumb in the collecting world... is that you don't purchase from eBay sellers located in China and Hong Kong where bootlegs are made/sold for a lot of profit...
☆ A lot of bootleg sellers use stock images with watermarks.
--
When they were released, depending where people preordered/requested pick up from middlemen/deputies in Japan they paid between $32-45 USD shipped for the regular size plush. The angry, opened mouth version is more rare as it was only available for purchase at the Mega Tokyo Pokemon Center. Yes, so that's why the price is high and demand for it also make prices higher but you can find them cheaper if you do your research and are able to find one off Yahoo! Japan Auctions before they jump in price in a year or two.
The Mega Tokyo Pokemon Center opened on 12/12/2014 and celebrated with the release of the Pikazards! It was rereleased on April 25th with the high demand and there was also the 55cm Mega Pikazard!
Just make sure not to purchase the bootlegs ones! The authentic versions are definitely worth the price. They are my favorite in my collection. <3
--
I personally do not like bootlegs as they are not authentic and look bad compared to the officials ones. In such cases, you see there is bad stitching such as the wrong color stitching in the eyes. The Mega Stone on the Pikazard hoodie is also sideways and you have to keep adjusting it to fix it. Definitely not good quality. It grinds my gears seeing picture on Instagram and elsewhere with bootlegs... and I wonder do people even know the difference?
Also, I don't want to support bootlegs... I want my money to go to Pokemon not the counterfeits... I don't support people ripping off artists' work and it's the same with merchandise.
As one of my Pikachu collector friend in the community said, "You might as well throw your money down the toilet."
Questions? Feel free to ask me in the contact page.