Is ROSS Selling Bootleg Sonic Toys?

[@olsendesravines5657]

That ain’t Jakks Pacific that’s Checkers Atlantic

[@nikkz3213]

That ain't Jakks Pacfific, that's Jakksius Pacific Ocean... 😭😭🙏🙏💀💀

[@steakosaurusrex]

😂

[@BaldiMathGuy]

That ain’t Jakks Pacific that’s Johns Arctic

[@spidersonic-b5q]

@@olsendesravines5657 nakks Atlantic

[@RobbiesHobbies512]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@PhilBo-fp9mz]

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yes they are.

[@WomboKombo38]

I think the arms being painted is the proof these ARE bootlegs. Jakks doesn’t use paint on their figures like that ever so the fact they would do that specifically for these “factory rejects” I think proves it isn’t jakks making them.

[@SonicoinyYT]

although TOMY does paint the joins

[@_dt1230]

@@SonicoinyYTlike the person said this is jakks not tomy so probably they are bootlegs

[@W4lmartbag]

What do they use to paint the figures?

[@funsyminn]

@@W4lmartbagprinting

[@wakeangel2001]

I've heard of a type of bootleg where the factory workers will put their own plastic into the machines during the off hours to produce knock-offs that are technically higher quality than most other bootlegs (since they still use the same molds) but they use cheaper materials and since it's all done off the books there's no quality control, so they often come out with weird colors or messed up joints. (For joints it is ESPECIALLY important to use the right kind of plastic, since they need to have a certain degree of flexibility and precision molding in order to hold friction)

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@wakeangel2001 yeah interesting I definitely suspect the same tooling and that would fit well into how they came out

[@unorthdoxcleric6953]

Yeah its gotten quite common to either steal the Mold after the initial production run or as u say after hours the Mold is still being used with cheaper materials, resulting in a product that really does look like the OG but cannot perform as well.

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

I'm so happy to see you watch the same channel too! I was really hoping you guys would check out each other's work! I've been following Steakasaurus for some time now, ((he even gave me a shout-out on a previous video!) and I can personally vouch for his quality! I really hope you guys get inspiration from one another! =D *

[@Robthewhatbutswag]

Not even five below does this bro😭

[@BloopADoop]

Im in the bootleg side, i used to believe that they might be rejects but your theory has me change my mind again.. but i still dont know. i would love to see you look over a super silver too, his head plastic is sculpted in a completely different color than the original

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yes I'm gonna search for one today!

[@lewisjoyce1480]

@@steakosaurusrexI found one today it was absolutely awful

[@JollyDogYT]

If you're curious I made a video looking more in-depth at the packaging and now I'm very convinced these are bootlegs.

[@HackerBilly13]

I got the Amy. Its BAD bad. There's no way it can't not be a bootleg I sent Jakks an email regarding these. So if I get a response back. I'll let everyone know as Im very curious myself on the matter

[@kirby_rising]

Thank you! I was thinking about that, I'm glad someone is reaching out to them.

[@ph4ntomsoda]

commenting so i get a ping

[@steakosaurusrex]

Oh yes, please report back here! And if you're part of our Discord, please let us know there as well.

[@HackerBilly13]

@@steakosaurusrex I am not apart of the discord but I can join it 😁 but I'll definitely keep yall up to date over it!

[@NinjaGamerGirl2023]

I'm replying to this so I get notified if you get a response and comment it here,

[@SoftEndy]

Nah, there's no chance Jakks put these out. Definitely bootlegs, if you ask me. I figure a factory bootlegged them and then secured a deal for their "overstock" with Ross and thats how they ended up where they are.

[@steakosaurusrex]

I was thinking about scenarios last night. I wonder if there's some kind of wholesale way for places like Ross to order product that multiple manufacturers can list their products. And then in the case of bootleggers they make their own listing and someone in charge of purchasing at Ross didn't know the difference. I'm just wildly speculating but it's fun to think about the why of it all.

[@SoftEndy]

@@steakosaurusrex I should also add that it's likely the bootleggers are either using the same factory or a nearby one to produce them, as the packaging and molds seem to be legit.

[@Neo1990sonic]

That ain’t Jakk’s Pacific that’s Randy’s Lagoon💀💀💀💀

[@sainguyen-ht7ju]

Jimmys lake

[@FatPenguiniscool]

Jake’s River

[@SpeedFreak2003]

This comment thread is pure gold.

