A Guide To Japanese Music, Animation, Comics, Collectibles, and Video Game Memoralbilia

*Updated 1/24/07*

The purpose of this guide is to help buyers get the most out of eBay when it comes to buying Japanese animation, comics, figures, toys, and other various merchandise because it's not as simple as it may seem. Since Japanese animation and comics have made it big here in the states, countless imitations and bootleg versions of these items have become readily available, especially on ebay. This guide will provide important tips to remember when buying these items so that you get what you paid for.

Animation (Anime)- One of the biggest problems that can be found on eBay is bootlegging, or the act of illegally copying digital media. Bootlegging (also know as pirating or piracy) is cheap for the seller, allowing them to make a greater profit per item or to make a large profit based on mass production. Once the seller gets a hold of an authentic copy of the media data, they can then rip (extract the data from the disc) and then burn (copy it onto a new disc) the media at near to no cost at all. They can then turn around and list that item on eBay, either passing it off as the real deal or by writing vague descriptions about the item. Most often the sellers are smart enough not to out and out say that the item is an illegal copy, so it can be hard to tell, but there are signs that can easily be spotted:

1. Large number of episodes, small number of discs.

2. Episodes on VCD or CD.

3. Low Buy It Now prices and sometimes Low Starting Bids with No Reserve.

3. No picture or a generic picture that is not an actual photo or stock photo.

4. Items listed as from Hong Kong, China, or several other Asian countries (not including Japan).

VCDs and CDs can fit more episodes because the picture is often of a poor quality. They typically have "fan subbed" or homemade subtitles since they are often copied from a Japanese source with no English subtitles. Anime sets, known as "Hong Kong Box Sets" are usually the type of listing most people buy into. They usually have 3 or more CDs, VCDs, or DVDs, contain 20-50 episodes and have fairly high quality box art. However, these sets usually are missing a few very important details: UPC, Copyright Information, Manufacturer/Distributor. Many also have Chinese writing instead of Japanese, or have poorly translated English.

Comics (Manga)- Spotting a fake Japanese Comic is much easier. Whenever the word VCD appears in an auction regarding comics, it's almost certainly a fake. That's because the seller scans comics or manga into their computer and then burn them onto a disc. Another term to look for is "scanlation." These are the Japanese version scanned into a computer and the text is removed and replaced with English text. One last thing to address is the word "Doujinshi." Now, these comics are in no way illegal. They are works created by a fan of a series and published independently. They are not authentic work done by done the original author, but they are a nice collectible if you find them interesting.

Figures, Toys, and Other Collectibles- Spotting a fake here can be pretty tough. Because of the number of fakes on eBay, sellers often go out of their way to make it known that their product is the real deal. Here are some things to look out for when you shop:

1. Always look for the words Authentic, Licsenced, Original, and Official in the listing title or auction text.

2. Be wary of items from Hong Kong, China, and other Asian countries.

3. Match Seller's Product Information Against Stock Information.

4. Look for copyright information in the item picture.

5.Research The Item at a reliable source.

6. Look for Chinese or Poorly Translated English.

Whenever in doubt, you should contact the seller and ask for more pictures, spefically of the product's box or stamp/seal of authenticity. No authentic item, no matter how small, will be without some type of marking. Many imitations from China may look very much similar to the real thing, but they almost never have the appropriate markings on the item itself. Another thing to look for are flaws in the craftsmanship. Poor paint jobs or items with coloring that is off from it is model after is always a dead giveaway. Also, as before with Hong Kong Box Sets, always look for poorly translated English.

Anime Posters and Wallscrolls *New*

This type of auction is very easily overlooked.  There are many sellers on ebay who peddle this merchandise and only about 5% of anime posters and wallscrolls found on ebay are authentic products. Spotting fake posters is very easy, but the same cannot be said about wallscrolls. Here's what to look for:

For Posters:

1. Posters will always the Copyright Information in either the bottom right or left corner. This includes manufacturer, copyright date of of the product it is based off, print date (listed as copyright date), and the property owner.

2. Almost all posters are printed in either Japan or the United States. Posters from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong or the Philippeans are almost definitely fakes.

3. Grainy Picture Quality, pictures that are partially cut off or Poorly Cropped, Super-Glossy paper and posters sized approximately at 15x24 are signs of fakes.

4. Photos that are easily accesible online, fanart, or digitaly altered photos are common image sources for immitations.

For Wallscrolls:

1. Copywright information should be located somewhere on the cloth of the wallscroll, if not on the packaging itself.

2. Scrolls featuring prominent characters with mix-matched background are common among fakes. Authentic wallscrolls have coordinating backgrounds or are original compositions.

3. Poor picture quality and bad cropping.

Some sellers may be listed as selling out of China or Hong Kong, or any of the other Asian countries listed and say that the item is imported from Japan. If so, always ask the seller to provide authenticity information. If they are indeed selling the real thing, they should have no problem providing you with this information.

Japanese Music *New*

IMPORTANT: EverAnime is a huge company located in China. I was just made aware of recently that all CDs produced by EverAnime are FAKES. The audio quality is decent, but flawed, as is the packaging. Their merchandise is good enough to pass off as authentic, but it is not. From my knowledge to date, all Japanese CDs are made in Japan only. Many companies who produce anime are very small and rely on every penny they take in from additional products to stay in business. Please help put a stop to piracy and avoid purchasing these bootleg CDs.

International Copyright Laws

It should be known that piracy and bootlegging is a serious crime punishable by law. Not only can the person who is creating the fake merchandise, but knowingly purchasing an item which is fake is also punishable. Such activities constitute fraud and can result in, depending upon the amount of money involved, large fines and jail time.

The United States and Japan's government recognize all copyright laws from both countries.  Even if a property has not been licensed in the United States, downloading, selling, and repoducing such merchandise is an infringment of Japanese Law and is still punishable in the U.S.

Aside from the legal ramifications of engaging in such activities, piracy and bootlegging take away from the industy. Those persons who create these works for us to enjoy should be paid for their hard work just as anyone else. If these illegal activities continue, many companies may stop selling their rights to be licensed in the U.S. or may go bankrupt entirely.