By KayeWiggs
A lot of new collectors are confused by what a recast actually is, so lets call it by what it is. It’s art theft, these are counterfeit dolls!
Resin ball jointed dolls are sculpted by an artist and that artist (or the company they work for) hold copyright for each sculpt.
Copyright law is in place to protect the rights of the artist’s intellectual property so no one can copy their work without their consent.
It is illegal to copy someones art without their consent.
When a doll is recast, the person or company who is making the counterfeit dolls is buying a legitimate doll and then making a mold of the doll and casting exact copies of that doll for sale. This is all done without the original artist consent or knowledge and it is most definitely illegal.
I have seen posts in clubs where the recast buyers are asking if others are interested in getting a certain doll recast, the recast manufacturer usually will purchase the required doll if they have an order for at least 5 dolls so in fact, the recast buyers are commissioning the dolls they want recast!!
Some of these counterfeit dolls are even supplied with copied certificates and packaging. Usually the dolls are advertised using the photographs stolen from the original artist or company’s web site or from collectors online photos. This is done to deceive unsuspecting collectors into thinking they are buying the “real thing” and getting a great deal. I have heard from so many new collectors who have fallen for this trap and later discovered they have bought a recast!
There are a lot of counterfeit dolls available on Ebay, AliExpress and Taobao, I have also seen them on Etsy, and I believe they are starting to show up on Amazon now. If the price of the doll is a bargain, and the doll is coming from China, there is a very good chance it is counterfeit. There are some Chinese companies selling their own legitimate dolls, so you will need to be aware of those, but I think most sell from their own websites rather then eBay. If the eBay (or other) seller has a variety of dolls listed from various companies and does not mention being an official dealer, they are likely selling counterfeit dolls.
If you want to buy a doll on the secondary market, always ask for certificates and original packaging and if possible proof of the original purchase (this is not always possible but worth asking for). If you have doubts, then ask in one of the many Facebook groups or other forums such as The Resin Cafe.
How to recognize a counterfeit doll .. to be honest I have never seen one, so my information here is just based on my knowledge of casting and on information I have gathered from the internet.
1: I think a very likely way to tell a counterfeit would be to look at the insides of the doll .. if it’s rough and/or lumpy then I would be very suspicious that it was a re-cast (this could also be the case if the doll is from an artist who casts his or her own dolls but in that case you would have the original certificate etc and I think most artists have a record of their sales so they would be able to verify the authenticity of the doll).
2: The doll may be a little smaller then the legitimate doll as there is usually a small amount of shrinkage when a doll is molded a second time .. and even more shrinkage if it is cast a third or fourth time. Of course, if you have never seen the legitimate version, you would still not know the difference!!
3: As I mentioned before, if the doll is coming from China and is cheaper then the doll normally sells for and it is not a doll normally sold by a Chinese company, then it is VERY likely a recast/counterfeit. Some sellers even state that the doll is a recast on the auction sites so read the description carefully when buying.
Some ebay sellers call their dolls “reborn” rather then recast and a lot do not identify as recast at all .. look for the word “unbranded” in the “item specifics” area where it asks for the brand .. that is a red flag! Some of the sellers offer free face-up and eyes and say the face-up will be 70-80% like the picture .. if you see any of these from a seller from China then it is likely a recast.
4: the doll is in a colour not offered by the original artist or company
How can we avoid buying a counterfeit doll … the simple answer is buy from the original artist or company who has the doll manufactured or an authorized dealer. If you are new to the hobby and you see a doll you really like, do some research to find out who the original company is. Ask other doll collectors where to buy.
How does this affect the doll community …
Counterfeit dolls have already done damage to the secondary market … those who don’t want to buy a counterfeit doll are very wary about buying on the secondary market, so it is a lot harder to sell dolls that we know have been recast. There is something like 1000 dolls on the recast master list.
One of the biggest counterfeiters has applied for trademarks in China, USA, Europe, Canada and the UK of a large number of the legitimate companies and artists. This will mean the original artist and companies can not sell their dolls using their own names, or any dolls that have previously been made under that trademark, in any country where the counterfeiter owns those trademarks. This is a big blow to those companies and artists. To fight this legally will cost a lot of money, which most do not have! Despite recast collectors thinking otherwise, we artists do not make a lot of money from our art .. we do it for the love of it. I’ve seen some members from the recast community saying it is the artist’s fault and that we should have had the work trademarked. Tthe fact is, most of us have copyrighted our dolls but we can not afford to take out trademarks. To be covered in all the major countries where our dolls are sold would cost tens of thousands of dollars .. it is beyond our means. Theft is never the fault of the victim, it is a conscious decision made by the thief!!