[@DonAsirobi]

Honestly, I don't think these are factory rejects. I don't live in US but if you just went to a random Ross and found one, it seems like there is a lot of them out there... why would they have that many factory rejects AND send those out. Doesn't seem real to me. The quality all around is just terrible, their machines suddenly couldn't do the job right? How. Factory rejects do happen, yes but not on that scale and they wouldn't ship those out. It's not something that should be so easy to find. And the colors, plastic it all looks different. Either way, thanks for making this video! It's an interesting topic. I don't know if that store is known for selling bootlegs, but if not then thats kinda disappointing for a legit store to sell bootlegs.

[@steakosaurusrex]

Here's hoping! I think it's a much more fun story if they turn out to be bootlegs.

[@ZeNpps]

Ross’ model well their store model is that they don’t want to sell bootleg but they most likely could’ve they could’ve bought the rejected straight from the manufacturer since that’s what they do for other brands for the cheapest they can so they can be deformed in the pegs from his Ross sonic and who knows they could maybe be actually bootlegs too I see both points but I’m leaning towards the reject side since they are already so cheap and affordable

[@DonAsirobi]

@@ZeNpps They look way too different to be bootlegs to me. Either way it's pretty bad that they sell stuff like that. If they are rejects (which i'm sure they aren't) I guess it's fine.

[@8instantramen]

This exact thing happened in the mega blok scene with a recent halo line. No one could figure out if they were bootlegs or just a bad batch due to how accurate the pieces were but how poor the quality were. It came with similar subtle differences with the packaging like this. Popular theory is that a bad actor made illegal reproduction using stolen factory rejects and assets to sell for extra profit. Ross doesn't do direct deals with toy companies, they just buy clearance items and anything for cheap. So they weren't aware they were buying illegal distributions. Their business model is similar to a store like Big Lots

[@steakosaurusrex]

Mmmm interesting

[@AmberLB93]

Sometimes factory reject toys are doctored up to fix certain issues then passed off as a QC-passing toy. I have seen factory reject plushes that would be manually finished by the person selling it. and you would end up with bits that don't look right. By the looks of things, they took factory reject arms that were the wrong color plastic and painted over them. Factory rejects do count as bootlegs. They were not fit for sale and are not considered the official article despite coming from the same factory.

[@Vinanowactually]

about the white emerald:before super silver got announced i had the jakks sonic advent calender not the american one but the one that was europe exclusive in this one the white emerald was not fully clear just like the emerald that i got with super silver HOWEVER the advent calenders emeralds are more foggy than the ones with the figures so i think they were gonna always make the white emerald be foggy and not transparent

[@steakosaurusrex]

Ahh I'm soon opening my Advent calendar for a video review - I wonder how it will look

[@Vinanowactually]

@@steakosaurusrex from what i know this year its the calender that i had 2 years ago but just a reprint ig the difference isnt that clear tho so its not too bad

[@heitorsant1759]

This reminds me of these jakks pacifics bootleg action figures i got a bit ago, it was a 6-pack having Sonic, Knuckles, Eggman, Metal Sonic, Super Shadow and Rouge all in the neon colors (they're not the same bootlegs as these tho, because of one big difference: they don't have joints to move their arms and legs, just joints to move their hands, head and feet. Only exception is eggman, he can actually move his arms)

[@steakosaurusrex]

Ah yeah I have some like this

[@Fewebomb]

I definitely see what you mean about the consistency of the blue paint, that is an interesting detail! For me I'm leaning more towards bootleg because of the card on the back. There's a Yellowish Tint to the image, which is also noticeably lower quality than a typical jakks box would be. Either way these things are bizarre

[@steakosaurusrex]

I didn't even think to look at the packaging. I'll have to take a look when I'm back down there.

[@JollyDogYT]

I made a video that looks more closely at the packaging and I think it's definitive proof these are fakes.

[@godreamer89]

This is very interesting! I think these would be great to have for doing customs!

[@New3picPictures]

very true

[@SoftEndy]

The official figures are only $9.99, I don't see how it's worth the trade in quality.

[@godreamer89]

@SoftEndy I think Ross sells them a bit cheaper though. =3

[@SoftEndy]

@@godreamer89 Yeah but $4.99 vs $9.99 isn't that big a difference when one is probably gonna break on you I feel

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yeah for the discounted price and if they're easier to find, I'm definitely gonna stock up on Amy and silver. I have a few customs I want to make of them.

