Bootleg Thread

Discussion in 'Vintage Vinyl' started by Lixx, Jun 23, 2013.

  1. Lixx

    Lixx Mr. Grumpy™

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    That's the Zaboga bootleg mini I want Andy! Love the whole eyeliner look.
     
  2. scobot

    scobot Addicted

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    Yeah he is a cool one - a bit bigger than the trio, here is a comparison..

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. Lixx

    Lixx Mr. Grumpy™

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    Disco party
    [​IMG]
     
  4. bryce_r

    bryce_r Die-Cast

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    Awesome pic. The lion maru is still one of my favorites.
     
  5. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    Really nice dancers Lixx. Was there a new addition to provoke taking these guys out for a spin 'round the floor, or just dusting/rearranging the shelves? LM is definitely really great, and I also dig the Mirrorman, for the grin he is sporting whilst demonstrating his moves.
     
  6. Lixx

    Lixx Mr. Grumpy™

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    No new additions. I've been meaning to do a group shot for a long time, but school got in the way- always. One disco dancer I really want to add to this lot is Thundermask.
     
  7. XVivaHateX

    XVivaHateX Addicted

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    Awesoem photo chris! I only have a few of these
     
  8. deafmetal

    deafmetal Comment King

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    Battle of the Bootleg '66 Gojiras:

    [​IMG]

    Can you guess which of the other two gojis is also an '83 flesh vinyl bootleg?
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    The '83 flesh bootleg is made from very thin vinyl -- easily the thinnest in my collection. It's also an interesting story that fans would end up making these toys. I would like to find one that is painted to look like the Bullmark flesh vinyl blue Hawaiian version.

    The darkly-sprayed goji on the left is an interesting study. I picked this up on YJA recently, and the seller thought it might be an 80's bootleg. It's also made from very thin vinyl, and it still smells strongly of PVC. It looks to have come from an original mold, as all the expected imperfections are there, and it's actually blue/green vinyl that looks very close to the original colors, but with dark green/black paint sprays:

    [​IMG]

    If anybody knows anything about the blue/green vinyl bootleg, please let me know! This has turned out to be quite a fun research project:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  9. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    Excellent study, Mark. Very cool to see the two darkly painted versions, and I am happy your two new arrivals have come home to join the family. Whoever did the custom on the '83 flesh bootleg did a fairly decent job I would say, not some shabby amateur/kids paint. It is surprising actually, even though these bootlegs are actually vinyl model 'kits' the amount of painted versions (of any of the toys I mean) is actually very low. I guess because they are classified as junk/garbage by nearly all Japanese collectors, so they never even reach the main market. The one you have has just the right subtle signs for you to be able to identify what he was, so good on you for a well unearthed toy. His counterpart in dark blue-green is nice too. I know you were hoping for another flesh base, but he is still a very nice bootleg. I think it is even better to have the range now like you do. The '66 gang is sure coming along wonderfully.
     
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  10. deafmetal

    deafmetal Comment King

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    @ultrakaiju - I agree, after being surprised by the discovery, I am actually very pleased that the darker figure seems to be something else entirely. Here is a peek at that blue/green vinyl hidden inside:

    [​IMG]

    I am fascinated with these unofficial creations, and I'm wondering if the intent was to try and pass these off as original J-tails. If so, both the texture and especially the smell are way off. The dark paint would not be a great match for those figures either. A Yakuza special, perhaps? ;)
     
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  11. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    I am posting this here for posterity, to save the information for future reference; and because maybe some others will appreciate it as well. Sigh. I tried hard to win this book from YJA, but was foiled by a mixup with my buying service, so was denied experiencing its true joy in person. I know, woe is I, but still. :| Thankfully, the seller at least took several pics of the pages inside that they posted along with the auction, which I've saved below.

    If anyone out there that reads Japanese/can help with the Google-fu of finding this on Amazon or the interwebs at some point in the future, or has more information to add on it, please just drop me a PM (and of course, posting it here I realise I am opening it up to another 'hunters' but so be it). This was a really tough one to miss, I have been after a book of bootleg toys for years now. I really want to pore over these pages for hours and hours, squinting and examining each image and reveling in the bootleg wonder.

    A Mook/collectors' book magazine featuring a myriad of Showa-era bootleg toys from Hakuba Publishing, 1998.

    Auction title: 昭和レトロ玩具コレクション参考資料本 ビンテージジャパン(パチ物無版権ソフビ企業物カルタ面子特撮アニメレコード怪獣ヒーローノート)

    Auction description: 1998年白夜書房発行ムック本『 ビンテージジャパン』です。昭和レトロ玩具等コレクション参考資料本としていかがでしょうか?良好なコンディションかと思います。追加画像を含め画像でご判断の上ご入札下さい。ノークレーム・ノーリターンにてのお取引宜しくお願いいたします。 その他多数出品しています。

    Original link (while it lasts): https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/j432214204



    The book cover and collected images of some of the highlighted sofubi glory:







     
    Last edited: May 5, 2017
  12. deafmetal

    deafmetal Comment King

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    @ultrakaiju - This book also caught my eye, but I did not really know what to make of it. Very cool if the entire focus is on pachi/bootleg toys. I searched a bit around the forum for a book list/compendium, but did not find anything. I know we have talked in a few different threads about wanting more info on either art or toy books (or both!). It would be ideal to get a list going for easy reference.
     
