To "cheong" or not to "cheong"

To "cheong" or not to "cheong" (Part 1)

 It is no secret by now that some fans of Lego dabble in bootleg brick toys. Before hardcore fans scream blasphemy, let me explain more on this observation and some proposed reasons for this rising trend. Oh, by the way, to buy a "cheong" product is a local slang for getting a bootleg. I need to make a clear statement that I do not support bootleg products and I also do not purchase bootleg products for the purpose of resale. Any bootleg product purchased were done with the intention to understand the products in its quality and design in order to share that information with collectors.   

By now, bootleg brick toys have already established themselves in the international market. Initially, companies in China produced bootleg Lego minifigures from existing popular superhero licenses such as Marvel and DC. Later on, minifigures from other licences like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Minecraft were added too. Somehow, the opportunistic companies noticed that fans were keen on characters and variants of designs not produced by Lego due to licensing and branding issues. They went on to release "original" variants  and minifigures based on exclusive events as well. The introduction of small sets centered around adding accessories for minifigures such as the Hall of Armour for Iron Man and even weapon racks/stand for Lord of the Ring and Star Wars minifigures.  

In recent years, bootleg brick toys companies hopped onto Lego sets, mostly starting from Star Wars: The Force Awaken to other Marvel and DC sets. We also see sets based on Lego's retired and even existing sets. In short, the bootleg companies are going after sets, especially big sets that were sought after and at the end of the line for production.   

So what are some possible reasons for the rapid rise of the bootleg companies?  

  1. Advancement in technology for toy manufacturing   

From design to production, advanced technology were utilised to clone and customise existing designs to capture minute details and the companies were able to produce bootlegs close to the original design in large quantity, at a very low cost. They were also able to improve their products to the point which the current printing and quality of bricks are very close to that of Lego. Bear in mind they are not exactly the same in terms of quality, but still close and getting closer with each new release. 

  2. Responsiveness to demand   

Believe it or not, the buyers from China's domestic market can just be as or even more demanding than overseas buyers. Most of the toy seller earn by selling high quantity of product and they aim to receive positive feedback on online social sale/purchase platforms in order to chalk up more sales. As such, they do look into feedback from buyers to improve on the next product quickly. If you think about it, they can do so in such breakneck speed as they copied the design and only have to work on the manufacturing process as most feedback revolves around the quality of the finished product. Furthermore, once they know of popular character variants not produced by Lego, they will sweep in to design and release these variants quickly.    

  3. Improvement in accessibility to bootleg toys   

From Amazon to Taobao, we see that buyers are able to access online sale sites that were exclusive to domestic markets because of shipping. Mail forwarders and 3rd party purchase companies have stepped in to meet the needs and buyers can easily purchase bootleg toys without even stepping out of their home. Online sellers are also providing preorder services to consolidate orders for bootleg products so they can negotiate for bulk discounts and save on shipping costs.   

  4. Low prices   

In many asian countries, Lego products are sold by licensed resellers. I do not know how it works exactly but basically we are paying way above the retail prices for Lego bought in western countries. Furthermore, products reach our shores much later from the released dates and in very limited quantity. You can sense the frustration when you are reading this and understand how it plays out. Parents who do not know the brands and products well may just purchase bootleg brick toys because they are cheaper and readily available. What is the price difference? A bootleg brick set may be as low as one tenth of an authentic Lego set of the same design. And readily in stock.   

What about Lego fans? Do they buy bootleg brick toys too? This is where it gets interesting. I believe some do. Based on my interaction with some Lego fans, they purchase bootleg brick toys too.    

  A. Low prices   

Huh? Again? Lego collectors often view bootleg brick toys as inferior but the low prices allow them to buy the bootleg brick toys to experiment with them. Some of us can't bear to open the authentic Lego products because of the rising resale value in our market. Bootleg brick toys allow one to enjoy the process of building sets without opening the precious mint in condition boxes. You can also enjoy exclusive sets and figures without breaking the bank. With the release of EOL sets, fans of Lego can also get their hands of EOL sets that they may have incredible difficulty in hunting down.    

  B. Re-creating scenes for play and photos   

 As bootleg companies released variants not available from Lego, you can get hold of characters to re-create scenes for play and taking incredible photos that are closer to shows and comics. This is enough to make geeks wet their pants when the character hold a certain place in their hearts that outweighs their loyalty to a brand.   

  C. Improving quality    

Even at low prices, most fans of Lego still keep a wide berth from bootleg brick toys because of the perceived poor quality. It may hold true as the quality control is definitely not as good as authentic Lego toys. However, as the quality of bootleg brick toys is improving and online reviewers are providing detailed positive feedback, many are swayed to purchase them. Also remember point A and B?        

Conclusion 

While there are dedicated communities around the world who are loyal to Lego, much can be said for bootleg brick toys too. However, there are also those who are on the line, dabbling in bootleg brick toys with a clear sense of value and worth attached to the authentic and bootleg products. They don't mix both up and they certainly do not display bootleg because of the love, pride and value attributed to the authentic products. There are outcries among Lego fans for the company to do something about the bootleg companies but until then, we will continue to see them in the market. In the meantime, it does not mean I support bootleg brick toys. I think it is a wake up call for Lego to step up on their game and also do something quickly about their involvement with the asian markets and fans who are growing frustrated.

In the next entry, we will review some sets from a couple of prominent companies and compare them with authentic Lego sets too.