[@Monty-hz7vj]

Notice how the real packaging uses a lighter blue while these ones from Ross have a darker blue packaging… some of the dead signs of a bootleg is miscoloring on either the toy, packaging or both

[@steakosaurusrex]

Oo, interesting - I did not notice that

[@freddyfudgebear]

To me im pretty sure this is specifically made for ross, so they can be sold for cheaper because with the holiday season coming along, jakks pacific are sending cheaper made figured to ross for profit, some places at ross even have a sonic display ready or a end asile

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@freddyfudgebear I wonder how much of a difference the production cost is between the two. Especially the painted arms. That seems like an extra step that would cost more than casting in the correct color. Maybe it's a difficult mixture to get the color correct and has a big failure rate.

[@freddyfudgebear]

@ the production cost must be a few dollars since the figured at ross are sold for around 6 to 7 dollars, theyre probably making sure to cut each possible to corner to make as much of these as possible for cheaper

[@KobeRogers-vw8nx]

For Customs it’s Useful to be honest

[@steakosaurusrex]

Totally

[@ZeNpps]

I can easily make a terios figure and hell maybe other designs of him and I could make scourge! So many possibilities with the bootleg/reject sonic

[@caps..l0ck]

At first I thought it was just a factory reject because I've never seen a bootleg with articulation (for sonic figs at least and excluding the nendoroid years ago). Now i've seen more pictures and I'm not so sure.

[@SatanenPerkele]

They are bootlegs 100%. Even the forehead mold seems are different. 2:54 Also the colours being off is another great giveaway.

[@steakosaurusrex]

Oh? I don't see any differences in the shapes

[@SatanenPerkele]

@steakosaurusrex Look at the head/forehead mold seams when you angle them in the light. If it was official, why would they use differently shaped molds?

[@sonicfanboi9619]

I'm pretty sure that those are just cheaper-made versions of the original figures that are sold at Ross because of the prices for them.

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@sonicfanboi9619 possibly!

[@SparkleWolf404]

I keep thinking about sonic's arm color and how it's kinda close to the color of my bootleg chao, I am curious to see how this situation unfolds. I'm sure the truth of these strange figures will come out

[@CoopStrasburgfan]

Patmac better be taking notes we got another to add to the bootleg sonic list

[@OmarsWorldOfficial]

Ayo?! A jakks pacific sonic “BOOTLEG?” That normally doesn’t happen, but it looks fine, i would like to have it for my collection lol.

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yeah if anything, I love this figure just because of the fun of managing to find it right away last night and get out a video in time. It'll always be a weird, unique figure for me.

[@boywithanearring]

I dont believe these are bootlegs. Ross is a discount store but they are still a huge retail store worth millions and i highly dobut they would allow something like this to slide. There have been bad batches of figures before, just guessing this is one of em

[@lisinglising-e4c]

I remember when they used to sell the official figures

[@DaBwownGodziwa]

3:38 you know this is actually really funny (and unrelated lol) because the super7 godzilla minus one does this too and that's an official high end figure which has an msrp of 85 usd lmao

[@Made_In_Mayhem]

Super7 makes shoddy toy companies like idk Funko look like Bandai or Good Smile

[@DaBwownGodziwa]

@@Made_In_Mayhem they make sh monsterarts look like robo-dou in comparison lol

[@Yuki-ke1rz]

It could be real actually, the reason why Ross sells stuff like Nike, adidas and toy brands is because of overstock and returns, but also Ross sells things that have defects in certain products and the manufacturers don’t want/cant sell it if it has defects so they send it out to places like Ross, tj maxx, marshals, etc (I was commenting this while watching the video)

[@funsyminn]

yeh rejects are items that are manufactured but don’t pass quality control check so they would be in the same batch as the other figure, which doesn’t explain why the molds look different and why is painted

[@LampP0st]

I saw the silver at ross the other day and instantly knew it was bs, the packaging feel alone is worse

[@Sonicandfriendsmini]

So my aunt works at ross and she say it's a manufacturer defective so yeah just saying

[@steakosaurusrex]

Oh man, that would be huge if I could find some documentation on that! Is there any way she can get in contact with me through email?

[@steakosaurusrex]

Hey, just checking in on this. Is it possible that she could get in contact with me?

[@Sonicandfriendsmini]

​@@steakosaurusrex yeah ok I can check

[@SonicoinyYT]

the weak glue can be an issue with official jakks products too, my official jakks shadow's face almost came off once (i had to glue it back on)

[@steakosaurusrex]

If you enjoyed this, please subscribe and check out my other videos. I show you how to make all kind of unique Sonic customs and all my 3d models are free to download! You can make everything I show yourself. We also have an active discord community to show off our art and share advice. Link in the description.

