RetroRewindToys wrote:

& here you go...the sale begins

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Vintage-Star-Wars-White-Stormtrooper-Army-Trooper-Builder-Set-/160712479186?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item256b35d1d2#ht_1406wt_1270

I reported the item on eBay (it's a option on the page, report as counterfeit) & you should also!

& Tiefighterboy I totally agree with what you said.

I also reported the items. Strength in numbers, we can get this shit off eBay.

THESE EVEN HAVE REGULAR HK COO???

ARE YOU F++++ING KIDDING ME???

Report send: "These are illegal copies of a copyright protected action figure from 1977. Copied with LFL trademark!!"

This is so sad :crying:

I have been writing to Hasbro today about this. I hope they can and will stop this.

Maybe I hear from them monday. They are closed sunday.

I will also never buy from this seller on ebay, never.

This is possibly the way to determine these weapons:

wow, already on ebay, and what other sites, there is a huge amount of auction websites now, whatever the guy does not sell on ebay will be sold on another less strict website. Kinda glad i got at least 2 real stormie now. But the army builders are gonna be deceived down the road. No matter what you do these will trickle in the system. look at the repro weapons. I am sure people blew a fuse when they came out but nowadays people will let them slip by with a figure purchase. I know i did. But i hope the vintage market does not go as far as reproducing full vintage figures... some could easily be reproduced. like the ones with one major color, Jedi luke comes to mind... he's all black expect his hand and head...if the guy was able to reproduce a stormie i am sure he can reproduce a jedi knight luke.

But a full figure, wow. We need to find a way to make this figure easily identifiable so if we buy one from a star wars vendor we know what questions to ask to make sure it is pure vintage and not that repro crap....

BTW that auction is still up. i guess no action has been taken yet.


peace!

I knew it wouldnt be long before they popped up for sale on Ebay since he wasnt able to sell them on RS. I just sent my report item in myself. Wish they would let you make a better statement besides 40 fucking characters. I had a nice statement to write too. Anybody post the link on RS yet so the community over there can see what an asshole Mark really is?

Hasbro- would not probably care
I would Suggest you contact Lucasfilm Perhaps starting with Steve Sansweet. - After all it is their license.
This may have repercussions on all Bootleg / reproduction items- Repros weapons 12" like that of Ebay seller Biofatty oterh repro bits. and weapons maybe to polish and mexican boots from the 80's and ? etc. ??
I agree it should , and is illegal, to sell licensed products- ore reproduce a licensed product-

But filing complaints- may expand , perhaps to any unlicensed part or item. customized from an original.
that would include
fake weapons
repro parts
copied figures.
re-molded items
many older bootleg items from Kenner Molds

I guess i'm asking - ? is it good to put all these other items underground- or have them present we as collectors know what to look for?

Neonboy wrote:

Hasbro- would not probably care
I would Suggest you contact Lucasfilm Perhaps starting with Steve Sansweet. - After all it is their license.
This may have repercussions on all Bootleg / reproduction items- Repros weapons 12" like that of Ebay seller Biofatty oterh repro bits. and weapons maybe to polish and mexican boots from the 80's and ? etc. ??
I agree it should , and is illegal, to sell licensed products- ore reproduce a licensed product-

But filing complaints- may expand , perhaps to any unlicensed part or item. customized from an original.
that would include
fake weapons
repro parts
copied figures.
re-molded items
many older bootleg items from Kenner Molds

I guess i'm asking - ? is it good to put all these other items underground- or have them present we as collectors know what to look for?

mmmm, didn't Steve leave Lucasfilm a bit ago?



here is the ebay link to report the toy, hope it is the right one.



counterfeit html

Yhea Sansweet left LFL not long ago from what I remember reading.

Neonboy, out of curiousity, why do you keep lumping these custom pieces in with bootlegs? Marks stuff IS NOT bootlegs, plain and simple. And if Marks stuff does go up to LFL, it wont affect things that has been out there for over 20 years already. Repros was made to replace original weapons that was lost for those who didnt want to spend the cash for the originals. Customs are, suppose to be anyway, a concept of figures that wasnt released for a persons own enjoyment and collection. Bootlegs are toys and other Star Wars collectibles that were made primarily in countries where Star Wars was not commercially released in theaters. Bootlegs have more of a place in the collecting community compared to repros and customs. Didn't you get the same response over on RS about this in a thread over there? I think I remember seeing something like that. So if you could, explain your reason of why you lump bootlegs in with customs and repros, since bootlegs are in a class of their own compared to repros and customs that are made to look like the original. Besides, most bootlegs are smaller compared to the originals, unarts anyway, so it wouldnt be hard to tell them apart.

I just reported them as well. This is wrong on so many levels. I was kinda on the fence over his Rocket Fetts. I was sorta ok with them because anyone with even five minutes in the hobby would know they are repros. Then I spotted his cardback kits just before Wolff posted this thread here. Those I was not happy to see. And then this was posted. Way over the line in my book.

And Chris there's no need for language like that. Calling Mark an ASSHOLE is an insult to assholes everywhere. Being an asshole is an artform we work for years to perfect.

We should pool some money and buy four of these things and then come up with four really creative ways to destroy them. Just to blow off steam. Have a raffle. Most creative idea wins a Stormie and they do the deed and film it for the rest of us. hehehe

Good idea Paul, but Im not supporting that prick with my $35.

Damn!!! I didn't even look at the price. I just glanced at the things and went right to the report page. Fuck that. For 35 bucks I can buy a poopload of comics.

He's already sold 4 of them.

