I'm starting up this thread for anything related to Bootleg Neca figures. Basically I have questions of my own to start us off.
Recently I've started collecting Neca Aliens again. I have a huge collection now. Since a bunch of what I ordered came directly from Ebay China sellers, it is my understanding that some of what I own are likely bootlegs. They weren't cheap, but were not overly expensive either.
Now - I've bought Neca figures directly from real-life Collector's stores, US sellers, China, directly from Neca, etc. It seems that it doesn't matter - quality control is a bitch for Neca no matter what. I literally have to place all my figures from Neca in boiling water before moving their parts to ensure nothing snaps off.
I like all my figures, besides quality control issues, and I don't find anything "bootleggy" about them. My understanding is that Neca bootlegs are being produced with the exact same molds and materials. It's usually just the paint jobs that differ.
So, my questions basically is: Why should I care if I own a Neca bootleg, besides the obvious moral reasons?
Neca has a huge issue getting things right to begin with. Why should I pay a hefty price for something when I could get a cheaper "Bootleg" that is about the same quality?
How do you even know if you own a bootleg? How do you tell the differences?
And my understanding is also that the bootlegs are in great quantity and becoming a huge, huge problem for Neca. Even if you aren't ordering from China, how do you know that what you're getting isn't from a Chinese reseller or something?