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CancelFraud Alert - Counterfeit Sideshow Product
August 27, 2008Filed under: Ministry of Information / Customer Service
At Sideshow Collectibles, we take great pride in our work and strive for the best in design, sculpture, paint, casting, and quality. We work hard to provide true limited edition product, and do so in partnership with our licensors, who trust Sideshow to maintain the quality of their brands.
We are often impressed by customizers and artists who enhance their collections with their own sculptures, artwork, kit-bashes, and customs. The work is original and skilled, and we are humbled by the enthusiasm and talent of these creative individuals.
Unfortunately, there are others who seek to profit from unauthorized reproductions of real Sideshow products, creating counterfeit statues and dioramas. These are not creative or talented people - these are individuals who seek to take advantage of the talents of others through the unscrupulous recasting of real products. Sometimes, these recasters are bold enough to state that they are selling a reproduction, but more often, they choose to mislead and even outright lie about their products, claiming that they are selling a real Sideshow item.
Please join us in our efforts to stop these recasters and counterfeiters. You can protect yourself and the collector community in several ways:
Educate Yourself - learn how to spot a fake »
Don't Buy from Recasters and Counterfeiters »
Report Fraudulent eBay® Auctions »
1. Educate Yourself - Learn How to Spot a Fake
We are currently aware of recasts and counterfeits of the following Sideshow products:
Iron Man Comiquette - Original Red & Gold Version
Hulk VS Spider-Man Diorama
Predator Life-Size Bust
Most recasts are shipped from Hong Kong, China, or Taiwan. If the seller is located in this region, double check the product listing and details!
The counterfeit products are almost always visibly different from real product and suffer from inferior workmanship. When compared with the real product, the casting quality is 'soft' (there is less detail, especially in areas with lots of surface texture) and paint quality usually suffers (color may be 'off,' areas that should be matte finish are glossy). If you compare the real product side-by-side with the counterfeit, the counterfeit piece will almost always be smaller. In some cases, you'll need a trained eye to spot a fake. Luckily, there are 'experts' available to help...
Use the forums - there is a wealth of information about recasts and forgeries available on SideshowCollectors.com. Don't be afraid to ask your fellow collectors to help you discern between real and fake.
2. Don't Buy from Recasters or Counterfeiters
Supporting the activities of recasters and counterfeiters is harmful to the hobby and the industry. We heartily support the sale and trade of Sideshow product through our authorized retailers, through the forums and message boards, and through secondary market venues such as eBay. Please help us maintain the integrity of the collectible marketplace by keeping forgeries out of circulation.
The following sellers are known recasters or resellers of counterfeit merchandise - please do not buy from these sellers:
email:
[email protected]
email:
[email protected]
This hotmail account is tied to a person named Kevin Yang, aka GK Studios
ebay: prototype21
ebay: tintoy6978
ebay: stonetrolls
ebay: ameninsky
If you have contact information for any such sellers or recasters, please e-mail the information to
[email protected]
3. Report Fraudulent eBay Auctions
If you have an eBay account, you can help us to police the activities of recasters and counterfeiters attempting to sell on eBay. Anytime you locate an eBay auction for a counterfeit item, follow the instructions below to report the item to eBay.
On the eBay auction page, please look for a link at the bottom of the page titled "Report This Item"
Under Reason for Report, choose "Counterfeits and Copyright Violations"
Under Detailed Reason, choose "Potential Trademark Infringement"
A new drop menu will open called "Additional Information" - please choose "Other Replica or Counterfeit Items"
Click "Continue"
eBay may prompt you to login to your account. You will be taken to a page titled 'File a Report'
eBay will auto-fill the auction item number into the "Item Number(s)" field
Optional - you can enter information in the "Brief Description" field. We suggest to input 'This is an unauthorized and unlicensed reproduction of a Sideshow Collectibles product.'
Click "Send Report"
Smash all recasts! 
