Anyone been on the TF hunt in Shanghai?

[Bladestorm]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

I already had Choice Toy down on my list so good to know that is a place worth going.

Looks like I'll be heading to the largest Toys R Us I can find in Shanghai and hope their Transformers displays aren't as pathetic as the ones here in HK right now.

I can't find any other hobby toy stores (in English) so I guess I'll just take my chances as we wander around areas should we get the chance.

I head up to Shenzhen once in a while so I know how bad the fake market is unfortunately. I've had shopkeepers swear black and blue their fake stuff is officially licensed when it obviously isn't.
I'm a purist and don't collect KO or fake figures so I'm a bit of a stickler for double checking before I commit to a sale. I'm wary even in HK and always try and point out to others the stores to avoid or double check because they mix real with fake to confuse people. I entirely expect the same is true in China.

[GoktimusPrime]

I head up to Shenzhen once in a while so I know how bad the fake market is unfortunately. I've had shopkeepers swear black and blue their fake stuff is officially licensed when it obviously isn't.
I'm a purist and don't collect KO or fake figures so I'm a bit of a stickler for double checking before I commit to a sale. I'm wary even in HK and always try and point out to others the stores to avoid or double check because they mix real with fake to confuse people. I entirely expect the same is true in China.

Yes! I've had exactly the same experience in China! People always trying to pass off counterfeits and KOs as legit toys, even when I show* them that I'm looking for legit figures and not fakes!

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*Because I don't speak Chinese I always carry a notepad and pen and communicate with locals by writing in Kanji, so yeah, I "show" them rather than telling them what I mean. But I can tell from their tone and body language, and the fact that they will show me a fake toy and point at the word for "legitimate" that I've written in my notepad. Yyyeeeaaahh, pull the other one... (-_-)

[Jetfire in the sky]

Please take this as satirical but if it offends feel free to let me know and I will delete/edit accordingly.

I was thinking perhaps the reason I have not had people try to rip me off in China is this, I am 194cms tall and of "Western" looking origin and generally have a very grumpy default face and when it comes to toys if someone is trying to pull a scam my ultra grumpy face comes out regardless of language barrier, while my Cantonese is poor my Mandarin is ok, especially at understanding others, my wife is not so tall but is of Cantonese origin and knows how to intimidate, oops, I mean bargain with Southern Chinese sellers, basically she takes no $h!t from anyone n Asia!
So Bladie is a very friendly approx. 152 - 156 cms tall "Western" looking person, did I mention friendly, Kiwi who can speak and understand more Cantonese than Mandarin, and her husband, who I think doesn't go on so many toy trips as my wife, is of Asian origin and can speak (possibly) both dialects proficiently.

Gok is the Lord of languages and is well loved in the Oz TF community but once in China tends to blend in with the local population and is about 156 - 164 cms (from distant memory) tall, and from what I have read tends to go on his Han Solo toy hunting in CN.

So if we take the variables out, I am one lucky guy!!

[GoktimusPrime]

"I'm a white male, age 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb my suggestions are!"
- Homer Simpson

In other words, I agree. Btw I'm 170cm (also there's no plural for "cm" )