Varan 1958 wrote:Also Kaiju No Mura, a couple pages ago, you said those Godzilla and Mothra statues were recasts. Do you have any advice to distinguish the difference between a recast and the real deal?
Ebayer sellers from China, Taiwan, Phillipines, and Mexico should bring up a red flag. The 3 asian countries I mention have easier access to purchase authentic kits to bootleg and can attend the major kit shows in Japan like Wonder Festival. That's why you see alot from those countries offering kits for sale, not just kaiju but also alot of anime figures. Next is to basically look at the prices and quantity they have in stock. If the quantity is more than 1 than that should bring up a red flag. If the prices are low around $100 and below for a unpainted kit that should bring up another red flag. Original kits are very limited to production runs, so them having like 2-5 in stock is impossible. Also original resin kits are very expensive around $200-$400. Also the seller not providing the name of the kit maker is fishy. Or sellers sending you the kit pieces in zip lock bags with a plain box is another way to know it's bootleg. Also being familar with alot of the actual kit makers out there and knowing what they have produced is helpful.
If in doubt just ask a board member here on TK to identify the auction.