That's right everyone, it's time for another edition of "What Sailor Moon merch did Miss Scarlett find on eBay!" Today we have some variations on an old theme: another Petit Chara, and another gashapon accessory.
Sailor Venus is my favorite of the Sailor Senshi, so of course I had to have her Petit Chara figurine. (I'm still debating if I want to fork over the cash to get all the rest...the collecting bug can be vicious sometimes.) Searching my normal haunts turned out to be a bust, so I resorted, once again, to eBay. and like I've said before, you can find legit stuff on eBay, but you have to be careful and know what you're looking for. You don't want to get stuck with crappy fake knockoffs.
Checking the eBay seller's feedback is very important, as is looking at their storefront and page listings. Examine the pictures they provide carefully. Stock photos are sometimes a red flag and sometimes not--legit sellers use them sometimes. But real photos they've taken themselves are the best judge of whether or not an item is legit. Let's take a look at the Petit Chara I got.
First--and most importantly--check the box to see if the official Toei sticker is on it. That's the little gold sticker on the lower corner of the box, the one with the cat. This is placed on all official merchandise made of Toei's TV shows and other licensed properties. If you have one of those, you know you're good. (But just to be sure, also check the box to see if you can find Toei's name printed on the box.)
Are the pictures clean and crisp? Does it list company info? If yes and yes, you're good.
One more step to tell if it's genuine. Check the bases! Venus' base should have a bow with her planetary symbol at the *top* of the base. The side will, indeed, say China (because even big businesses in Japan outsource manufacturing to China), but will also mention Naoko Takeuchi's name on the side. Artemis' base should be clear, not colored. If you go on eBay and look for Petit Chara, pay close attention to the Artemis and Luna figures. If the bases are colored, those figures are bootleg. If you can find a figure that's genuine, odds are that seller also has more genuine figures. Retailers who sell genuine merchandise will usually make a point of stating it, too.
As for the actual figures, they're great quality! The paint is vivid and detailed, especially for being so tiny. Venus' hair has some yellow gradations, like her Figuarts. I am shocked at how good the paint job on Artemis is. There is some solid heft to the figure, and definitely doesn't feel like it will fall apart at a touch. I am sticking by my earlier assessment that they are a solid collectible, albeit a little pricey--they are retailing for roughly $10 or so a figure. I got mine for $12 plus free shipping.
Some assembly required, of course. But we can't have everything.
This is another Sailor Moon scrunchie. It was released in the same line as the blue scrunchie I reviewed earlier. This one is more Princess Serenity-themed. It came with the little product booklet showing you all the different items you could get. Remember kids, if it has the Bandai logo, odds are, it's genuine,
And here's the scrunchie itself! I love scrunchies. I used to wear them all the time when I was in school, even when they fell out of favor. Then mine all wore out and I had to chuck 'em, but I could never find new ones. Sigh. I got this one for $5, from the same eBay seller I got the Venus Petit Chara from.
These gashapon scrunchies are on the small side, but they're made of a really nice, soft satiny material. This one has cream fabric with a gold print of Sailor Moon's transformation brooches. It's...pretty much the same as the other one, nothing new to report.
So...um...in conclusion, you can find fun stuff on eBay as long as you are cautious. Also, I like blowing my money on Sailor Moon crap.
Miss Scarlett suggests: If you like Sailor Moon, just buy them. You know you want to.
