How to eBay for /toy/s

So you want to buy /toy/s on eBay, faggot? But you don't know if it's a bootleg? Here's how to avoid giving the yellow your hard-earned green. Watch out for:

1)CHINA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDrfE9I8_hs If the seller is from China (or some other fishy shit like Taiwan), it's a bootleg. There is no exception. It literally is always a bootleg. Long explanation short, for a Chinese company to sell the genuine product overseas, they'll essentially only lose money by doing so thanks to the tax. The only logical solution in which they'll MAKE money is by selling bootlegs overseas. So don't buy from China.

2)The easiest route for knowing the difference between a specific figure and its bootleg is youtube. If you google "_______ Figma/Nendoroid Bootleg comparison" there's a decent chance you'll find a video where someone has a side by side comparison of the full box and figure. There are usually at least some small differences in the boxes and definitely ALWAYS ugly paint/shape/piece differences on the figure that are dead giveaways. You can use that as a reference for the picture you see on the internet shops, or even irl (who does that anyways though). In the case that there is no such video, you can do some comparing yourself buy googling a video or high quality image of the legitimate product in-box and compare what you see to the eBay image. If there's ANYTHING that feels off, it's a bootleg. These figures are made to be perfect to a T. They should not differ even slightly. Although this may not always help, because...

3)You need to watch out for items using stock photos. If you find several items using the same stock photos over and over and nothing else, it's guaranteed a bootleg. All this means is they're hiding the product, as you'll usually also see in the description that the "product may differ from image." This point also tends to go hand in hand with step #1, because you may also find that it says...
3.5) CHINESE VERSION. https://youtu.be/mGlCGMm8Qag?t=3m53s Look out in the description for that phrase, which translates to "bootleg." An even more hidden way these slimy fuckers get around this is to only put "China" under the region manufactured. No matter the situation, you should always check this area anyways. Like, it's the second thing you look at after looking at where it's shipping from.

4) Check for an authenticity sticker when there should be one. For example, all Nintendo Nendoroids and Figmas have a white square or white/shiny silver oval authenticity sticker saying "Official Nintendo Licensed Product." No sticker, don't buy it. Some rare times, there are even fake stickers, so make sure it says what it should and looks the way it does on other legitimate boxes when you google up a picture.

5) Price too good to be true. Sorry to say, but if it's a brand-spanking-new figure in the box valued at $50, you're not going to just buy it for $20 for no legitimate reason. You get what you pay for––– that goes both ways. Now no logical person wants to spend full price unless they have to, and you don't always have to. Of course you can shop around other sites like Ami Ami and Mandarake, but you're obviously here because you're determined to shop on eBay, so I'll show you how.


So I'm looking for a legit figure for cheap, what should I look for?

A. It has personal pictures. This guy took his own pictures of the product, hopefully several. (If you need more, you can contact the seller and normally they'll be happy to comply.) On rarer occasions, people will still have self-taken pictures when selling a bootleg, but all that does now is give you solid evidence that it's a bootleg. Because now, step #2 will help you get your comparison game on. After studying the video, you'll be able to tell the bootleg from the real deal ezpz.
B. The seller is from anywhere in America. It's pretty rare you'll see a bootleg being sold from an American seller, but sometimes idiots get the yellow fever and buy a bootleg blindly. Then out of buyer's remorse, they will attempt to resell it on eBay as sneakily as possible (maybe leaving no trace that it's a bootleg other than the item picture), so go through your steps to verify it.
C. There's a reason WHY it's cheap. Face it, almost nobody is going to sell a brand new, in-box figure for less than full price unless there's a reason. Your best bets on getting a deal are in the cases of it being used, having a damaged box, missing a piece, or it has some kind of a visible defect on the paint, some stupid finicky shit like that. Or simply because it's up for bidding and magically no one else bids over your cheap starting bid. *BUT* this point isn't always necessary. If everything else right now is matching up right except this point, you're most likely dealing with an authentic product. Sometimes people sell shit at a discounted price for reasons beyond logical comprehension. I bought a legit ALBW DX Figma brand new for $35 and still don't know how. Maybe it's haunted or a crazy ex girlfriend is getting revenge, but either way, your wallet doesn't need to know.

I think that about does it. I'll edit if I gain any new insights or recommendations. If you need to contact me or are struggling to figure out whether or not you're dealing with a bootleg after all of these points, you're probably retarded.
But in the case that you are retarded, my email is [email protected] and I'll humor you if I happen to be free and bored.