[@THATWASNTTHEEND]

Recently someone found a generic toy car set at Ross with a big Disney Pixar Cars logo on there that was clearly a fake. How is Ross allowed to sell this stuff? I bought a How Do You Meme? The Office game at TJ Maxx and listed it on eBay and the company who makes those took my listing down claiming it was fake. It's so frustrating that we can't even trust what we're buying from real stores...

[@greensoda123]

Random question but did you do any modifcations to your jakks Heavy King figure in the background? He looks bigger.

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@greensoda123 nah, nothing done to heavy king

[@greensoda123]

@steakosaurusrex ahh. Honestly would love to see you make like some modifications to the figure or something. Just to make him look like even cooler and game accurate.

[@greensoda123]

Or like upgrades to add to Heavy Gunner to make the other HBH members. Or maybe his helicopter ride from mania

[@kirby_rising]

I saw posts about these on Reddit, thanks for looking into it more. It's a very curious situation but I also think these are some kind of actual Jakks made rejects or maybe even samples.. I want to get a couple of these because I'm curious about removing all of the paint since you think some of it may have been cast clear, and also for Super Silver and his Chaos Emerald. 🙃

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yes definitely still on the hunt for silver and also I want another Amy for a custom.

[@BlueJack222]

Out of all the bootlegs this is a special case because the molds are practically one-to-one it's just cheaper and more widely distributed is very interesting too and also everyone wants those clear Chaos Emeralds they look awesome

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@BlueJack222 yeah still looking for that clear emerald!

[@JomasterTheSecond]

I fuck with that dark blue. If Jakks made a Sonic with that colour blue I'd keep him as my definitive Sonic.

[@SerotoninSystem]

Oh man, I gotta go check my local ross for these dudes

[@rhinuu045]

4:23 tryna be nendoroid smh

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@rhinuu045 face swap!

[@subjectfnaf]

To be honest i Higley doubt these are factory rejects since 1. I've seen fnaf bootlegs that look 80% identical to the official but not 2. Bootlegs does evolve these days 3. Their are bootleg factorys that doe somehow get the molds

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@subjectfnaf yeah I've been liking option 3 lately

[@aluzion2616]

It is preaty clear

[@GlGGAN1GGA]

This ain’t Jacks Pacific, this Jakes Specific

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

I'm glad you brought this to out attention so we can avoid getting ripped off. That being said though, maybe you can use them for custom parts? LOL! XD

[@steakosaurusrex]

Totally useable! Though I use mine strictly for display so lack of quality isn't too much of an issue for me

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

@@steakosaurusrex Fair enough. If I found a lower-quality version of Metal Sonic, I'd probably use it for a "Battle-damaged" varient! XD

[@mlgpapas1319]

This reminds me of that one time I got a Shadow figure with all of his joints uncut at Walmart which made him only posable in the neck, shoulders, ankle and thigh area.

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@mlgpapas1319 oo, interesting 🤔

[@unpolleydgone7560]

I used to have a huge bootleg and KO phase, and stores like Ross selling bootlegs of clearly redone Optimus Primes or Spidermen. Someone in the comments already brought up how some workers on off hours will make their own. But theres also a few other ways to tell if something was bootlegged. The box is sometimes a giveaway. If theres errors on the box, that is usually a giveaway, if the copyright lingo thats normally found on the feet or legs isn't there then thats a telling sign. However not all bootlegs will remove that. TMNT bootlegs are well known to not remove the copyright lingo to appear more "official." This sonic reminds me of some NECA Mirage TMNT bootlegs that were going around. Those were also made in the same factory with different (though in that case better) plastic and were in different packaging. Though if this was made by someone off duty, then they didn't care about changing the packaging and / or might have left their secret at work, and they sent these ones out to budget stores.

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@unpolleydgone7560 ooo I should check the words on the feet

[@shiori00]

A really nice video, it's interesting to see that thing in "person" and just how low quality it is. I'm thinking of picking up the Super Silver, since it looks close to the official and also I just really want one that won't cost me a fortune to get lol As for the toy itself, I do agree with you, its definitely not a bootleg. It'd be super weird if it was since Ross has already sold genuine Sonic figures before, and the feet has the Jakks Pacific stuff that would typically be on a regular figure. The box too only supports this more because the logo would typically be hidden and the bootlegs wouldn't go with official packaging, as almost always do bootlegs have packaging different from the officials

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yeah totally - I want Silver the most especially for the novelty of the different-plastic emerald

[@_Imagimation_]

I’ve seen bootleg products at Ross all the time, so I’m not surprised.

