Knock Off Dinobots Slag and Sludge on the Way
Monday, July 30th, 2007 6:45PM CDT
Category: Toy NewsPosted by: Hotrod Views: 18,957
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Posted by darkassailant888 on July 30th, 2007 @ 6:57pm CDT
Posted by DREWCIFER on July 30th, 2007 @ 6:58pm CDT
I don't know but with paitence, one would be able to find the origs. eventually.
Posted by Zeds on July 30th, 2007 @ 6:59pm CDT
Posted by Zeds on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:00pm CDT
DJDrew&ScoobyDoo wrote:What kind of quality will they be? Did anyone get the KO Swoop? Was it any good? I saw auctions going for $90+. Is it really worth that? Would these be worth that?
I don't know but with paitence, one would be able to find the origs. eventually.
It is alright. Better kept displayed MISB. One rocket attachment never properly fit into the wing. The chrome was not well applied and some joints were loose. Well done KO though. Could fool the novice. Price have since dropped to around $50-70 US.
Posted by Hotrod on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:05pm CDT
Posted by Zeds on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:07pm CDT
Hotrod wrote:On one hand I like the service of some of the KO's but it is making it harder and harder to tell what is real and what is a KO as these guys get better at.
I totally agree. At least with the G1 OP KO you could tell from the box that it was a KO with that aweful fold line on the back. With the more recent ones I would have to say that the marketplace may need to go the way of the AFA'ed figures that have had the proper inspections done to them. Trouble is that even they might get fooled since they are getting better at it.
Posted by Megatron Wolf on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:08pm CDT
Posted by twee on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:10pm CDT
Posted by MegatronBomb on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:13pm CDT
Posted by Zeds on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:18pm CDT
Bjjer wrote:I just bought a TRU reissue OP for 98.00 on ebay and ive seen the newer KO sell for more than I paid for a real one. I wonder if these people know they are fake.
This is my point exactly. I recently corresponded with a nwebie eBay seller who was trying to sell the G1 KO OP on eBay as the real deal. I PM'ed her and explained that it was a KO and she said she knew that and that she was just trying to get her money back as someone else sold it to her in the same manner. Sad state of affairs when honest people are taken advantage of by these releases. It really clouds the marketplace as well.
This is why I only buy G1 MISB CANADIAN TFs as they have not been KO'ed and they can be trusted.
Posted by Hyper-Chicken on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:19pm CDT
Posted by Liege Evilmus on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:51pm CDT
But these look dam good, and I wouldn't mind sendeng them as avatars to The Front.
And even if I didn't have the DinoBots already, if the cost is right, I'd get them as filler till I got something official.
Hasbro has just been ripping us off with repaints and Takara is alot to import. On that note, if you collect to resell, these may not be for you.
But if you collect to enjoy, I can see these being worthwhile!
Posted by Gutter Bunny on July 30th, 2007 @ 7:55pm CDT
Posted by Burn on July 30th, 2007 @ 8:10pm CDT
Posted by tech348 on July 30th, 2007 @ 8:36pm CDT
Posted by Blozor on July 30th, 2007 @ 8:39pm CDT
Posted by Seibertron on July 30th, 2007 @ 8:44pm CDT
This is the same factory that is putting out all of the G1 reproduction stickers that are being passed off as the legit thing. Some of the stickers are great, some of them are not.
Buyer beward indeed.
I have several sources via eBay that have told me basically the same story about where the reproduction stickers and "knock off" Transformers are coming from. I've heard it enough times from various people and seen the absence of these same products as reissues (minus Laserbeak and Buzzsaw) that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.
Posted by Senor Hugo on July 30th, 2007 @ 8:45pm CDT
Posted by Gutter Bunny on July 30th, 2007 @ 9:09pm CDT
Seibertron wrote:It is my understanding from what I've been told by some sources that while these are what we would consider to be knock offs, the stickers, the paperwork, the boxes and the figures are coming from a huge factory in China that was recently purchased. The reason Hasbro and Takara couldn't make reissues of this stuff was because it was long lost at a factory that had been closed down or sold off long ago. With the recent purchase of this factory, all of this stuff was recently rediscovered, hence why there's a surge of the exact products that Hasbro and Takara claim were lost.
This is the same factory that is putting out all of the G1 reproduction stickers that are being passed off as the legit thing. Some of the stickers are great, some of them are not.
Buyer beward indeed.
I have several sources via eBay that have told me basically the same story about where the reproduction stickers and "knock off" Transformers are coming from. I've heard it enough times from various people and seen the absence of these same products as reissues (minus Laserbeak and Buzzsaw) that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.
eh, people didnt believe me when i said this when the swoop ko emerged...maybe you will have better luck.
