i acquired swoop but it doesnt have thr rub sign logo..it did came with the 3missiles, 2 launchers, sword and instructions..it does have tight joints
No rubsign, condition looks almost too good. I'm leaning toward KO. Is the face painted? How well do the launchers fit on the wings? Did you buy it on eBay? Link?
KO makers corrected the launcher fitting problems on the subsequent runs & other issues. I think the best bet is to compare the stampings font & size against the known KO's
hard to say, but it does look pretty spotless. no blemishes or fingerprint marks or anything on the chrome, which is odd for a 25 year old toy (unless it was hardly handled, or sealed) personally, I wouldn't worry about it, its an amazing looking figure, no one else is gonna care if its a KO, unless you bought it, just to re-sell. just be happy with what it is, and dont worry about who made it
you see the two circles next to the copyright signs of hasbro and takara, they are not on mine so i would say its a knock off
in another 10 years, once they've gained the patina of age, it'll be literally impossible to differentiate between loose HG KOs and original G1.
to release knock offs there has to be atleast 5 differences to the original so there will always be ways of telling a knock off to an original, and them circles will not go away so u can tell
really? i did not know that - is 5 differences a legal requirement, or just what it takes to stop Hastak going after you? i'd always just assumed the HG KOs were counterfeit rather than - in legal terms - very similar, and any differences (misplaced injection marks etc.) were from the way the molds were created rather than deliberate.
from what i remember reading of it yeah there has to be 5 differences thats why you see on boxes a brighter flash or the squares dont line up if they could they would produce knock offs identicle
the way that top right red circular plastic 'washer' is squeezed in suggests its a KO, mine (KO) is the same.
No, sorry. That might be true if they were purposly going for a straight, mass-produced "similar" type of toy (chinese/korean KOs), but those dinobots were meant to fool people. They are using a trademarked name and copyrighted property. There's no way any of it is legal.
well thankfully there are subtle details, that you can tell the difference from a fake to an original
lolwut? That's BS. Any unlicensed reproduction is a KO, especially by way of product likeness, unauthorized use of trademarked brands and logos, and impersonation (manufacturer's markings).
Yeah, sorry dude, but these people are doing everything they can to get as close to the originals as possible. The fonts and unmatched grids are just things they didn't quite get right. None of this stuff is legal and even if they were making these "differences" on purpose, they wouldn't be CLOSE to enough to keep this from being copyright infringment. I'm no expert on intellectual property, but I am a lawyer and the whole "they have to make 5 differences" thing sounds like exactly the kind of rumored BS loophole I'm used to hearing people talk about.
LOL at the "five differences rule" - where do people come up with this BS? Hey, if you don't want that KO Swoop - I'll take him!
Ok just because it does not have a rubsign does not mean it is not original. They fall off, some did not come with rubsigns, etc. As for the circles next to the stamping that may be an indication of a molding injection that is not the same as the original or it could be Hasbro used a different molding for that one. It happens sometimes as not all transformers are put together in the same place. Finally just because the chrome looks fantastic is also not a good indication. I have a few transformers whose chrome is flawless and they are originals. For all you know this particular Swoop may have just been freed from the plastic bubble right before you acquired it. I did a review of the ko swoops a few years ago. I don't think the quality has changed other than the paint. The thickness of the head is a dead give away. http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-feedback/128432-ko-swoop-review-comparison.html After reviewing my pictures of the knockoff and yours I would say knockoff. Mostly because of the eyes and the bulb-like nose. The knockoff is more rounded like yours.
I'm glad I picked up my Dinobots in the late 90s. They're a little loose, but at least I can be assured they aren't KOs.
similarly, i'm so glad my genuine G1 dinobots are shit with badly aged chrome, worn tabs and wobbly legs... ..um... where can i pickup some of these HG KOs again?