[@nathanilsaenz8178]

I saw the super silver at Ross and it stood out because the chaos emerald was very clear, sadly the line at checkout was too long and left it. A while back i bought classic amy and classic metal sonic but those seemed good quality and legit. I posted pics on a sonic toy group on fb and a bunch of ppl were saying it was a bootleg but more ppl were baffled about the clear chaos emerald. I went back a few days later to try and buy it for the emerald but was gone. The odd thing i noticed about the silver was he didn't have the plastic bands jakks puts to secure the figure in and he was kinda loose in the packaging but was packed innan angle where you could see the neck peg, also thr chaos emerald had a huge airbubble in it.

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@nathanilsaenz8178 yeah the lines always seem to be long at Ross, huh?

[@nathanilsaenz8178]

@steakosaurusrex yea especially in my area, even on week days. Plus in my area they only have 2-3 cash registers open. I had to leave so much stuff behind this year

[@joshuasfunworld7423]

I need sonic and silver-

[@brucebaird-]

I saw a knuckles at Ross last night. The paint job was shitty, the spring accessory was very shiny and I could tell as soon as you’d take him out of the box he’d fall apart.

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yeah the knuckles I found is also like this. And the head wasn't even properly glued in place

[@Chris.19674]

Quick question: does the back of the box display the other bootlegs ?

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@Chris.19674 nope, it has the same content printed, but in a lower quality

[@Chris.19674]

@ alr thanks for the response!

[@fandomlover6778]

Love the video this is sick

[@rockymarbles]

I’d say they’re either bootlegs or made from a different factory than the other figures specifically for Ross stores

[@BrokamaGay]

Could these be the first run figures? The quality was terrible so they decided to start over

[@steakosaurusrex]

That's one of the speculations I made about the clear emerald. In that part I was just talking about the emerald, but maybe so.

[@spidersonic-b5q]

Bootleg baby I live for this shit 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I honestly feel terrible for the kids who's mother bought them this sonic

[@soceity5818]

Did you say how much the ross ones costed?

[@steakosaurusrex]

$5.99 I believe

[@soceity5818]

@@steakosaurusrex will buy

[@marek1shtar538]

So Bootlegs in almost identicle boxes can appear at discount stores across the nation, but the Distribution on the Neo Metal Sonic figures from the company is terrible. it figures (pun intended)

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@marek1shtar538 I approve of the intended pun.

[@Oni64]

So this is basically what the 99 Cent (rip) stores would get but Ross got them.

[@Mations_of_Mali]

May I ask why your jacket says “ugly buttface”?? 😭

[@steakosaurusrex]

Lol, it's my old Xbox gamertag. I got this jacket from an event in Halo last year.

[@Mations_of_Mali]

@ nice.

[@eljibarocaptainwepa8198]

A lot of times these companies rush their orders on making their products,they use what ever they have in warehouse supplies to rush it. Also so the quality control is baaaaad. So that’s why they look like that. Not bootleg… if it’s a bootleg you will know.

[@sirducksworthythe3rd842]

They look exactly like the ones my Walmart sells

[@angel-zd1mk]

my question is . why is there bootlegs of already-low priced figures. like???

[@steakosaurusrex]

Good question!

[@mr.action5509]

But why would jakks sell bad figures? I don’t think that’s good for business 😭

[@steakosaurusrex]

I agree - that's not a great look

[@thatsonicfan]

These definetley look off compared to the officials.

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yeah, not good quality. And as my wife pointed out, the right hand wasn't even fully attached and that could be a choking hazard.

[@r_0_x_a_s]

Ross buys old stock. I don't think ross buys toys themselves. Old stock from stores and reject toys from stores. Ive gotten toys from 10+ years ago brand new from there. Its closer to a thrift store than anything. These are likely just rejects

[@linklickz]

official bootlegs is wild

[@jeffreychauca5387]

Hopefully it won’t happened cause Ross is coming soon in my area

[@ExpiredEyeBleach]

It’s crazy cuz I found a bootleg broly figure

[@MiggleTheSmeghog]

this is most definitely a bootleg cos jakks figures are usually great quality

[@Traes-fortnite_review]

What if they are just cheaper made figures made for Ross and 5 below type stores

[@steakosaurusrex]

Possibly!

