[SpaceBunny11]

Hi guys, I know Play Arts Kai figures are not 1/6 scale but I would be really appreciate if someone can help me identify the differences between bootleg & an official one. I did some Google search but most of the information is out of date & the market is overwhelmed with bootlegs :dizzy (Here is one that I found Angels and Summer: Play Arts Kai Bootlegs : Guide to Serial Numbers). I'm getting Marcus Fenix from Gears of War and Cindy Aurum from FFXV as my last PAK figures and would hate to get 2 fake ones.

I normally shop with BBTS but they refused to replace my HT Jedha Stormtrooper with "defects are expected", was very disappointed. Recently ordered one from Amazon with "Ships from & sold by Amazon" so fingers crossed.

 

[raiderroy]

If it's less than one thousand dollars it's fake!!!! Seriously play arts has been charging hot toy prices for Hasbro - like figures minimal accessories and frozen joints that make you pucker when you try to move them. I personally pass on them nowadays,last one I bought was iron man .

 

[SpaceBunny11]

If it's less than one thousand dollars it's fake!!!! Seriously play arts has been charging hot toy prices for Hasbro - like figures minimal accessories and frozen joints that make you pucker when you try to move them. I personally pass on them nowadays,last one I bought was iron man .

True, that's why these 2 are going to be my last PAK figures. Not just because of the price but also the quality control issues. Same thing for HT though, their Stormtrooper variants from Rogue One has lots of issues, out of the 4 I had, 2 of them arrived with defects. I will only buy from Sideshow from now on because it's easier to ask for a replacement.

 

[CobraTrooper11]

so is this like HT? cause well know HT has created the market due to their buisness model and the demand of collectors for HT products. if they mass marketed their figs...the bootleg market would die, but ht doesn't seem to be that interested in protetcing their figures that way, cause we all know they can. they kinda have no choice if copyright laws are what they are said to be in china. that said i once or twice i considered pak figs, but i kinda knew they were not worth it. it's like the 3 pack prices Hasbro started charging. no way am i paying 20 for 3 25th style figures with inferior weapons. besides which i have many 1/6 wants and a few 1/50 (corgi) wants. and i still like to get the occasional matchbox, and video game so theres no room in my budget for overpriced crap.

 

[SpaceBunny11]

so is this like HT? cause well know HT has created the market due to their buisness model and the demand of collectors for HT products. if they mass marketed their figs...the bootleg market would die, but ht doesn't seem to be that interested in protetcing their figures that way, cause we all know they can. they kinda have no choice if copyright laws are what they are said to be in china. that said i once or twice i considered pak figs, but i kinda knew they were not worth it. it's like the 3 pack prices Hasbro started charging. no way am i paying 20 for 3 25th style figures with inferior weapons. besides which i have many 1/6 wants and a few 1/50 (corgi) wants. and i still like to get the occasional matchbox, and video game so theres no room in my budget for overpriced crap.

When I said "same thing for HT" I meant HT quality control not HT bootleg. And to be more specific, I only speak for my experience with the recently released Rogue One Stormtrooper variants, I have all 4 variants and 2 of them have issues right out of the box, I'd say all 4 but the other was just minor paint scratch. Which suck either ways cus they're like $220 plus shipping for each figure. Except the 2 pack, it was $370.

 

[tofanpw]

The best way is to PO them from a trusted seller, or sites like AmiAmi, Hobby Search & Hobby Link Japan. There're no way of knowing if it's a bootleg until the figure's in your hand; grab review pictures of the original stuff from google & compare it. Bootlegs will always have clearly inferior face paint. Some unpopular figure, like FFXII's Fran doesn't seem to have bootlegs, so it's safe to buy cheaply from AliExpress(just know that you'll get factory rejects though, so expect some paint slops). What irks me about PAKs is SquareEnix' monopoly of their intellectual properties & unreliable scaling.

 

[Spidey2017]

Agreed, best signs are the price and buying from a trusted/licensed seller. Other ways to tell are small differences, like the height, PAK tend to be about a cm taller and their paint is just brighter and the colors more vibrant. Knockoffs are just a bit off here and there, the accessories usually don't fit and sometimes arrive broken or with no box. Most of the time the knockoffs advertise the actual PAK pictures, so you can't tell from an Ebay listing, other than that they are shipping from China, say unbranded, or no box, and are 1/4 the price of a brand new PAK.

Agreed, PAK are way over-priced, but they are not crap. I enjoy their art and interpretation of the different themed figures they produce. But $170 for a PAK versus $100 for a Medicom is a huge no brainer. MEDICOM FT-EASY-W!!!