Mandarake!

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm sure the tag said "KO" (I thought it was strange because I didn't think KO was a commom term in Japan) whereas the other tags didn't have it. I didn't complain because my Japanese was not anywhere near good enough to converse with, and I wouldn't have been able to get my point across.

What you need to look for on the tag is the Kanji 海賊版, which means "pirated." They can be pretty damn expensive, but if you see any toy in a Mandarake store with those Kanji on the sticker, then it's a counterfeit.

[Megatran]

What you need to look for on the tag is the Kanji 海賊版, which means "pirated." They can be pretty damn expensive, but if you see any toy in a Mandarake store with those Kanji on the sticker, then it's a counterfeit.

No offence, but if I saw those JP characters stuck on a box I wouldn't be able to tell them apart from any other JP characters at a glance.

[GoktimusPrime]

No offence, but if I saw those JP characters stuck on a box I wouldn't be able to tell them apart from any other JP characters at a glance.

Perhaps write it down or print it out on a small piece of paper and see if you can recognise it? Or memorise/write down this phrase:

"Kono omocha wa kaizoku-ban desu ka"
"ah-noh om-mot-chah wah kye zock-koo bun des kah"
(Is this toy a counterfeit?)

Aaah, this thread brings back fond memories of the 2012 Osaka Meet.

[gekisou]

Perhaps write it down or print it out on a small piece of paper and see if you can recognise it? Or memorise/write down this phrase:

"Kono omocha wa kaizoku-ban desu ka"
"ah-noh om-mot-chah wah kye zock-koo bun des kah"
(Is this toy a counterfeit?)

Aaah, this thread brings back fond memories of the 2012 Osaka Meet.

As a fan of 海賊戦隊ゴーカイジャー I find this hilarious.

[tron07]

good list here...
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=11556

I been to Tokyo and Osaka, went around look for some toys shops to see any good deals. love the food and culture.

[drifand]

I wished I knew about Mandrake when I went to Tokyo as I didn't know about the branches etc....

The only downside is their description is very little. You could email their stores but pretty much be prepared for 2nd hand goods grade. I have no problem most of the time as I am not MISB collector.