[@maythisyt]

1:04 💀

[@arkiromi_is_awsome216]

i want those bootlegs NOW!!!! 1. i wanna customize 2. i wanna have super silver since theres barely any jakks modern sonic figures no more

[@sirducksworthythe3rd842]

The Ross looks better with that shiny dark blue

[@Fearfulphantom]

Cool bubsy figure:D!

[@EthanMartin-ui2gq]

Good thing I buy my figures at Walmart and target

[@vanoanimation1]

i just buy sonic one, and i swear its bad but...i can use this guy to make 2017X Jakks custom

[@steakosaurusrex]

Yeah I think they're still useable for customs for sure

[@Vaffle_1231]

Can I be honest? The darker blue does look cool I'd definitely buy but that's just me

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@Vaffle_1231 I do like it a lot, yeah

[@TeaisTasty]

bro you have hands like a resident evil protagonist

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@TeaisTasty lol, is that good or bad?

[@TeaisTasty]

@ good. it reminded me of playing Village

[@thebruhnetwork]

What a random ass comment

[@thethunderbrick]

Wait theres Sonic bootlegs?

[@SparkleWolf404]

Normally I’ve only seen em for the 2.5 Jakks figures, this is a whole new beast

[@steakosaurusrex]

Possibly!

[@hamzarahman9523]

Man what happened to sonic figures, jazzwares used to produce good figures, the quality is indeed a step back.

[@magmar1819]

They’ve been getting bootleg Pokémon figures for over a year.

[@steakosaurusrex]

Ah, interesting - what is the story behind those?

[@magmar1819]

@@steakosaurusrex Tomy - For a few years now Ross, Five Below, Burlington, Gabe’s and other discount stores have been getting in bootlegs of Tomy era figures. They come in either the blue packaging they used during ORAS or the Sun & Moon packaging they used before they gave the license up in 2017-2018. The print quality on these boxes are pretty poor, being over saturated and feeling cheap. The paper inserts inside the plastic bubble are also almost always loose and all over the place. The figures them selves are poorly painted and have low quality sculpts that look appear to either be mold degradation or a recast of the originals. The figures appearing are Pikachu, Dedenne, Ditto, Cubone, Sableye, Noibat, Froakie, Chespin and Fennekin. Finally, we are in the year 2024 and as mentioned, these figures are OLD as tomy lost the license in 2017-2018! There is no way there would be such a massive stock pile of just these random figures anyway. They STILL get them in! Stores in Canada also receive bootlegs of the Takara Tomy versions of these figures. Wicked Cool Toys/ Jazwares - It started at Burlington and Ross where they received stock of the wave featuring Scorbunny/ Munchlax, Sobble/Jigglypuff, and Pikachu/Grookey. The paint quality on these figure looked iffy, but the major issue is that the figures inside aren’t even Jazwares!!! They are the sculpts from Tomy in Japan and even have the branding on the backs of the figures! Entirely different figures that were in packaging IDENTICAL to the originals aside from the colors being off. However it got worse. Wave 1 of WCT started appearing with horrible paint jobs and gummy plastic. The colors on these figures were a little off and so was the packaging as usual. Myself and some others investigated as usual by buying them and we found that they lacked the printed stamps that all WCT/Jazwares Pokémon have. It’s usually S followed by a number. Furthermore, one of them used the wrong paint. This is the only one that is absolutely easy to tell. Alolan Muk. The original figure uses all matte paints. This year it was even rereleased by Jazwares using the matte paint. However, the bootleg ones showing up use Metallic blue, which is not what WCT or Jazwares has ever used on this figure. Even crazier is that Jazwares figures have been even showing up in the Japanese Tomy packaging now! These have been spotted at Ross, Gabe’s, Burlington, Marshalls, Boscovs, Toys R Us (non Macys) and Five Below. Everyone keeps saying “These can’t be bootlegs because they have the company logos” or “stores would never buy fake stuff”. That’s just wrong. They already have been, it’s just now they’re getting sonic. In the Nintendo Merch Central discord server we’ve been keeping a close eye on these and have been documenting them as they show up.

