Fake, Counterfeit, Knockoff, Illegal, Garbage, Crap Set & Minifigure Thread: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING!

[Pseudoty]

7 hours ago, exciter1 said:

The mods need to step up.

Wait until I get my Pantasy Bakery review up 😂

But if you can’t wait Ryan has 3 reviews on his Chanel and has an active promo code:

MandRpanda

for 15% off on all Pantasy sets on Amazon

 

 

Edited April 4 by Pseudoty

[Pseudoty]

Only on bag 2 but so far so good, perhaps too good. These GoBricks are something perfect clutch power, injection mold marks are better than Lego, translucents are well translucent not cloudy, clears are packaged separately to help avoid damage and look to be crystal clear. No smell or oily feel, fit and function seem perfect but the colors seem a shade different than Lego. Numbered bags, nice base plate, instructions are good, haven’t gotten to any possible stickers or printed elements yet and no missing pieces so far. They do have a parts replacement service and online instructions as well.  They even have anti-theft and piracy prevention built into their packaging. 
 

Edited April 4 by Pseudoty

[TheOrcKing]

Pantasy sounds like a name brand of women's undergarments.
And just earlier Pseudoty was talking about his Funwhole....

[Darth_Raichu]

On 3/31/2024 at 11:32 AM, CsabaLazlo said:

It amazes me that they get away with selling stuff on Amazon. It's blatant infringement of the Star Wars IP. The mouse usually does not **** around when it comes to that stuff.

1. Amazon never care as long as they get their cuts

2. I'd imagine Disney's legal department is busier than ever these days....

[Tonka858]

17 hours ago, Darth_Raichu said:

1. Amazon never care as long as they get their cuts

2. I'd imagine Disney's legal department is busier than ever these days....

report all of it, [email protected] 

they finally cracked down on all the facebook ads for shirts so it does work

[Pseudoty]

Can you tell the difference?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/386930439261?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=aitt-6jqtjm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Kogj7Ln_Twa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[exciter1]

53 minutes ago, Pseudoty said:

Can you tell the difference?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/386930439261?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=aitt-6jqtjm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Kogj7Ln_Twa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I can tell it’s not this.

[CsabaLazlo]

1 hour ago, Pseudoty said:

Can you tell the difference?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/386930439261?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=aitt-6jqtjm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Kogj7Ln_Twa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Set number is wrong and it's missing the LEGO branding. That aside, it's a decent match.

[BRIX23]

2 hours ago, Pseudoty said:

Can you tell the difference?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/386930439261?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=aitt-6jqtjm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Kogj7Ln_Twa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Out of curiosity I reported this listing to ebay for counterfeit or authenticity practices since it's clearly not LEGO, but yet advertised as the real deal.  They denied my claim saying the listing doesn't violate their policy.  

Flego manufacturers can make all kinds of sets/bricks for all I care, but manufacturers and sellers marketing sets as LEGO which are clearly a copy of an existing set is bad for the industry as a whole and should be addressed.  How does ebay get away with a not my problem attitude allowing a free market for counterfeit and corruption?

[Pseudoty]

Even the LAN members are getting in on it. Look at the comments I think this Flego thing is really going mainstream due to the increased quality and the economy.

 

 

[Bricklectic]

Ryan @ M & R also has been pumping out the flego & pantasy reviews.

I think its worth noting that the more success they have and the more the mainstream they become the more likely it is for Lego to notice and devote resources to cracking down on. This may appear to benefit resellers but I believe can cause Amazon to increase scrutiny of resellers which can be very bad.

[Pseudoty]

Just now, Bricklectic said:

Ryan @ M & R also has been pumping out the flego & pantasy reviews.

I think its worth noting that the more success they have and the more the mainstream they become the more likely it is for Lego to notice and devote resources to cracking down on. This may appear to benefit resellers but I believe can cause Amazon to increase scrutiny of resellers which can be very bad.

Not sure what Lego can do about Pantasy they use their own designs, boxes, instructions and even some elements that Lego does not make as well as their own unique building techniques. I am on the third floor of the Pantasy Bakery so should finish it this weekend and post up my review and some pics but for the price, $85 for a 2,660 piece Modular, you can't go wrong. 

[Bricklectic]

33 minutes ago, Pseudoty said:

Not sure what Lego can do about Pantasy they use their own designs, boxes, instructions and even some elements that Lego does not make as well as their own unique building techniques. I am on the third floor of the Pantasy Bakery so should finish it this weekend and post up my review and some pics but for the price, $85 for a 2,660 piece Modular, you can't go wrong. 

yea the mocs and original design are safe but many (most?) of the myriad of KO Flego companies crank out both. I'd wager most of the $$$ amount of flego bought is going towards illegal replicas... Lego legal probably doesnt feel its worth their time but with the economy plateauing and lego income post peak, they may well start to crack down. In fact, I'm extremely surprised they haven't already given the blatant and widespread availability of the clones. 