I bet three out of those four buyers don't realize they are fakes.

kisstour03 wrote:

We should pool some money and buy four of these things and then come up with four really creative ways to destroy them. Just to blow off steam. Have a raffle. Most creative idea wins a Stormie and they do the deed and film it for the rest of us. hehehe

I was thinking along the same lines but instead of destroying them 1st maybe document the differences between them and the real vintage so we can make collectors aware , then you can have your fun

Chris_J wrote:

Yhea Sansweet left LFL not long ago from what I remember reading.
glad to know. --- Still a good person to star with..
next..


Because they are all bootlegs. with the exception of customized figures.
A definition:
boot·leg
   /ˈbutˌlɛg/ Show Spelled [boot-leg] Show IPA noun, verb, -legged, -leg·ging, adjective
noun
1.
alcoholic liquor unlawfully made, sold, or transported, without registration or payment of taxes.
2.
the part of a boot that covers the leg.
3.
something, as a recording, made, reproduced, or sold illegally or without authorization: a flurry of bootlegs to cash in on the rock star's death.

Take a look at how Posters, for example. are classified- any reproduction is considered a bootleg.
they to have the Lucasfilm license etc.. They are fakes. they are reproductions, They are bootlegs.
this is all the same thing AS long as we are referring to a licensed product.
I guess it is how prefer to classify the category.
repro's are also bootlegs of a licensed product. In the old 12" Gi Joe Market, Cotswald received A license from Hasbro
to reproduce the vintage toy parts. But they are marked accordingly.
THere were other manu. on the 60's and 70's making fake objects and knock off bits. similar the the vintage items- but of sub-standard quality.

When I see a manu. getting permission to reproduce the Vintage SW parts I will then classify them as reproduction
parts.
for now to me they are bootleg objects as long as permission is not granted or received.



Neonboy, out of curiousity, why do you keep lumping these custom pieces in with bootlegs? Marks stuff IS NOT bootlegs, plain and simple. And if Marks stuff does go up to LFL, it wont affect things that has been out there for over 20 years already. Repros was made to replace original weapons that was lost for those who didn't want to spend the cash for the originals. Customs are, suppose to be anyway, a concept of figures that wasn't released for a persons own enjoyment and collection. Bootlegs are toys and other Star Wars collectibles that were made primarily in countries where Star Wars was not commercially released in theaters. Bootlegs have more of a place in the collecting community compared to repros and customs. Didn't you get the same response over on RS about this in a thread over there? I think I remember seeing something like that. So if you could, explain your reason of why you lump bootlegs in with customs and repros, since bootlegs are in a class of their own compared to repros and customs that are made to look like the original. Besides, most bootlegs are smaller compared to the originals, unarts anyway, so it wouldn' be hard to tell them apart.

BTW any links on 12" Kenner variant info - I am adding this info to my i pad field guide.

Been alot easier to read that if you didnt put it in the quote. I was wondering when I said all of that.

All in all I still wouldnt classify them as bootlegs. Bootlegs are confusing enough to understand without adding something entirely different to it. Call them what they are, customs and repros. Because when it comes to reproductions, its just that, and reproduction (fake) of the original. The same thing with Marks Stormies, a custom reproduction of the original. And as for bootlegs, I covered that before. Those are so far off from the originals, you cant help but tell what they are. Plus they are made entirely different from the original figures, as in different limbs, unarticulated and smaller in size, compared to what Mark is making now.

Stormtroopers have rubbery limbs. So unless they are as rubbery as cooked spaghetti, who the hell will know the difference. I guess If someone is reselling these and the buyer feels the figure is too good to be true...it probably is. He acts like he is based out of the states, but I think he is actually based in China. This is were he can contract or possibly owns Plastics companies and other packaging companies to do his work. They care less about being sued over there.

Marks out of Singapore, but I think he has a buddy over here who deals for him. Speederracer on RS. If its not a friend then he does like some others do, have a residence here also.

Gorneesh wrote:

kisstour03 wrote:

We should pool some money and buy four of these things and then come up with four really creative ways to destroy them. Just to blow off steam. Have a raffle. Most creative idea wins a Stormie and they do the deed and film it for the rest of us. hehehe

I was thinking along the same lines but instead of destroying them 1st maybe document the differences between them and the real vintage so we can make collectors aware , then you can have your fun

Great ideas guys. I hate the thought of giving this guy even one penny, but I'm going to buy a set. I'll take pics and post them here so that people will know what to watch for.

Then I'll find some C4 and blow them away.

I agree, they do need to be documented so everybody, new and old, can see what details are in it. Like a couple have said already, makes me second guess if I want to get back into production figures or not with things like this. If things like this are going to become the norm now, Ill stick with my comics.

I hate to sound like one of those guys who gets discouraged. But more and more crap like this makes me glad that I focus more on bootlegs. And nobody gives a crap enough about IG-88 to make a repro figure of him .

I was going to say that about bootlegs, but dont forget, they are fake reproductions and customs of the real thing too. Even if they were produce in a factory compared to someones garage. Well, the Polish, Uzay, MT's, Hungarian, Russian, and most Mexis anyway.

not an expert but if i compare the fakes with the real deal , you can see that the waist ammo belt seems wrong, it looks uneven and tapers from the back to the front while it seems to be equal all in size all around the originals. But then again looking at lando's locker it seems that one is the same way though. ah well that is a start at least.

maybe that would help identify the fakes.

BTW he has sold 5 now.

Chris_J wrote:

I was going to say that about bootlegs, but dont forget, they are fake reproductions and customs of the real thing too. Even if they were produce in a factory compared to someones garage. Well, the Polish, Uzay, MT's, Hungarian, Russian, and most Mexis anyway.

we should buy tons of them and pay with fake 20$, we would then see if he would appreciate that.