[@magmar1819]

@@steakosaurusrex bruh I typed an insanely long reply and it’s gone now 😭😭😭😭

[@magmar1819]

@@steakosaurusrex ok let’s try this AGAIN… Tomy- In 2017-18 Tomy gave up the Pokémon License when they decided to consolidate their western presence as a company. For ORAS in 2014, they used a blue carded packaging. Later, for 2016, they changed to Sun & Moon packaging. Somehow, Ross, Burlington, Five Below and even more stores are still getting toys from A DECADE AGO. This was weird, so Pokemon collectors in Nintendo Merch Central on discord investigated. It didn’t take much to easily identify these as bootlegs. The card backs were oversaturated and low resolution, making them appear muddy. The plastic is also cheap, with the paper inserts usually falling all over the place inside due to the cheap glue. The figures themselves are poorly painted, feel cheap and show major signs of either mold degradation or that they used an existing figure to make their own. The details on them are super rounded and look puffy almost. The figures showing up are Pikachu, Dedenne, Sableye, Ditto, Cubone, Froakie, Chespin and Fennekin. These are STILL showing up to this day and it’s impossible that there would be so many of just these specific figures still in circulation from a company that doesn’t even make toys in the west anymore. In Canada, they’re even getting bootlegs of the Japanese releases in their dollar stores. Somehow people still reject the notion that they’re fake when it’s so obvious. These have been spotted at Ross, Burlington, Gabes’s other discount chains. Wicked Cool Toys/ Jazwares- It started at Ross and Burlington. The wave containing Scorbunny/Munchlax, Sobble/Jigglypuff and Pikachu/Grookey started showing up alongside the fake Tomy figures mentioned above. The packaging again was 1:1 replication aside from bad printing and cheap quality materials. Only issue… THEY USED THE WRONG FIGURES! They used the Takara Tomy Sobble and Scorbunny from Japan! Not the Jazwares ones! This issue got even worse when WCT Wave 1 started appearing. This features Alolan Muk, Metang, Wobbufett, Pikachu/Poplio, Rowlet/Litten, Alolan Ratatta/Sandyghast. All of them are low quality gummy plastic with terrible paint quality in terms of application and the paint itself. These figures are terrifyingly accurate aside from one minor detail. All of them lack the factory stamp on the bottom of the figure. Usually it is the letter S followed by a number. Furthermore, only Muk has a visible difference. The original figure from 2018 uses matte paint for the entire figure. This year it was rereleased for the first time since then, still matte. The bootleg uses metallic paint which is not something WCT or Jazwares ever used. Now, they are even making bootlegs of Jazwares Inteleon, Haunter, Growlithe + pokeball and Charizard(?), but putting them in the Japanese packaging from Tomy!!! A different company! And again these figures almost look identical to Jazwares official ones! The Jazwares bootlegs have been at Ross, Burlington, Gabe’s, Marshalls, Toys R Us in the US (non-Macys versions), five below and Boscovs, but there are probably more. This has been going on for well over a year and it’s very unnerving. Members of the Nintendo Merch Central discord sever have been monitoring this since they first started appearing and continue to do so. It’s unfortunate how many people so easily reject what we’ve discovered. I knew the same would happen when SMN went public with the Bootleg Jakks figures too, with the major downside being how many children are in this community. It’s hard to believe that bootlegs look this official, even using the company logos, but that’s just where we are now. Some keep arguing Ross is some reputable retailer, but they aren’t. They buy what they can get, but other stores getting tricked is very disturbing. Hopefully these sonic ones stay at Ross only. I hope I remembered everything I included in the first comment before it disappeared. I believe you’re in ECC too, so if you want I could share images there as well.

[@magmar1819]

@@steakosaurusrex Tomy- In 2017-18 Tomy gave up the Pokémon License when they decided to consolidate their western presence as a company. For ORAS in 2014, they used a blue carded packaging. Later, for 2016, they changed to Sun & Moon packaging. Somehow, Ross, Burlington, Five Below and even more stores are still getting toys from A DECADE AGO. This was weird, so Pokemon collectors in Nintendo Merch Central on discord investigated. It didn’t take much to easily identify these as bootlegs. The card backs were oversaturated and low resolution, making them appear muddy. The plastic is also cheap, with the paper inserts usually falling all over the place inside due to the cheap glue. The figures themselves are poorly painted, feel cheap and show major signs of either mold degradation or that they used an existing figure to make their own. The details on them are super rounded and look puffy almost. The figures showing up are Pikachu, Dedenne, Sableye, Ditto, Cubone, Froakie, Chespin and Fennekin. These are STILL showing up to this day and it’s impossible that there would be so many of just these specific figures still in circulation from a company that doesn’t even make toys in the west anymore. In Canada, they’re even getting bootlegs of the Japanese releases in their dollar stores. Somehow people still reject the notion that they’re fake when it’s so obvious. These have been spotted at Ross, Burlington, Gabes’s other discount chains.