Begun, the clone wars have...

Edited April 16 by Bricklectic

[Captain_Obvious]

It feels like we're in the matrix. The AI represents China and the human pods represent creative individuals/companies around the world. China lives off this creativity to feed the machine. It would be interesting if the tables were turned and eventually we'd get a run on counterfeiting their creativity. I just don't think they'll ever have any without a middle class...

So where's all this going? Production of counterfeits is moving faster, getting better, and spreading across many industries beyond consumer goods.

The rise of China's middle class may be our only hope and at the same time—the CCP's worst nightmare.

[Tonka858]

On 4/16/2024 at 11:35 AM, Captain_Obvious said:

It feels like we're in the matrix. The AI represents China and the human pods represent creative individuals/companies around the world. China lives off this creativity to feed the machine. It would be interesting if the tables were turned and eventually we'd get a run on counterfeiting their creativity. I just don't think they'll ever have any without a middle class...

So where's all this going? Production of counterfeits is moving faster, getting better, and spreading across many industries beyond consumer goods.

The rise of China's middle class may be our only hope and at the same time—the CCP's worst nightmare.

We really do nothing to stop it, We even let them trade on the stock market 

[Pseudoty]

OMG, we have officially Jumped the Shark!

 

 

[fuzzy_bricks]

Et tu, Jang?

[Darth_Raichu]

3 hours ago, fuzzy_bricks said:

Et tu, Jang?

LOL Jang lost his loyalty to LEGO when LEGO removed his reviews of sets that were released early in EU (but not yet in US).  This was what, 5 years ago ?

3 hours ago, Pseudoty said:

OMG, we have officially Jumped the Shark!

Having said that, if the brick company holds official license from the IP owners, it should not be classified as knock off brand. 🤷‍♂️

Looking at CADA website, I am tempted to buy this Trueno from Initial D anime. 

https://decadastore.com/products/initial-d-toyata-trueno-ae86-c61024w

[Captain_Obvious]

20 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

Initial D anime

Legendary cartoon. This show taught me how to drift cars irl. I'm buying this fs!

[Pseudoty]

 

On 4/4/2024 at 4:44 PM, Pseudoty said:

Only on bag 2 but so far so good, perhaps too good. These GoBricks are something perfect clutch power, injection mold marks are better than Lego, translucents are well translucent not cloudy, clears are packaged separately to help avoid damage and look to be crystal clear. No smell or oily feel, fit and function seem perfect but the colors seem a shade different than Lego. Numbered bags, nice base plate, instructions are good, haven’t gotten to any possible stickers or printed elements yet and no missing pieces so far. They do have a parts replacement service and online instructions as well.  They even have anti-theft and piracy prevention built into their packaging. 
 

So I finished the Pantasy Bakery last night with no missing pieces, no stickers all printed parts, but also no minifigures. I was not aware that this is version 3 of this set and that Pantasy actually listens to reviews and corrects/upgrades the set and rereleases it instead of just moving onto the next set.  The first version was more of a pinkish cartoony look and had stickers. Whoever designed this set has some top notch building techniques like some of the windows and the toilet are better than Lego builds. 
 

If you are looking to build this set to add to your city know that the base plate is thicker than Lego and that there are no technic connections because all 4 sides of the build are finished with details. I was going to take pics comparing it to the bookshop as the Bakery is taller and much more robust but didn’t want to risk taking it off the shelf where it has been sitting for 4 years. I have but have not built any of the newer modulars since. 
 

The bricks are perfect 98% the same as Lego if not better in some ways as the injection mold points are less visible and it was fun to just build and not have to worry about what side of an element was facing outwards like I have to do with Lego recently. The numbered bags are even superior to Lego in quality they are thicker and have the set name and number on them. I emailed Pantasy and they sent me the digital files for electronic instructions which I preferred over the printed book.
 

With all of the Lego sets out there to get and build who is this set for? Perhaps someone looking to add more modulars to their collection or someone trying to save money as it is only $80 shipped from the USA in a nice box with good instructions from Amazon using Promo code MandRPanda versus $200 for the Bookshop.
 

I did get another Pantasy set the Wood Cabin for $55 but it will have to wait as it is back to Lego and the $300 Batman wall art set. You don’t get the Lego purist joy from the build or adding it to your collection with Pantasy and I don’t feel Pantasy is as big of a threat to resellers as all of the Flego sets out there with their excessive clutch power and foggy translucent pieces. 
 

