Rare Pokemon Plush Toys: How to Avoid Buying Fakes or Copycats

Have you ever wondered when you buy a rare Pokémon stuffed animal or stuffed toy on eBay or some other online store if it’s real or if it’s a cheap knockoff? I’m sure we’ve all done it at one point or another. Recently, counterfeit, counterfeit, or factory rejects have become almost common on auction sites and some shopping sites.

How can you avoid buying a fake?

It can be very difficult for people to know which toys are real and which are cheap knockoffs. For parents, this can be especially difficult because most parents don’t know what a Umbreon or a Pikachu is. Here are some guidelines to follow that should help you when buying a Pokémon stuffed toy.

1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This is a very good guideline to follow. You will see this a lot on auction sites. A cute Umbreon plush toy for $ 3 with 2 minutes to go to the auction.

Sounds too good and you just have to have it? Well, you probably just got robbed and you don’t even realize it. If the Pokémon center in Japan originally sold them for $ 10 and the Pokedoll is completely sold out, all the other sellers are selling them for $ 50 + and you won it for $ 3, you should know that something is wrong. Most likely, you will receive a cheap, fake, fake, or factory rejected stuffed toy. I have to admit that some of the knockoffs are pretty cool these days. Sometimes you can’t really tell the difference. However, many times it will have poor stitching, different fabrics, or sometimes parts are missing.

2. Avoid buying items directly from Hong Kong or China.

These two countries are not licensed to sell Japanese Pokémon products. It is true that they are made in China, but they are not allowed to be sold in China. If you read the label on a Japanese Pokémon stuffed animal or stuffed toy, it says “For sale in Japan only.” This is printed on the label for a reason. Also, it is a known fact that most of the fakes or factory rejects come from these two countries. If you think about it, how come a seller outside of Japan buys these toys at a normal price and then sells them for less than they cost by the hundreds? The answer is simple. Some of the factories where they are produced make too many or have some rejects that are not up to standards and are discarded. These, in turn, are bought for next to nothing and sold on Internet sites as legitimate products. I have lived in Asia for 13 years and have been to these countries several times. It’s amazing how big the problem has become. You can go to any of the famous areas in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand or China and see hundreds of fake Pokemon items. They are everywhere. Everyone knows that they are imitations and most of the people who live in these countries do not buy them, but somehow they reach the buyer who does not know where they come from.

Before, the easiest way to know that the item was a pirate was that it had no label. Most sellers would purposely avoid displaying the tag, as the item did not have it. But now, marketers have gotten a little smarter and tagged them. Although, they are not always the correct label. They believe that a label is better than no label.

3. Check sellers feedback and how many identical items they have for sale

This can be a very good idea to follow. Although I can’t say that this applies to all sellers, it is a good idea to check how many identical items the seller is selling, especially if it is a rare Japanese Pokémon plush toy. If the seller has 20 of a rare Pokedoll and sells them for half the price of other sellers, then you should be suspicious. Also, check out the sellers’ comments. This doesn’t just mean seeing how many negative comments the seller has or what percentage are positive. Remember, most people do not realize when they buy a fake toy and will leave positive feedback. I suggest you read the negative comments. Look for things like “I think I bought a knockoff,” or “something’s wrong with the toy,” “it’s the wrong color,” or anything else that suggests someone didn’t get the real toy.

Unfortunately, not much can be done to stop the people selling the counterfeit Pokémon plushies. I have tried numerous times to contact Nintendo, trade associations, etc. and nobody seems to be able to do anything. The best way to stop it is to inform everyone. If people don’t buy these items, these people will be out of business forever.

Basically the best advice I can give you is to use your best judgment. If the item looks cheap, avoid it. If you buy it, you risk buying a toy that contains lead (as most counterfeit contraband figures do) or harmful chemicals in the fabric dye that are dangerous to your health. In addition, it is supporting sweatshops that force children to work long hours for little pay. You are thinking that you are getting a good deal and that no one will get hurt, but look at the big picture and you will see that there is also more to what you get at a low price. In the end, I think you will be happier if you buy a good quality product that will last for a long time.