[@JacobFerrell-u9p]

What scares me is does jakks know about this? because this shouldn’t be allowed to happen I get sonic has multiple toy companies making toys but bootlegs should not be allowed

[@Jasper08th]

We're gonna end up with 3rd party knock offs like the sh Figuarts dragon ball ones, just watch. We'll have 3rd party figures of obscure characters we can pre-order for $20

[@SoLemerald]

Why bootlegs

[@steakosaurusrex]

Are you asking why I would be happy to find out it is actually a bootleg? When I was a kid I was fascinated by fake Pokemon toys. Every time I travel to other countries I try to find the best looking fakes I can.

[@BlueG0on]

I wonder if Ross even knows that these are bootlegs

[@steakosaurusrex]

I'm editing a video right now of a Ross employee that I interviewed today about the destruction orders! Should be out tomorrow morning. Subscribe if you haven't! Cheers!

[@BlueG0on]

@@steakosaurusrex I would’ve really mind having a bootleg sonic figure just so I can do my own little bootleg sonic skit

[@Skittleology]

These don't look like factory rejects, I've been looking at other comments in this video and here's my guess. So most action figures by a lot of big companies are made in China, and China is not only known for being a super cheap country for doing this stuff, but they're also known for making lots of bootlegs. My guess is that the same factory who makes legit Jakks Pacific figures also makes bootlegs of figures, and they probably used the same mold during off hours and used their own plastics which are lower quality. It's the same reason you can get an sd card by SanDisk for example that is from the same factory, but has a fake capacity, because they're made during off hours in the same china factory that the legit ones are made.

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@Skittleology that's what I've been thinking most likely lately

[@canalouricojogador_exe]

dis bootleg is good for making customs figures

[@compassrose1466]

A bunch of bootlegs have popped up recently at dollar generals too!! One of them being a huge set of Sonic Prime figures???

[@steakosaurusrex]

Oh say what! I'm gonna go check mine now then.

[@pete4ever958]

Welcome to the dark side

[@mariusbabii]

simple, buy bootleg, last longer, buy genuine, last shorter time, i buy both, i don't care what quality it is, i love both, grab them before you find out it's a collector's items and you end up not having anything, bootleg is the new collector's item,.......marius(punk rules).

[@Silly-Billy-521]

You look like Pedro Pascal

[@DatboiYugo]

A solid most of the toys you find at ross are knockoffs

[@Mr_SegaRetroGamer_YT]

its ross. what do you expect.

[@steakosaurusrex]

I expected this. I went to Ross specifically to find this which is what the video is about lol.

[@Mr_SegaRetroGamer_YT]

@ lol

[@Hyperlegend03]

Bootlegging figures that aren't even that good to begin with. Wow.

[@mariusbabii]

update, to someone, who is poor and cannot afford to pay full price, a bootleg toy is their only choice they can have, like, me, i'm poor, i'm unemployed,...i buy the cheapest possible toy,........marius(punk rules).

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@mariusbabii yeah and I love cheap ones for making custom figures. Ross used to have a lot of halo elites from when I used to do halo customs

[@Adderallie]

This is so weird! I work at Ross so I'll start keeping an eye out for these as I haven't been aware of these. If it helps at all the way Ross gets stock for pretty much everything that we sell is runoff stock that other stores couldn't sell. It's how we're a discount store, the discount is bc we get them cheaper from other stores that couldn't sell them. Ross hardly manufacturers anything, if these are bootlegs, its some other store selling them to us. I don't have access to the list of sources we get our stuff from as i don't work stock, but that's what I know. I DO know we get new sources for stuff all the time, so if this is the first time we've sold bootlegs that would check out. I think maybe a year ago we started selling anime figures in the toy aisle, when before then I never saw ANY anime figures at all. Cool stuff!

[@steakosaurusrex]

@@Adderallie oh wow awesome! If I find the rest, I'm going to make another video comparing them. I may request to pick your brain if I do make that video if you're open to it! And yeah the same day I got this sonic I picked up a sailor Pluto statue that was really nice quality for $15

[@Adderallie]

@@steakosaurusrex I'd love to help with any information I can! Just keep in mind I am floor staff and have limited knowledge aside from working in the toy section somewhat often.

[@JoãoGabrielcovermaker]

Wait China copy jakks paficis too Damn

[@gawrshurab1035]

Yea bootlegs for sure, but its not like Jakks have a good quality after all, if the bootlegs has a bit better quality no one would know 😂

[@deadertonbreaderton]

This is super scam sonic Special variant