eBay seller ssushop here

[yo-man2]

i have a question that you might be able to answer

are these prototypes recovered from the factory as is and sold that way, or have you or the original seller cobbled together the figs from other figs in sub-par condition?

[Super Sport]

I see. So, you just said you get these items from someone who will not tell you where he got them. You even referred to the location as his "store", quotation marks indicating it is not really a store. (Perhaps his home or a dark alley?) Finally you said you *choose* to believe he got them out of the trash. Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? Well here is a little information for you. If you buy and sell stolen property, it is still stolen property. Just because you paid for it doesn't wash away the illegal actions going on.

Don't get me wrong, could care less about the questionable activities going on around the factories. But if you are going to put this post out there to answer people's questions, at least be honest with them.

I couldnt have said it better.

I don't think anything will really come of this discussion either. Its just the same story with a different thread title.

[The Lord of Steel]

I see. So, you just said you get these items from someone who will not tell you where he got them. You even referred to the location as his "store", quotation marks indicating it is not really a store. (Perhaps his home or a dark alley?) Finally you said you *choose* to believe he got them out of the trash. Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? Well here is a little information for you. If you buy and sell stolen property, it is still stolen property. Just because you paid for it doesn't wash away the illegal actions going on.

Don't get me wrong, could care less about the questionable activities going on around the factories. But if you are going to put this post out there to answer people's questions, at least be honest with them.

Sorry, but I don't agree with this. If you want to call something "stolen", make sure you first know what "stolen" means.

I don't believe these figures were property of hasbro. Hasbro never bought them, the factory and the materials are not from hasbro, etc. so although the factory produces the gijoe figures for hasbro, this doesn't mean all stuff that are produced during the production become property of hasbro.

I don't believe you can even say mudnemo etc. did something against intelectual property law. Nobody has the right to produce gijoe figures without the permission of hasbro, but the problem is that the ebay seller doesn't produce the items himself. It's the factory that might have broken their contract with hasbro by selling the left overs and the thrown away stuff. But this says nothing about the legality of the ebay auctions.

And even here it's difficult to say the factory didn't have the right to produce these figures, because it are probably left overs and thrown away stuff. You can't produce toys with having some left overs, thrown away stuff etc. Maybe the contract with the factory stipulates that the factory has to destroy these items, but if the factory doesn't do this, and sells them, well than Hasbro can go to court to ask the damage to be paid by the factory, but this doesn't mean the guy who buys the stuff from the factory is not the rightfull owner.

You can't steal thrown away stuff and left overs. You can't steal a good if there is not an owner of the good. Hasbro can't say: "you're selling stolen goods", simply because there is no owner of these goods.

You might argue that the factory didn't had the right to sell left overs and thrown away stuff, but this doesn't mean the guy who buys the stuff from the factory is not the rightfull owner. Again, the problem might be the factory (and then again: I don't know what the contract between the factory and Hasbro states about these left overs and thrown away stuff).

Like everybody, I don't know the exact facts behind the auctions, and I don't pretend to be a specialist in Chinese law. But my personal opinion (and it's nothing more than my personal opinion) is that the factory didn't fullfill its contract 100%, but that the mudnemo etc. guys are probably the rightfull owner of the items.

Bud like I said: it's nothing more than my personal opinion. I'm not saying people should buy this stuff. I hate it (exemple given) that mudnemo etc. are selling tons of convention stuff. I always buy my convention stuff through the official way (gijoehq.com), so I really hate it to see how "exclusive" my convention stuff appears to be in china.

[GBPackRat]

Ssushop,

Frist, I'd like to thank you for actually anwsering some of our questions the best your able to. I don't think people thought you actually would, so I'd like to thank you again for actually doing so. You didn't have to, but it was very helpful that you did.

Secondly, To help you better understand why some people are using the word stolen when they talk about figures like this. Hasbro a few times have been asked about prototype figures on ebay, and they continue to say, these figures are "stolen". Here at the message boards, its a pretty divided debate on if these figures are "stolen" or not, or if Hasbro even has the right to claim them as "stolen" goods.

But anyways, were glad to have you here at the yojoe boards and I hope some of the silly questions don't scare you away. Your knowledge and information is important and we'd love to hear more about the figures you have.

Tanner

[The Lord of Steel]

Ssushop,

Frist, I'd like to thank you for actually anwsering some of our questions the best your able to. I don't think people thought you actually would, so I'd like to thank you again for actually doing so. You didn't have to, but it was very helpful that you did.

Secondly, To help you better understand why some people are using the word stolen when they talk about figures like this. Hasbro a few times have been asked about prototype figures on ebay, and they continue to say, these figures are "stolen". Here at the message boards, its a pretty divided debate on if these figures are "stolen" or not, or if Hasbro even has the right to claim them as "stolen" goods.

But anyways, were glad to have you here at the yojoe boards and I hope some of the silly questions don't scare you away. Your knowledge and information is important and we'd love to hear more about the figures you have.

Tanner

I agree with this ;-)

[cutter27]

I agree with this ;-)

as do I... one of the most informative posts I've seen on here in a long time.

Thank you ssushop, for trying to provide information that hasn't been readily available before.

[KrymsynGardImmoral]

My english is not good enough to tell the details, briefly, prototype is a figure before it is ready to be released, include hard copy, first shot, test shot, painted sample, mock-up and carded sample...But I think you can tell us more about what is a prototype, since you sell prototypes on eBay too for many years.

OK, that was funny.....

For the record, I don't really "SELL" prototypes...as much as I kind of list them and watch them sit there accumulating views....For years at a time....

Here is a serious question, any chance of finding me another Road Pig?

[Super_scrub]

Sorry, but I don't agree with this. If you want to call something "stolen", make sure you first know what "stolen" means.

I don't believe these figures were property of hasbro. Hasbro never bought them, the factory and the materials are not from hasbro, etc. so although the factory produces the gijoe figures for hasbro, this doesn't mean all stuff that are produced during the production become property of hasbro.

I work for an injection molding Company and I can tell you flat out that this is not correct. Even before we win a job a contract is written up binding us to full confidentiality and respecting property rights, both intellectual and physical. All product which we produce is either bought by the customer or required to be scrapped. It is not ours to sell to whom we wish. If we were to do this we would be out of business in a heartbeat.

[Lody]

I am having such a hard time understanding, believing or even taking this thread seriously at all. I am also surprised, maybe even shocked at how almost everyone is drinking what I think amounts to Kool Aid here. NONE of his responses seemed genuine, serious or even well thought out. I wish I REALLY could convey the absolute sense of confusion I am feeling right now regarding this thread. Agree with it or not, simply my opinon.

[The Faceless Master]

Well said, Tanner

keep this clean, guys
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