Which Proto did I miss out on?

[Birdeh]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FUNKO-MY-LITTLE-PONY-FRIENDSHIP-IS-MAGIC-TRIXIE-LULAMOON-Figure-Prototype-/271719467653?nma=true&si=Tp4cZ%252F99TpJlHZM%252FAFyyzRrrIJY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

So I just tried to win this proto..

and lost. But was it a mini or a full sized vinyl proto? I'll be a lot less upset if it was a mini.

[Reverend]

It's a china trash can toy you didn't miss out on anything

[Birdeh]

It's a china trash can toy you didn't miss out on anything

Huh?

[Reverend]

It not a legit Proto they are stole and/or made from the factory without Funko permission, it is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. If it comes from china it's trash usually.

[beckysaurus]

What reverend said. But the description says 3-4" tall. So, a mini, obviously.

[Birdeh]

Oh. :c Dang, guess I'm glad I didn't get it.

Although I was really excited at the aspect of finally having a proto. :c

[beckysaurus]

Oh. :c Dang, guess I'm glad I didn't get it.

Although I was really excited at the aspect of finally having a proto. :c

I saw a white flutter shy mini proto go up on eBay from china several months ago. One of the wings had clearly broken off and then been glued. And a lot of the "protos" that come out of china are incredibly scuffed and dirty looking. I promise, when you finally acquire a real proto, it will be worth it.

[ShoMeNodder]

2 1/2" would be the size of a mini...4" a pop.

[Birdeh]

I'll keep looking..

I'd love to have a proto. Especially a Fluttershy. Or Chrysalis, when / if she comes out.

It sucks that now there're fake ones to look out for. :/

[ShoMeNodder]

Know the origin...if it's from China, walk away.

[beckysaurus]

2 1/2" would be the size of a mini...4" a pop.

True. But since they aren't providing exact height, any trixie has that huge hat, I would say she is 3".

[Kitzka]

What Rev, carol and becjy said. I also recommend asking questions. One thing to note is that another Funatic spoke to a member of the funko staff who said that they did not make protos of some of the mystery mini sets. Since the ponies are just smaller versions of the regular vinyl ponies there may not be protos.

I know quite a few of us are always on the look out for pony protos. Be patient and one will come your way.

Lara

[Poncho Pete]

Over-sized Mini or Under-sized Regular. Hmmm.....

[Alleycat]

. One thing to note is that another Funatic spoke to a member of the funko staff who said that they did not make protos of some of the mystery mini sets

Lara

This may always remain a mystery. We don't know which MM's have had Protos made. I got my set of mini TMNT Protos from Gemini- they were direct from Funko. As has been noted, know the source.

I am still waiting for a couple of back-door MINI "Protos" to be delivered from China. They have not yet made it to the USA.

[Poncho Pete]

You and me both, Craig. My tron proto is taking forever...

[Squird]

We can't stress enough to avoid the China protos. Doesn't seem to stop people from bidding up those two Frozen pieces on Ebay right now.

THEY'RE CRAP!!!!!!!

[Kitzka]

I will be interested to see these China 'protos' and to hear what Pete and craig think about them. And I forgot that the TMNT protos were up on gemini. Also some of the disney minis are legit right? So the mystery of the mystery minis continues.

Lara

[BigM]

There are DC (Series 1) mini protos too.
Most of the China ones look dirty. Some look better but I think everyone needs to avoid the scrap

[Alleycat]

I bid on this pony but lost. I got a 'second chance' message from the seller to BIN at my last bid. Got a similar message for another one I was bidding on but didn't win.

Just FYI.

BTW - the TMNT mini Protos from Gemini are clean and flawless. Super nice pieces.

[ShoMeNodder]

I would trust Pete and Craig to specify the protos they buy from China were indeed from China should they ever sell them.

[Alleycat]

I plan to mark them somehow. Black sharpie "c" on bottom of foot.?

[dustman94]

PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING COMING OUT OF CHINA IS A KNOCK OFF, FROM FUNKO STUFF TO CLOTHES ETC.

[Poncho Pete]

Yeah. I thought it was worth $20 to see what the tron mini proto was like. I'm avoiding that pop stuff (including the coronation Anna). Don't want them intermingling and passing diseases to my real ones.

[ShoMeNodder]

[Squird]

I worry about what happens when the original buyers try to resell them. I have to Batman Hikari scraps. I enjoy them quite a bit, but I figure that I'll eventually sell or trade them out. I know I will be pretty open about how I got them and that they're not the 'real' deal, and I know that several collectors here will do the same, but will others?

[lovetheangels]

I bid on this pony but lost. I got a 'second chance' message from the seller to BIN at my last bid. Got a similar message for another one I was bidding on but didn't win.

Just FYI.

BTW - the TMNT mini Protos from Gemini are clean and flawless. Super nice pieces.

My guess is they can give second chances to everyone because they can get as many as they need. So if your bid was close to what it sold for they offer it to you and dig in the trash to pull more out. The pony pic was funny. One side of the hat was pink and the other side was white. Come on now if you are going to take the paint off do it uniformally.