Here is a snippet from an Amazon reviewer:

“Bricks: The bricks are very close to Lego in look and feel. No molding defects or missing parts. Some of the tiles are a bit scuffed, and there are some micro scratches on some of the clear parts but nothing outrageous or distracting. Fortunately, most of the clear parts come in their own bags to prevent scratches. Clutch power is generally a tad tighter than Lego (think Cobi). Unlike Lego, there are no quality control issues with color consistency: all bricks of each color match each other well. One unfortunate oddity: the 2x2 jumper tiles all have an engraved square around the central stud, so they don't match the totally smooth plain tiles esthetically.

Design: A mixed bag. The exterior detailing feels too gauche, too exuberant, too "gingerbread house," for my taste, but that's obviously subjective. It lacks the esthetic refinement and unity of the best Lego modulars, like the Parisian Restaurant. A few simple modifications can tone things down, however. If you're making a street scene or city, the color scheme matches nicely with Lego's modular bookstore. The core design of a gym poised atop a bakery is either incongruous or cheekily amusing, depending on your point of view. The set is loaded with tons of detail inside and out, which, while not challenging for an experienced builder, is nevertheless fun to build and look at. In fact, the quality and amount of detailing makes some of Lego's modulars feel a bit rushed and lazy by comparison.

Overall, this is a fine example of the new wave of Lego competitors beating Lego at their own game, with a top-quality product priced for way, way less.”

 

ETA:

Pic of extra pieces and I popped off the top of the rain gutter when taking pics and need to find it now  

 

Edited April 21 by Pseudoty

[Pseudoty]

And for those of you wanting more behind the scenes info this YouTube video was just posted. 
 

 

[Captain_Obvious]

Are you reselling this crap? You've been cheerleading this stuff a little too much lately lol

[Bricklectic]

27 minutes ago, Captain_Obvious said:

Are you reselling this crap? You've been cheerleading this stuff a little too much lately lol

Not sure if that adjective is based on experience? Everything I've read on online forums indicates the same as pseudoty. GoBricks is very high quality. 

The rise of the clones is an extremely important event in the Lego world and needs to be covered far more comprehensively, if anything. 

It's unusual even for a dominant player in any given consumer category to have such a monopolistic stranglehold; perhaps this is the beginning of the end of that. 

I find it interesting that Mega has come up with some worth lego level designs, but their bricks arent up to snuff. Pantasy on the other hand to me seems perhaps the opposite. Great bricks but not loving the designs. 

[Pseudoty]

46 minutes ago, Captain_Obvious said:

Are you reselling this crap? You've been cheerleading this stuff a little too much lately lol

No, it started out more of a know thy enemy sort of thing but the results are the results. I have a  Flego apocalypsburg, my white whale set, from Marstoys but I am really not looking forward to building it if it is similar to the build experience of the Old Fishing Store. I was thinking of grabbing 2  Rivendell from Marstoys to do the MOC as previously posted but definitely won’t. However because the Flego stuff isn’t good enough for me doesn’t mean that many will turn to it because of the savings for something that is nearly as good as Lego.
 

As far as these Pantasy sets I am done as well unless something new comes out that really looks great. I still have the Pantasy Wood Cabin to build and a FunWhole Farmerstand and I may get the Farmers Truck for $30 to go with it. I don’t see someone buying the Bakery if they still need the Lego Jazz Club, Boutique Hotel, Book shop or Natural History Museum. However if someone wants a Detectives Office or Green Grocer I can see them easily going with Flego than resellers. I just didn’t trust these reviewers saying Flego was just as good as Lego and needed to see for myself, it is not, but for the savings it will be an option for many. 
 

Here this will put your mind at ease 🤣

[Pseudoty]

37 minutes ago, Bricklectic said:

Not sure if that adjective is based on experience? Everything I've read on online forums indicates the same as pseudoty. GoBricks is very high quality. 

The rise of the clones is an extremely important event in the Lego world and needs to be covered far more comprehensively, if anything. 

It's unusual even for a dominant player in any given consumer category to have such a monopolistic stranglehold; perhaps this is the beginning of the end of that. 

I find it interesting that Mega has come up with some worth lego level designs, but their bricks arent up to snuff. Pantasy on the other hand to me seems perhaps the opposite. Great bricks but not loving the designs. 

Exactly, I perused their offerings and nothing else looks interesting to me. Perhaps if you were into Steampunk, Astro Boy or Popeye, the boat is supposed to be great according to MandR, but at least they aren’t stealing MOCs off of rebrickable but coming out with their own unique stuff.