For those with a limited budget, BJDcollectasy is assembling a new list of legitimate companies who sell dolls for less . The list is here: Affordable BJDS. Some of the dolls on this list are less the $80, so there is no excuse to buy counterfeit dolls because they are cheap.
Most companies and/or their retailers also offer layaway.
A message to recast buyers.
Please consider the artists whose art you are stealing by buying unauthorized copies of their work. It IS theft, we own the rights to sell our dolls and no one else has that right without our permission. It is illegal to breach our copyright and it is illegal to import counterfeit goods or sell counterfeit goods in most countries.
Please consider that you are supporting thieves when you buy a counterfeit doll.
Please consider how the artist feels when his or her work is stolen .. it is gut wrenching, heartbreaking. We put our heart and soul into making these dolls and each one is special to us. We share our dolls with collectors because it brings us immense joy when our work is loved by others. Please don’t destroy our creativity by breaking our hearts.
Please consider buying only legit dolls. It takes courage to change but please do!
You may wonder what to do with your recast dolls when you go legit .. personally I think the best option is to keep them and enjoy them. It is illegal to sell them, so the only alternative is keep them. Just don’t show them in anti-recast groups. Maybe you could use them to help educate collectors on how to identify a recast. As long as you are honest with us and do not buy recasts in future, most pro-artist collectors are very understanding and would be happy for you to join us on our side of the fence in our beloved hobby.
If you are shy or wary about joining a pro-artist forum you will be welcome in The Resin Cafe but only if you are honest and genuine in your resolution to “go legit”. If you want to just talk, contact me there. I don’t bite, I’m a good listener and I’ll do my best to help if I can.
With so many good information there is no excuse to buy Recast dolls. The harm you do to the artists by buying Recasts., spoils all the nice feelings you can have. Yes BJD dolls are expensive but you will enjoy fully by sharing your doll with many great people sharing the same love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKv5E1cl3CU
Yup, it’s not just BJDs! Model kits are being knocked off too.
I’d also like to add a good way of testing if a doll is recast is to swap a part with a certified real doll of the same company. If it’s a head see if anyone you know has that head and swap out the headcap. If it’s loose or I’ll fitting you may have a recast. The same goes for doll bodies. Swap an arm or leg with the real deal and if the fit is way off your dealing with a fake.
Lol! First thing, these are transformers knoockoffs, not model kit. Second thing, the point really went off your head and others too…
Yes, but the same thing is happening to garage kits and other cast collectables. http://theclubhouse1.net/museum/RECAST.htm. Like BJDs, the copying has gotten pretty sophisticated.
http://volomir.com/en/recasts-illegal-miniatures-chinese/
Great article.
It’s sad to think that not wanting to pay for a legit item is justification for stealing for so many people.
You still don’t get the point sweetie…maybe this would help ; http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/the-knock-off-transformers-thread.191817/page-1605
And yes it’s in forum where they talk both on official and KO without making big melodrama of it. I swear to God, I’ve only seen this level of drama over KO only in the BJD snowflake “better than thou” community.
What sad is BJD owners thinks their market is any different or special than others. KO aren’t the sign of dying market, but rather the opposite! The number of BJD companies and artists have only grown in the past years and will continue to do so. It’s fine if you want to have your segregated community, but stop preaching it like bunch of religious zealots.
Anonym, you have made your point, but now you have veered into insult territory, which isn’t going to help you convert anyone into thinking your way. Further arguments like these will be removed. Name-calling and harassment are not allowed.
No, YOU don’t get the point, Stealing is STEALING there is nothing “snowflake” about it. Maybe the big difference is that the makers of BJDs are individuals and small companies with high overhead, so their businesses are more severely impacted by theft of designs.
You people keep pushing this argument and making scene for years of something that would never fully disappear. This so called discussion is fruitless and annoying and just make everyone one edge with your same old boring obsession. The makers of BJD aren’t different from anyone else, it can be easily compared to high-end fashion industry which continue to exist despite the KO or adult collector toys such Diaclone, Figma, Transformers MP and so on. In the end of day, like it or not, BJD are mass produced products like anything else and KO isn’t unique, nor more harmful to it than in any other case.
And BTW, it’s you guys who try to convert everyone into thinking your way! I came here to represent my opinion and hoping for you that while is ok to think recasts are wrong, it’s annoying and useless to try shoving down this opinion on everyone’ throats!
*for you to realize that while
La “recast” est un vol.
Un “recasteur” est un voleur.
Point à la ligne et rien d’autre à dire.