the real spidey saves the day!

News Flash: Real Spiderman Be@rbrick (right) finally arrived to save would-be buyers of the fake Spidey (left).

News Flashback: (June 2007) A reader wrote me to say how happy he was with his brand new Spiderman Be@rbrick which he snatched up in Singapore. But routine investigation proved there existed no such Marvel-licensed bear at the time. (In fact, the real one was released only last September 2007.)

In the end, I took the burden of telling him that his prized acquisition was a fake. The bad news left him very distraught – I felt it in his e-mail. Couldn't blame him – it was the very first Be@rbrick that he bought! :-(

Postscript: The fake Spidey is not only available in retail stores around Asia, it is also traded online – I've seen a lot on eBay. Consider yourself warned!

Related Stories: The Case Of The Bogus Be@rbrick / Part 1 & Part 2.

the case of the bogus be@rbrick / part 2

I was leafing through a local fashion magazine when something familiar caught my eye. There it was, hanging across the bare chest of a young, sassy-looking model named Jake Cuenca was a bearbrick (see Bench Underwear print ad below)!

I knew, of course, that there existed no such bear on a chain, and closer scrutiny proved that it was a fake! The rounded hands and feet, the big ears, and the small ribcage were clear indications. Check out my earlier post, 'The Case of the Bogus Be@rbrick / Part 1', for other telltale signs.

Lately, bootleg bearbricks like these seem to be proliferating – I've seen quite a few attached to manbags, keychains and even mobile phone straps!

Don't get me wrong, I don't detest these little imitations. In fact, they're not at all bad-looking. But a fake is still a fake. There's no thrill in owning one, if you ask me. :-)

At the topmost left is the original Series 1 U.S. Flag Be@rbrick, which I shot against a map of the New York City subway system. It was one of the first bears I bought. Back then, I was still clueless about fakes – so I guess I was lucky it was for real.

the case of the bogus be@rbrick

What do Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Rolex, etc., and now, Medicom Be@rbrick, have in common?

They've all been faked!

Of the two Bloody Be@rbricks above, can you tell which is the impostor? In reality, the fake one (on the left) is much bigger (6 inches) than the original (2.6 inches). The original (on the right) is more angular, shinier, and simply better made. The hoax is made of softer plastic. And because of its rounded feet, the thing just won't stand properly.

How do I know? I have both! The fake one was a gift from a sweet, thoughtful and... clueless friend. :-D

The designer, Hiroto Komoto, toy enthusiast and lead singer of the Japanese Band High Lows, should either be fuming... or flattered! As Charles Caleb Colton said, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of...'