Bootlegs, They're Everywhere!

This is probably the most important reason to buy from us! In only a few months we've encountered over 240 bootleg G1 Transformers and accessories which were advertised as vintage. We have also come across over 40 He-Man/Thundercats bootleg accessories. Some of these bootlegs are quite impressive and hard to tell apart at first glance. Here are some useful tips to help you identify bootlegs.

• Molding Errors - most bootlegs are ridden with molding errors, unclean edges, and faded details
  
  
• Mold Numbers - most BUT NOT ALL authentic accessories have a mold number etched into them, sometimes it's hard to locate because it may be in a crevice or hole.
  
  
• Size Difference - This can be a bit tricky. If you have an accessory which is either too tight (extreme force is required to attach it) or too loose (will not stay attached regardless) then you may have a bootleg but authentic pieces may also share this characteristic.
  
  We'll use the Transformers toy line as an example because this is where most of the bootlegs are. We've identified Ultra Magnus and Skywarp with having two mold types... perhaps this is due to region but we haven't confirmed this. If you were to swap the accessories between the two molds, you'll find that neither accessory group will fit the other. The way to tell if it's authentic is in the plastic. Bootlegs are made of cheap plastic so if your accessory is too tight, you may notice the plastic beginning to strip off/show damage on the connector stub.
  
  
• Manufacturer Stamp - look for a manufacturer stamp somewhere on the body. Authentic Transformers will have either Takara, Hasbro, Macau or Bandai. Authentic He-Man/She-Ra will have Mattel written on the lower back. Jem and the Hologram dolls will have Hasbro written on the back of the head.

The second most important and more subtle reason to buy from us is to avoid buying vintage toys grouped with reissued or re-released accessories. It doesn't matter which toy line, because most re-released toys share the similar accessory design as previous vintage releases. We've encountered many like this... these accessories look great in the picture but have very minor differences from the originals... some figures have been re-released up to six or more times!

What makes Toycatacomb.com toys different? We spend a lot of time screening for any bootleg and reissue figures and accessories, thus, listing them as such. You will never see a bootleg toy or accessory at our store.

Not only do we have some of the best prices on the net but we also guarantee that any vintage toy you buy from us is 100% vintage!