Pearly brushables: bootleg vs. store bought

[Baby Sugarberry]

'bootleg' simply means distributed, produced or sold illegally.

Nothing says bootleg ponies can't be exactly the same quality - unfortunately this is often the case.  They're made (for the most part) in the same factories, it's just that the Chinese contractors are selling them "on the side" without Hasbro's blessing, thus the 'bootleg' part.  bootleg and fakie are not synonyms.

[Tiara546]

Would be interesting if one of these versions has a better hair quality than the other, or if the techno heart is the only difference. Does anyone know?

[pyrodarknessanny]

there not bootlegs  there factory seconds.

[Baby Sugarberry]

there not bootlegs  there factory seconds.

So you think Hasbro has given their blessing for the Chinese factories to sell things directly to the consumer, ahead of their own release schedule, and likely not seeing any of that money go to Hasbro's bottom line ...?

[princessluna11706]

I don't mind those at all.  In fact, I'm thinking about getting me some from eBay!
I also believe they are rejects that didn't pass quality control, not fakies.

[Gingerbread]

The weird thing is I know worse flaws can exist (if hoof hearts can be missing than eyes could be missing) but even these Chinese seller ponies don't have such drastic flaws. I'm guessing those ones actually get destroyed since they probably figure nobody wants them.

Yeah...
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The bootlegs are better quality that the stuff that gets through. No wonder the manufacturers will try and sell bootlegs.

[MintySocks]

Yeah...
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The bootlegs are better quality that the stuff that gets through. No wonder the manufacturers will try and sell bootlegs.

 

[lostpony]

She's winking.

[Gingerbread]

She's winking.

 

[Carrehz]

I think the point a lot of people are trying to make is that "bootleg" is often used to mean "fake", even if they technically mean different things. It carries a negative connotation. If that makes sense.

[MintySocks]

Well the original intent of the post is kind of lost now... I was curious if people think that buying direct from China would affect a pony's future resale value. Techno-birthmark vs. none.

[Carrehz]

Well the original intent of the post is kind of lost now... I was curious if people think that buying direct from China would affect a pony's future resale value. Techno-birthmark vs. none.

I'm not good with valueing (sp?) things but I would say that I don't think it'll affect it that much, if at all, especially since as others have said, it would be easy to get the zapcode off with acetone anyway (so it'd be hard to "prove" that it's from China or not.. if that makes sense). Personally I prefer them without the zapcodes, though

[Stormness_1]

When I was at ponycon, I accidentally bought a pony that I'd already bought retail, thinking it was a different pony that I'd picked up in the end. The pony was the pearly AJ, So I've had two of the same pony to compare side-by-side, one the factory version with no heart, one being the retail version with heart. I can't post pics, as I've just packed away all of my ponies (they were taking up what is now the nursery) but if you're inclined to take my word on this, they were exactly the same quality, the absolute only difference was the hoof heart. I'm actually going to keep the one without the heart, and remove the hearts on the retail ones, they're just tacky looking on the pearlies! At Ponycon I also bought 4 others of the pearly line that had been obtained direct from China, and they were all excellent quality - I obviously checked them out before even considering buying them. So no, I'd say they're not factory rejects, just not finished off with the heart. They even have the underhoof factory batch codes, which were missing from earlier bootlegs.

*edit for baby brain*

[MintySocks]

Stormness I agree. I just got a factory Coloratura with no heart and it's exactly the same quality. Better, maybe, because she doesn't have that pesky box hair!

[Loa]

Usually, depending on country, factory workers do take samples out of the workplace to be copied.

The resulting "duplicates, fakies etc" are sold on an undermarket, and usually these are the ones that end up on eBay. The quality will always be superb, and hard to distinguish from the legitimate factories. This is so common with the clothing and accessory markets, there are Youtube videos about it. 

Why do they do this? Well, its pretty obvious, with so many people wanting to buy them as oddities etc.