Bootleg guide: spot the original

“Is this bootleg?” is the #1 question among figure collectors — and nobody answers it per figure. Here's how a serious collector checks a Tomy/MonColle, step by step.

⚡60-second check

1. 1
   Flip the figure

   Check the base stamp: ©任天堂 + TOMY + MADE IN CHINA (90s run: “CGTSJ”; later run: “©Nintendo/Pokémon 2004”). Blurry, incomplete or missing = red flag.

2. 2
   Find the seam

   The strongest tell: genuine Tomy is two glued halves → visible seam. A bootleg is re-cast from a finished figure → faint or missing seam.

3. 3
   Check the paint

   Original: clean, crisp application. Bootleg: bleeding paint, off tones, wonky eyes. XY era is deliberately MATTE — too glossy = suspect.

4. 4
   Size, weight & smell

   Fakes are often “shrunk” (slightly smaller), feel lighter/hollow and smell of raw PVC.

5. 5
   Never trust one sign alone

   Some bootlegs CARRY a fake Tomy stamp (Magmar, Nidorino). Always combine: stamp + seam + paint. For pricey pieces, demand photos of the base and blister.

🔍The full guide (Tomy/MonColle)

Each point is marked by confidence: ✓ confirmed (sourced) vs collector guidance.

• Base stamp✓ confirmed

  The original is stamped on the base with ©任天堂 (Nintendo) + TOMY + “MADE IN CHINA”. 90s run: “CGTSJ” mark. Later run: “©Nintendo/Pokémon 2004”. A bootleg usually has a blurry, misspelled, incomplete or missing stamp.

• Seam test (strongest tell)✓ confirmed

  The most reliable indicator: genuine Tomy is two glued mold halves → it has a visible seam. A bootleg is re-cast from a finished figure → the seam comes out faint or gone. Fakes are also often “shrunk” (a bit smaller) and smell of raw PVC.

• Injection point

  Genuine Tomy has a clean injection point in a consistent spot (usually under the base/foot). Bootlegs often show flashing, a misplaced point, or multiple unpolished mold marks.

• Paint✓ confirmed

  Original has clean, crisp application (sometimes airbrushed). Bootlegs tend to have bleeding paint, off-color tones (偏色), flash and badly painted eyes. Watch the GLOSS: XY-era MonColle are deliberately MATTE (艶消し) — a piece from that era that’s too glossy is a suspected fake.

• Plastic & weight

  Originals use firm, consistent PVC. Bootlegs often feel lighter/hollow or, conversely, heavier and brittle, sometimes with cheap translucent plastic.

• Auldey (NOT a bootleg)✓ confirmed

  Confirmed: “Auldey” (奥迪) is an OFFICIAL Tomy license — in 1998 Tomy licensed Guangdong Auldey to make Pokémon figures in China. NOT a bootleg. Told apart by the DOUBLE logo 奥迪+TOMY molded in, sometimes a 羚邦/Medialink stamp, and slightly different details (eyes, toes).

• Barcode & embossed stamp✓ confirmed

  On the box: a barcode starting 45/49 is Japan (legit); starting 10 is a suspected fake. Genuine has a “TOMY” engraving + embossed seal (钢印/刻印) on the base; Japanese collectors date vintage pieces by the YEAR molded into the base (1997 / 2004).

• Heavily-faked species✓ confirmed

  Extra caution with: Ditto, Nidoqueen, Nidorino, Gastly, Magmar, Kingdra, Mantine, Swinub, Corsola, Crobat — the most bootlegged. Worse: Magmar and Nidorino fakes CARRY a fake Tomy stamp, so the stamp alone isn’t proof — combine it with the seam test + paint.

• Sealed vs opened

  Condition drives value: a SEALED piece in its original blister/box is worth far more than a loose one — and for grails the gap is huge (e.g. sealed Gold Magikarp ~$1,100 vs ~$440 loose). For rare pieces, an intact blister is part of authentication (beware re-sealed ones).