Thanks for saving and posting these here Michael. The main lot I was interested in does not have any price next to it, so I am guessing that it means it either did not meet the reserve, was pulled, or just didn't even get any bids because the right crowd for it was not there (I certainly did not know about it until this posting). Unfortunate, but their estimate was way off anyways, so unlikely to have gotten anywhere with it.
They started each at the reserve then dropped the price by 5-30k yen if nobody was bidding. There was someone in person bidding on lots as well.
I'm torn. I'm finding that for things like Nags, I do appreciate a really nicely done bootleg to the bazillion dollar real-thing that I can't afford--and may never even have the opportunity to "politely decline"--at the same time, i know it's uncool to rip work. Still, there's a charm to knowing it's just a replica. I don't know if I could "enjoy" a toy that I paid thousands of dollars for. anyway, I think when it might pass as the real thing and ends up getting people played on auctions, it stings a bit. Use for good--not evil! Maybe if they just changed the footmark to make it clear that its a boot--i would find that kinda charming to see "Boot" on the foot instead of the artist's stamp. make it plain. embrace the reality of it. I was tempted to go for a bootleg big 4-eye. I just don't know. Maybe if I sit tight, the toy gods will smile on me...or maybe they are with affordable bootlegs that look the part? BLAH.
Boots are always part of the dynamic. It's a recognition of the art (and the price people will pay). You get successful enough at anything and you will be bootlegged. I think about getting a decent kaws boot every couple of years. I'm simply never going to pay for the real thing. Hopefully you find one that looks nice in the house, enjoy.
I'm the opposite. I like the extra shitty super obvious bootlegs. I have a kaws astroboy that has really terrible paint and the fleshy parts look kinda blow mold. It is fantastic.
This is interesting! Normally, I'd frown upon the idea of bootlegs cutting into a makers profits. But with the specific toys being discussed here, it hardly seems like KAWS, HxS, Nag, etc. would be all that effected whatsoever. It's mostly about insuring somebody isn't trying to pass off something as legit and charging someone likewise. So, it's more like the traditional idea of bootlegs, not at all mattering as the only one being cut out is a massive corporate entity. The rebellion is totally part of the charm. Sorta pulling over a bit of the discussion from the HxS thread (about newer collectors only latching on to trendy things they know will attract attention, while likely not authentically knowing what makes it desirable or even having developed personal tastes of their own). I think it might speak to how much you like a toy, just for what it is, if you would happily adopt a bootleg fully knowing it wasn't the real deal and couldn't be used to show off. I naively fell for HxS toys before understanding... the insanity. And since I'll never afford one, or likely even feel comfortable owning something worth so much, I would totally pick up a bootleg if it was cheap, and made from a cast of an original (sorry Shameless Toys). So if anyone knows a guy who made some booties of those Stretch Aliens, hook a guy up
Kaws, as far as I remember, has the largest collection of his own bootleg toys. We have threads on this board dedicated to bootlegs from all over the world. There’s collectors that *only* collect bootlegs. I think the only thing that soiled what’s been bootlegged by this dude is his shitty attitude(and obvious begrudging from loyal supporters, justly). I don’t even disagree with why he started doing it, but digging his heels into being hated for it just made him a fuckboy. I’ve been gifted Kaws bootlegs and it’s funny as hell to me. I’d own a bootleg Nag for the bit alone. @Vombie I say get down, dude.
I remember when I started collecting, finding all kinds of weird bootlegs on eBay of early Asian designer toys, like Tokyo guns. I got a bootleg sick boy Billy off the bay. Years and years later I told Ken about it and sent him a picture of the figure and he had no idea bootlegs had been made but didn’t seem to care.
I have a few Kaws bootleg 8”companions. Lev let me into his office in the gallery downstairs at TT during an NYCC event and he had tons of bootleg Kaws, I asked him why, he said why not, he also said he bought stuff for Brian for his bootleg collection. and yes the stuff in that room is out of hand. Lev really needs to just put in a gallery show of his collection. I know there are a few people, maybe even some on here that have been granted access to the floors above TT that house a lot of his collection. I’ve been told it’s out of hand.
I thought this looked like a boot right away. It had that obvious patchy airbrushing. No confident smooth gradation, more like dabbling and getting the paint built up in random lumps. Also the brush work was sloppy on the face. At least the listing said "Not genuine" I mean, it didn't sell for 3 grand at least. But $500 still seems like a lot for a fake. https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g1116699551
If it wasn’t obvious, it’s coming out that the new Nag Rip figure is made by bootlegging Zheng. Hope all the sofubi collectors who were so outraged by his bootlegs stick to their moral code now instead of reposting and trying to buy.
On some full on hater shit, I can’t stand these. So, so many toys and artists get flack for “copying” Shig, even Zectron when he was homaging Ma Ba and Madballs, but these seem to be getting a lot of positive traction. They’re not at all done badly; in fact the body looks like Splurrt’s Masterworks Cadaver Kid on a diet, but because they’re an open love letter to Shig it’s seemed to have gotten a pass. But they’re rather on the nose and directly pulled from Nags that I’d classify these as boots for sure. It’s funny as shit to me that it’s the bootlegging dude that people were losin’ their minds over. The sales from these Nag rips are probably gonna fund his next bootlegs.
I'm fairly certain this is supposed to be Shig as a Nzombie. Which is incredibly meta, in a way that I highly doubt this maker understands. I hope the money made from this is being put towards literally anything other than making more of them. They look like shit. Respectfully.
Confirmed to be fake on the fan nag IG. *EDIT* - not official nag account, so take “confirmed” lightly.
I agree with the post but just want to make it clear that this is a fan account, not an official account.
Respectfully, that guy is an idiot. He posted Glenn’s blank green nag was a fake, and when Glenn told him it wasn’t, he deleted the comment and continued to declare it fake. Don’t take his account for anything, he’s an uneducated fan. Fake here, is not the correct terminology. It’s not a bootleg, it’s an original creation declared an homage, many popular toys here are the same exact thing. Whether they declare themselves a tribute or discard any mention of Nag trying to masquerade as original. What he should be telling everyone is it is made by the known Nag bootlegger.
I never liked or collected nag so I have no dogs in this fight. But it still seemed disrespectful to me, especially to say it's "out of respect for him" anyway I'm a bit confused because didn't you say the head was a bootleg just a few posts up? So is it or is it not bootleg?
I'd say it's a homage but even that's doing some heavy lifting. The selling point is that it's a nag knockoff being sold as a tribute to shig. It's so blatantly trying to cash in on his name and not much else I think.
He should do that Hasbro thing where they scan your head and put it on a figure. I want my own maggoty likeness on a Nag body.
I was just letting everyone know that Zheng bootleg was behind this, because of the amount of hype it was getting, and people who were anti-Zheng were buying into it, not knowing it was made by him. I can’t say it’s a bootleg, it is an original creation, it’s just made by the bootlegger.
I don’t understand. What is it a fake of? He’s sharing sketches of the toy in earlier posts and calling it a homage. Nag has never produced an Nzombie cabbage patch doll, so it’s a fake of what?
