Friday, November 24, 2023

Bootleg C-3PO: with...orange paint?

The Polish C-3PO bootlegs of the Comics Spain sculpt arent seen too frequently at auction, but a sample came to market, and this version has what appears to be orange paint on the torso. This bootleg has never been known to have a painted torso - orange or otherwise, so I thought I'd post it to see if anyone else has run into something similar. It appears most of the orange has been rubbed off, assuming it existed in a larger quantity to begin with. It's also possible that the orange substance is something else entirely - like mold growing on a dirty figure. It's not uncommon, for something that's been sitting for potentially decades, which might have had grease, or another impurity coating it for years, to be in this condition as well. Posted to archive it's existence at the very least.

Sunday, May 21, 2023

R2-D2 mystery "bootleg" solved?

Another reader was nice enough to write in and mention that she picked up a figure lot on ebay that contained both Comics Spain and Disney Star Tours pvc figures, which also had a white R2-D2 figure included (that is nearly identical to the one seen in the previous post). After some research, they turned out to be from the same seller, yet the figures themselves were slightly different. Now we know that at least two of these "bootlegs" exist, but I actually wouldn't define them as such, because there has been no real indication that they were produced for re-sale, and might in fact be customs. The figure itself is made of a hard material, most likely a resin, as air bubble holes are present on the figure. It's also interesting to note that both samples have some type of cardboard glued to the feet, leading be to believe they were glued down to another surface, and torn off before being listed at auction. Still no origin and reason why they were created, but the crude construction leaves me with little doubt that these are customs, not bootlegs, and surely not prototypes.

Friday, March 3, 2023

Prototype R2-D2 or bootleg?

A fellow collector sent me some photos of a R2-D2 figure he spotted online, which is currently at auction, and it's described as both a "prototype first shot" and an "unpainted Spain bootleg" in the title. In the item description, it is referred to as a "rare unpainted first shot prototype". It is an oddity to be sure, but no origin details have been mentioned. Due to the crude construction near the seam, it makes me first think of a custom made from resin, but it could also be exactly what the seller describes. Prototypes and bootlegs aren't something I tend to collect myself, but thought it would be interesting to catalog nonetheless.

Friday, February 24, 2023

C-3PO matte finish?

A C-3PO figure made it's way to auction, it is the alternate paint verison (gold) of the Comics Spain release, but this sample appears to be more of a bronze matte finish, rather than gold. It could have weathered with time and other elements, or it could be a paint error, as there is no known variant with this finish for the figure.

Friday, September 30, 2022

Newly discovered Droids Bootlegs?

A pair of newly discovered bootlegs have been spotted at auction, this time both droids molded in the correct colors and painted to look like the Comics Spain releases, but both deformed and sloppily painted. No confirmation on country of origin or year produced as of yet. The R2-D2 is difficult to discern at first, but the C-3PO has some glaring differences, from the green nose to the hilariously gaping mouth.

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Kneesaa: Paint Error (3)

Princess Kneesaa of Endor, would surely never leave the hut without painting her lips, yet here is a sample found with no "lipstick" applied. It's always possible that it was intentionally removed by an owner, or rubbed off with time and play, but we leave no error undocumented.

Monday, February 14, 2022

Disney C-3PO: Custom!

Found at auction, this Disney Star Tours sample of C-3PO is incorrectly listed as Comics Spain, and has also been customized to include a keychain. While a number of the Comics Spain figures were indeed sold as key rings, they were produced that way at the factory level, and you'll be able to notice the difference at the top of the head, where a pin / screw was inserted. With the Comics Spain versions, you'll be able to distinguish paint on the metal, because the rings were inserted before the figures were hand-painted. With this Disney custom, you can see force was applied to drive it into the head at a later time.