I have seen lots of people selling fake transformers and Macross, purposely mis-inform the actual releases, selling of china made copies as the real thing, and it has pissed me off enough to write this guide, for Australian buyers to buy safely on the internet.

1. If the box is questionable, box too shiny (Real original or reissue boxes are dull and will flake off) , artwork is out of focus (Fake toys pictures of the item is out of focus or not 100% sharp), nowhere on the front of the box it say  Hasbro or Takara, artwork and toy's colours does not match. Then 6/10 times it is a fake

2. If the toy itself does not say Hasbro (Euro/USA Transformers), Takara (Japan Transformers), or Yamato (Macross), then it is 10/10 times fake.

3. Stickers are put on badly or are all over the place, then 5/10 it is a fake.

4. There have been reports of people selling fake Master Pieces transformer (The big black box one with MP as the starting model number). I can tell you now that, most of the Transformers Master Pieces from China are in fact fake, as  the workers themselves does some overtime without the factories' knowledge. Boxes for the master pieces must be a matted dull look, with one or two part of the whole box coated with a shiny reflective coating, if yours does not come like that, then it is most likely 8/10 time a fake. I can get MP-3 (Starscream) not that see through plastic Hasbro release, MP-4 (Optimus With Trailer), MP-5 (Megatron) which is illegalt o import nowdays due to it is now classed as a replica gun, so if you wanted any of the above just email me, and we can get it organised. Please note Megatron MP-5 due to strict Australian Custom/Federal Firearms/repilca Laws, unless it is within Australia already, there is no 100% Garranteed way that it will not be conficated by the Federal/Custom office. Therefore please make sure that the seller's item is within Australia before buying. 

5.  The so call re-issues, unless it is G1 recolors , Encoure from Japan, and Commemmorative series from Europe/USA, there are no other  reissues. Check the boxes of the so called reissues carefully, as there are lots of remanufactured copys of the g1 transformers especially, metroplex, optimus prime, snarl, slug, and frenzy/ravage/rumble/laserbeak, if it does not show takara or hasbro's logo anywhere on the front of the box, then it is a copy. www.tfu.info/series/index.htm for more info.

6. The micro masters, or Micron 6 toy-combiner sets, was a lucky dip type of pick in Japan, the Hasbro version was released with boxes, there have been a few fakes releases from China and Hong Kong with the wrong colors and bad stickers.

7. Fakes of the so called "Mini" Superion, Devestator, and Fortress Maximus is also being sold at the moment, they are non full size fakes from China.

I have seen so many china copies of Final Fantasy figurines/merchandise, Transformers, and Macross toys that just make me sick. The reason why the prices of certain transformers are high is due to supply, but with all the copies floating around and selling on ebay, it make no sense to collect the original toy. Anyway, if anyone have any questions regarding these toys, please sent me an email on ebay's messenger, and I will get back to you asap. I will update this page from time to time in the event that new fakes/detection methords are availible.

P.S. I can get a hold of Macross, Gundam, and Transformer Master Pieces on my trips to Hong Kong and Singapore, and the Philippine  (Toys there are so high priced for the average child there, it is almost unaffordable, but they do have old stock of some of the older and hard to find toys there.) and since I collect for my own collecting purposes, I can assure anyone whom bought their item from me is to be geniue and exactly the same as what I myself have.