[wiirenet]

What else do you guys know about china figures? I bought one of these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Funko-Mystery-M ... 4d2abfb6b2

and he feels and looks the same as my minis I purchased from a store around here. I figured they might be copied knock offs with the low price, but it looks indistinguishable. I was expecting cheaper material or different marking, but it's pretty exact.

Definitely not defending them, just curious for my future benefit. I'm not a collector who needs everything, I just have a few certain figures I want.

[Birdeh]

What else do you guys know about china figures? I bought one of these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Funko-Mystery-M ... 4d2abfb6b2

and he feels and looks the same as my minis I purchased from a store around here. I figured they might be copied knock offs with the low price, but it looks indistinguishable. I was expecting cheaper material or different marking, but it's pretty exact.

Definitely not defending them, just curious for my future benefit. I'm not a collector who needs everything, I just have a few certain figures I want.

Mem is as far as I'm aware 100% legitimate. It's a new line for the deceased GOT characters.

[Alleycat]

The painted ones that the China sellers have on eBay seem to be "authentic" but not legitimate - meaning unaltered production pieces that did not make it into packaging. Why, I don't know. But these pieces may have scuff marks or other imperfections that to me look like they were thrown in a box with others and then put up for bids.

Why take a chance when these pieces can be bought from stores in boxes, or from legitimate collectors who have duplicates.

Their "protos" on the other hand still look to me to be production pieces stripped of their paint.

Just received my first mini "proto" from China - here's close up pics...... Comments?

[ShoMeNodder]

Looks like residue left on him from where they stripped the paint.

[beckysaurus]

^Craig,

Ew. I feel like some of these may not have even made it to the paint stage. Like, someone saw this figure on the line to be painted, and realized it looked like trash with the glue residue and pieces falling off. It looks like glue residue to me, but you two have seen a lot more of these than I have.

[Squird]

I think Carol's right. There's a hobby product for loosening model cement. I used it to break apart a Pop for customization. It left a similar white residue behind.

If I wasn't so lazy, I'd go down to the basement and get the name of the product.

It's also possible that someone bounced this from the production line because of a bad glue job.

[Alleycat]

^Craig,

Ew. I feel like some of these may not have even made it to the paint stage. Like, someone saw this figure on the line to be painted, and realized it looked like trash with the glue residue and pieces falling off. It looks like glue residue to me, but you two have seen a lot more of these than I have.

Becky, it's not glue residue. Some of the plastic is missing at the edges - it's indented, not raised. I't's like the plastic has been eaten away.

[beckysaurus]

^Craig,

Ew. I feel like some of these may not have even made it to the paint stage. Like, someone saw this figure on the line to be painted, and realized it looked like trash with the glue residue and pieces falling off. It looks like glue residue to me, but you two have seen a lot more of these than I have.

Becky, it's not glue residue. Some of the plastic is missing at the edges - it's indented, not raised. I't's like the plastic has been eaten away.

I see. What a shame.

[Bartjeuhh]

It's funny when you say: oh they're from China so they are definitely fake! All Funko POP's are made in China ... LOL

[beckysaurus]

It's funny when you say: oh they're from China so they are definitely fake! All Funko POP's are made in China ... LOL

There's a difference between a counterfeit/fake and a scrapped piece. But regardless, this is a prototype that wasn't made to Funko's specifications or with their authorization. It's being sold out the back door.

Yes, production pieces are manufactured in China, but those pieces leave through the front door and are then sold by retailers, not by factory workers or their family who have an eBay account.

[Alleycat]

I just got one of the Spock "protos" and a painted one from China. The plastic is good, but I see signs of blue and purple at areas where his sash is tied, as well as some black within the raised lettering on the bottom of his feet. The painted one looks great.

[Bartjeuhh]

It's funny when you say: oh they're from China so they are definitely fake! All Funko POP's are made in China ... LOL

There's a difference between a counterfeit/fake and a scrapped piece. But regardless, this is a prototype that wasn't made to Funko's specifications or with their authorization. It's being sold out the back door.

Yes, production pieces are manufactured in China, but those pieces leave through the front door and are then sold by retailers, not by factory workers or their family who have an eBay account.

Good point you've got!

[RogueSolo]

Just received my first mini "proto" from China - here's close up pics...... Comments?

Either that, or they over-glued the joints and rejected it because the paint wouldn't stick. But from your comments about the plastic indented and glue-dissolver, my next guess would be they tried to pry the joints apart with a screw-driver and mushed the palstic in?

The painted ones that the China sellers have on eBay seem to be "authentic" but not legitimate - meaning unaltered production pieces that did not make it into packaging. Why, I don't know. But these pieces may have scuff marks or other imperfections that to me look like they were thrown in a box with others and then put up for bids.

I've bought a few figures from China, and on most of them I can't find anything visibly wrong. The last figure I got in, Oogie Boogie, had paint-wear on the mouth to where I assume it was rejected and then pocketed. But up on my shelf where I'm not 2" away from it, I can't really tell there's anything "wrong" with it.