Posted by Chaoslock on July 30th, 2007 @ 9:21pm CDT
I like KOs that are scaled up or down (1/2 Fortress Maximus, 2x Topspin,...), or in funky colors (like the disco Nautilator) they are actually funny, but exact KOs, made so, that they can be misused in wrong hands to fool customers, are simply wrong, and if I were in Hasbro/Takaras place, I would hunt the chinese idiots down.
Posted by Ultra Markus on July 30th, 2007 @ 9:32pm CDT
or are these KO makers also giving them the metal pieces?
Posted by Ninja Sixshot on July 30th, 2007 @ 9:57pm CDT
Posted by Zeds on July 30th, 2007 @ 10:32pm CDT
Senor Hugo wrote:I'm so glad I have the original G1 Dinobots.
Here too. Thank God.
Posted by Zeds on July 30th, 2007 @ 10:33pm CDT
Seibertron wrote:It is my understanding from what I've been told by some sources that while these are what we would consider to be knock offs, the stickers, the paperwork, the boxes and the figures are coming from a huge factory in China that was recently purchased. The reason Hasbro and Takara couldn't make reissues of this stuff was because it was long lost at a factory that had been closed down or sold off long ago. With the recent purchase of this factory, all of this stuff was recently rediscovered, hence why there's a surge of the exact products that Hasbro and Takara claim were lost.
This is the same factory that is putting out all of the G1 reproduction stickers that are being passed off as the legit thing. Some of the stickers are great, some of them are not.
Buyer beward indeed.
I have several sources via eBay that have told me basically the same story about where the reproduction stickers and "knock off" Transformers are coming from. I've heard it enough times from various people and seen the absence of these same products as reissues (minus Laserbeak and Buzzsaw) that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.
Totally interesting story. This must have been that factory that did all those Classic TFs from the 90s in gold packaging I guess. All the original G1s were made in Japan as it states on the original figures.
Posted by Pierrimus on July 31st, 2007 @ 2:52am CDT
Posted by Psychout on July 31st, 2007 @ 10:32am CDT
They deserve to have their profits cut by KO's for such stupidity.
Posted by UltraPrimal on July 31st, 2007 @ 10:43am CDT
Posted by DREWCIFER on July 31st, 2007 @ 1:00pm CDT
I like KOs that are scaled up or down (1/2 Fortress Maximus, 2x Topspin,...), or in funky colors (like the disco Nautilator) they are actually funny, but exact KOs, made so, that they can be misused in wrong hands to fool customers, are simply wrong, and if I were in Hasbro/Takaras place, I would hunt the chinese idiots down.
I agree. Funky coloured KO's are great fun. I have only bought KO's marketed as KO's. Anything else is underhanded. however, I know this goes on.
UltraPrimal says
Why can't Hasbro just sue these guys and get the molds back?
It's friggin' China. Their court would never hold up any of our laws. These big companies Hasbro/Tak, or anybody else for that matter, know this. It was a risk they were willing to take.
I agree that if they reverse engineered or whatever, Hasbro would make a profit. However, it would be small. The money is in new figs that can be mass produced by the millions, not the thousands.
Posted by waaaaghlord on July 31st, 2007 @ 1:23pm CDT
Seibertron wrote:It is my understanding from what I've been told by some sources that while these are what we would consider to be knock offs, the stickers, the paperwork, the boxes and the figures are coming from a huge factory in China that was recently purchased. The reason Hasbro and Takara couldn't make reissues of this stuff was because it was long lost at a factory that had been closed down or sold off long ago. With the recent purchase of this factory, all of this stuff was recently rediscovered, hence why there's a surge of the exact products that Hasbro and Takara claim were lost.
This is the same factory that is putting out all of the G1 reproduction stickers that are being passed off as the legit thing. Some of the stickers are great, some of them are not.
Buyer beward indeed.
I have several sources via eBay that have told me basically the same story about where the reproduction stickers and "knock off" Transformers are coming from. I've heard it enough times from various people and seen the absence of these same products as reissues (minus Laserbeak and Buzzsaw) that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.
If this is indeed the case and these are being created from the original moulds then technically doesn't that make them unlicensed reissues as opposed to KOs par se. I know it's a very fine line.
I'd be interested in a Swoop in Diaclone colours (did this ever see it's way onto the market or was that just rumoured?) and I'd probably base the decision of whether or not to buy any more based off how I found that one quality wise. As far as Swoop goes getting a blue KO version would certainly be a whole lot cheaper than finding an original Diaclone in good condition. Of course if the HasTak position on the Dinos was ever to change (reverse engineering or mould recovery, I know neither is exactly likely) then you could practically guarantee that there would be an e-hobby Diaclone Swoop released.
Posted by Powermaster Jazz on July 31st, 2007 @ 1:55pm CDT
Posted by jgilkinson on August 2nd, 2007 @ 6:43pm CDT
Posted by JBrock on August 2nd, 2007 @ 11:06pm CDT