Ultimate Pinky:St originality check

Some website on the internet mentioned to check the shoe for marking: "Baby Sue Vance", other than "Made in China".
This however not always the case. Pinky:St WildArms have shoes with heel and the only marking printed on it is "Made in China". Even flat shoe of Range Murata collaboration does not have one.

Thus, where else can we check?

Some other website suggesting the head. Pinky:St is a modular design where you can change the hair. It take some effort to remove the hair especially the rear part, but you need to remove that. At the back of the head, notice that the original Pinky:St have hexagonal hole, and there will be at least a marking "©BABYsue - VANCE". If it is collaboration, the other collaborator will have their own copyright marking too. For Wild Arms, additionally, it will have "©SCEI" and for Range Murata, additionally, it will have "©RANGE MURATA - MAT".

I know it is not possible to do this with web auction all the time, but if the delivery method is meet-up, you could suggest this method of checking.

If the seller refuse as the packing is never opened, then it is your call. If you want original packing un-opened then there is no way to check the head for these markings.

However, if you do not mind to open it, you could pay 50% first to show that you are a genuine buyer, albeit a very cautious one. Pass the money (agreed percentage less than 100%), open the packaging and check the marking.

If the seller totally refuse or back-out from the deal, it is for your own good as his/hers may not be an original, and he/she know it.

Edit (23 Dec 2007):
Apparently this kind of testing is also not that accurate.

I bought a Pinky with Rabbit Scooter (collaboration with Choro-Q, May 2006 version). The packaging is all good, with copyright mark "©TAKARA CO.,LTD.2006 ©BABYsue - VANCE" exactly like that is shown here (http://pinky-st.skr.jp/choroq01.html) at the bottom, although there is no Vance logo there, like the one in the picture.

Before I exchange the money with the goods, I checked the mark underneath the shoe and I saw "MADE IN CHINA" on one side and "©BABYsue - VANCE" on another, so I guess it is pretty good chance it is original. When I opened the packaging, the head come off from the body very easily. I am not sure if that is due to the orange scarf. To my surprise, the pinky rear head, after detaching the hair, does not have any marking at all. There is no copyright marking at all. The Hex hole at the back of the head is not as noticeably hexagonal as the normal series release.

Searching further, the backing card of the packaging do unfold, and can be a playmat with road and pavement print (grey scale), and I found 2 mini promotional flyers from Takara Tomy and from Pinky:St (promoting Sweet and Bitter DVD version).

Is this the case of having everything original and the seller mixed up a fake pinky head with the real pinky head? I have no idea. Please enlighten me.

All Pinky:St releases

I found this Japanese website listing all pinky street releases with front and back pictures. It is very valuable in terms of identifying real McPinky with the fake one.

From the same website, I found an extensive list of all pinky garage kit, including Vash from Trigun and a donkey cosplay suit which can be fitted with any pinky head. Kawaii....

I have seen Motoko Kusanagi garage kit as well offered on Japan's yahoo auction, but it is not on this list.

It also have extensive step-by-step plastic operations a.k.a Pinky Extreme Makeover (Modifications), with description and pictures too.

There are plenty of other pictures too, but I let you explore.

Can't read Japanese? Same here. Why not try altavista babel fish? Cut and paste the link. The translation's grammar may be a bit out but be flexible and you will be able to make out some, rather than none. :)

How to identify a fake Pinky:st (aka Bootleg Pinky)

The links below are for your own education to be able to distinguish between original Pinky:St and the fake pinky.

Why should you care? Well, first is the resale value. If you are buying for playing then you decide yourself. However, if you are buying for collecting and may be some day for selling, you don't have to think twice of owning an original. Afterall, how much is the resale value of fake painting? Not much once it is known as a fake.

So here are the links:
Pinky Freaks - Beware of Bootlegs! (so there are Korean copy too, not just Chinese.)
www.pinky-street.com : All About Bootlegs

Puuikibeach photo set in Flickr (Fakey Street) is probably the best source of some pinky releases, since he take a very good photo, very sharp, and he have the picture side by side and properly identified. Take a look and shop carefully.

And to familiarise yourself before you purchase any pinky, it is good to see the picture and probably print them too (if you shop in brick/mortar shop).
pinky-street.com probably has the most complete information for all releases but some does not have picture.
Vance Project website has only pictures of latest releases.
Hobby Link Japan has a list of Pinky:st releases which they sell (or had sold and now sold out) and they have picture albeit small.