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  13. chimply.kaiju

    chimply.kaiju Side Dealer

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    Original Bullmark giant size removable mask Mirrorman vs the bootleg. The bootleg is a copy of the Mirrorman minus the removable mask. The bootleg is slightly smaller.

    Green is obviously much darker on the bootleg. The bootleg has 2 different mixed match vinyl color. One vinyl color is grey and the other is a slight blue tinge grey. The vinyl on the original Bullmark is slightly softer than the bootleg.
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    On the bootleg you can almost see the bump that was wiped away were it was suppose to say Mirrorman.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    Thanks excellent, Anthony. Thanks for posting those comparison photos. As I think we are suspected, there are slight differences to the bootlegs and the Bullmark originals, but as so many of us have never had the opportunity to see (or examine) either side-by-side, it is always difficult to know for certain, and thus the chance to see direct comparisons like this is incredibly interesting and enlightening. It is great to note the slight differences in vinyl and paint colouring that you mentioned, as well as seeing up close the ever so slight size differences between the two. Again, it's one of those things you feel might be the case, but the direct side-by-side is so remarkable. Thank you very much for this study, and - of course - congratulations on getting that large removable mask Bullmark Mirrorman. He is a beautiful toy, and a great find; going to be ever so happy to join your other heros, I have no doubt at all.
     
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  15. deafmetal

    deafmetal Comment King

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    @chimply.kaiju - Great comparison shots, Anthony, and such a valuable resource for this forum. I would love to see more examples like that. The Bullmark looks incredible.

    Steve, random follow-up here, but I believe the paint job on the flesh bootleg might be a tribute to the original Marusan plamodel kit. I have seen a couple completed kits that seem to have similar paint styles (white eyes/toes/teeth with dark green hides). I wonder if they came painted from the factory, or if an example paint job on the box inspired the various kit builders:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Super_Shogunator

    Super_Shogunator Fresh Meat

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    [​IMG]
    Bootleg Mechagodzilla from the 80s or so it was advertised by its seller. No markings anywhere. More information welcome!
     
  17. deafmetal

    deafmetal Comment King

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    @Super_Shogunator - Excellent find. I really like the overall look, especially the odd proportions. I have not seen this one before. Are the eyes painted blue?
     
  18. Super_Shogunator

    Super_Shogunator Fresh Meat

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    Yes, the "white" of the eyes is painted light blue. The nostrils are painted red inside. The vinyl is quite soft. The figure is approx 6" with 5 points of articulations (shoulders, hips and belt). The tail or head are not moveable. The sculpt is not symetrical, ie the head is sliightly tilted, the tail is slighlty at an angle. Not sure if this is deliberate or just lower quality manufacturing. The seller also advertised it was a bootleg imported from Japan. Digging a bit further on the net, I found out that this bootleg was sold under the name Super Dinosaurs and was made in China. A green and red version existed as well (red legs and arms, green body). Quite possibly this was sold under different names depending on countries, or even shops carrying them.
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2017
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  19. scobot

    scobot Addicted

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  20. Super_Shogunator

    Super_Shogunator Fresh Meat

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    Thanks alot! I knew I came to the right place (but ibviously scanned this thread started from pafe 11 and stopped before I got to page 2!)
     
  21. XVivaHateX

    XVivaHateX Addicted

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    Great post Anthony. Thats good to know. The bootleg doesnt look like the mask is removable is it?
     
  22. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    These bootlegs aren't removable mask, and all of them (from what I have seen) suffer from this same odd discolouration, frequently on the chest and forehead, and even oftentimes have significantly differently coloured limbs. I originally wasn't sure if some of it, e.g. the odd gold/browning, might be due to a paint that was applied that ages very poorly, since it dominantly affects his 'star' on the mask, but I don't have an explanation for the spreading to other areas.
     
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  23. Alebrije

    Alebrije Line of Credit

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    The few I have seen also have this problem of the different color tones in the extremities; My theory is that the parts of the figure were made in two different workshops and then assembled in one place. That's why some of the limbs have a bluish color on the vinyl (It's just a theory)
     
  24. Fedhai

    Fedhai Toy Prince

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  25. Alebrije

    Alebrije Line of Credit

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    Happy bootleg day, I have wanted to catch one of these for a long time, in general it is in good condition and also I think it did not come out so expensive. The vinyl feels too soft I would even say meleable, but I really liked the sculpture and the detail of the mask it's amazing.
    [​IMG]
     

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