Let's Talk Taobao

[lilgryphon]

So I've been wondering for a while what everyone's opinions are on Taobao. I've noticed that quite a few of us seem to shop there, but do you consider these ponies to be licensed, prototypes, or just really good counterfeits? I ask because I find the whole concept odd, someone feel free to correct me, but does anyone know exactly where these ponies are coming from?

[Bergamot]

I think many of the unusual ponies we find there typically come from the very factories that make the official Hasbro ponies. They are not straight up "counterfeit" for the most part... Stolen goods, perhaps.

Some of these are rejects because of quality, others are prototypes. There are a lot of other scenarios, too, but I think these are the most common.

[cesprins]

Consider it a direct connection to China's factories. There are so licensing laws in China so it doesn't matter if they sell things when they aren't supposed to, hence why they can sell "factory errors" and pre-release ponies not yet available in stores.

You can also get lots of stuff for cheap there at ridiculously low prices: like tights for less than a dollar.


It doesn't bother me, personally. But I could see how it could raise ethical questions.

[Chi]

I think about this a lot, actually. In my mind since I paid for it, I can somewhat justify it but at the same time I wonder. Did the seller steal it? Was it a factory reject they were sold at a cheap price because the factory deemed it unworthy of being sold as a packaged product? Did they make it themselves? Did they somehow purchase it early for a discounted price? All these questions I have a feeling will never be answered. :/

[saply]

There are too many unknowns and ethical grey areas for me to make a judgement call. All I know is that at least I'm paying the price that the seller is asking in a timely manner and doing right by them.

[lilgryphon]

I think about this a lot, actually. In my mind since I paid for it, I can somewhat justify it but at the same time I wonder. Did the seller steal it? Was it a factory reject they were sold at a cheap price because the factory deemed it unworthy of being sold as a packaged product? Did they make it themselves? Did they somehow purchase it early for a discounted price? All these questions I have a feeling will never be answered. :/

Exactly, I don't think they CAN be answered. I just think it's odd that they are so readily accepted as prototypes or factory rejects when in reality it's likely that the majority weren't licensed or authorized at all. To me they fall along side any other counterfeit....

[Taxel]

I love Taobao.
I can't afford to make orders myself, and so far I've only participated in one group order, but it was a good experience. My pony arrived with small errors, but having a pony that will never be in stores (wingless FS Dash) more than makes up for that.

Anyways, I consider them more along the lines of variants. At least that goes for the ones that are either obvious variants (wingless FS Dash, for example) or never show up in stores.

I also like the think that buying ponies off of Taobao is helping underpaid factory workers, as everything I've heard about Chinese factories has been horrifying. I don't know if that's true and obviously can't prove it, but if its true that's awesome. And if not, oh well. I'm still happy to buy Taobao ponies.

[Flitter]

Stolen goods, perhaps.
Some of these are rejects because of quality,

This is exactly why I haven't bought anything off taobao. I want the new things as much as anyone else but I want to support the toy line so hasbro and my local retailers will see that MLP is something they should keep in stores and I'm actually a little surprised at how many people do support the taobao sellers with having no idea how they are getting the product and I wouldn't want something with a quality problem.

I recently emailed hasbro about the products on taobao.
This is what they said:

Thank you for contacting Hasbro regarding My Little Pony.

Hasbro does not have any affiliation with the Taobao web site.  Therefore, I am unable to tell you how they receive the products to offer for sale or if it is okay to order from the site.  I can tell you that some products are released in other parts of the world before they are released in the United States.

Though they didn't have a definative opinion against ordering from there I still don't feel comfortable with it.

[teresat]

I also like the think that buying ponies off of Taobao is helping underpaid factory workers, as everything I've heard about Chinese factories has been horrifying. I don't know if that's true and obviously can't prove it, but if its true that's awesome. And if not, oh well. I'm still happy to buy Taobao ponies.

This is a very interesting thought. I would never really be sure how the sellers acquired the ponies unless I saw it or had a reliable source see the "evidence chain" so I cannot pass any judgements positive or negative. As far as factory conditions, well, for what we pay for products in retail establishments, I can't believe they can be good but who knows. Standards of living are different, etc.

[Taxel]

Yeah, I'm sure its probably not like that (or at least, not how I'd like to imagine it is). But eh, its a nice thought and a good thing to hope.
I've seen some bits of pretty horrific documentaries about Chinese factories. Not sure when they were made or if anything has changed, but it wasn't just a different standard of living. The workers were being taken advantage of, being severely underpaid and forced to work inhumane hours. They were forced to live in special worker housing and died by choice quite a lot (the special housing had nets installed to catch jumpers). It was sickening, and so sad.

[teresat]

Yeah, I'm sure its probably not like that (or at least, not how I'd like to imagine it is). But eh, its a nice thought and a good thing to hope.
I've seen some bits of pretty horrific documentaries about Chinese factories. Not sure when they were made or if anything has changed, but it wasn't just a different standard of living. The workers were being taken advantage of, being severely underpaid and forced to work inhumane hours. They were forced to live in special worker housing and died by choice quite a lot (the special housing had nets installed to catch jumpers). It was sickening, and so sad.

There must be some who are making a lot of money in China since so much of our products are made over there. I saw something recently on some improvements but like you I don't know when that was made.

[Scraleos]

I personally think Taobao is fine. They can get great products out early and cheap. The people selling the ponies are probably just some poor Chinese workers who can't afford a decent living.

I'm sure Hasbro won't miss mere pennies, being a multi millionaire company after all.

[saply]

I personally think Taobao is fine. They can get great products out early and cheap. The people selling the ponies are probably just some poor Chinese workers who can't afford a decent living.

I'm sure Hasbro won't miss mere pennies, being a multi millionaire company after all.

Oh god, there are probably dumpsters behind Hasbro's factory filled with hundreds of "reject" ponies...

[Aurora]

Ok, first, Saply, lets make a run to china to go dumpster diving.

Second, this reminds me of Redwing Pottery. When the Redwing factory was in full swing, the workers sometimes made pieces on their lunch hours. They're called, startlingly, Lunch Hour Pieces, and they are one-of-a-kind, fired and made in a Redwing Factory, sometimes stamped with a Redwing Stamp. These are VERY valuable now and very hard to find. I like to imagine (though I'm sure I'm wrong, but let me have my dreams!) that the taobao ponies are similar.

[Malancaiwen]

Hum ... if the money was really going to "poor underpaid chinese workers" then why not, I might as well buy the whole collection! Thing is ... it's not true! For those who use taobao, look at the seller other items, so far, the best sellers (or at least the sellers who got exclusive ponies like G4 Minty or FS Pony) are the opnes who have the best stores! They also have a wide range of "foreign" toys that would never make it to Chinese toy stores (mostly because of being too expensive for locals and not related to tv shows here, therefore not popular). My guess is that some of them got in touch with the factories and get their rejects and trials.

I really don't think about stolen ponies, like ponies taken out on purpose just to sell them for more. It's not too much in their mentality here. These are not counterfeit either, they have the usual Habsro markings under their feet.

I'm probably the only member here buying off taobao while actually understanding the website and yes you can find so many things there! wonderful clothes, accessories, shoes at like half the store price but also some imported goods like cheese and nutella, Taobao is a serious enemy of my wallet :p

Back to ponies, when in France I'll happily buy ponies from stores to show Hasbro that people love their toys but at the same time I'll grab any occasion I can to get some weird ponies like wingless FS RD or some color trial ponies off Taobao