Fake vs Real : Wands Edition
Todayâs VS post will focus on the pros and cons of ârealâ wands and 'fakeâ wands!
The wand on the left is a fake version of Sailor Moonâs Moon Stick - you can see the breakdown of whatâs wrong with it on our sister blog, Bootleg Magical Wands, HERE / @bootlegmagicalwandsâ
On the left is the fake, on the right is a genuine Sailor Moon Moon Stick by Proplica:
But First: What Do Those Terms Mean?
In this post, âRealâ and âOfficialâ refer to licensed wands like Proplica and Bandai, that have permits from the owner / creator to be created and sold. These are compared with âFakeâ and âUnofficialâ wands that are made by unlicensed companies, which are typically inaccurate, and do not give and money or credit back to the creator / content owner.
Technically, Fan Made items are also fake, but they are not mass produced, and arenât what we are referring to in this post.
If youâd like to know more, check out our 'MERCHANDISEâ posts, under the GUIDES menu.
Everyone hates having their work claimed as someone else, or worse still, profited from by someone else.
Purchasing real wands supports the creatorâs vision and artistry, and shows you care about their efforts. Buying them brand new also means that you support the creator financially, which means they are much more likely to be able to make a new season or series.
Buying fake wands means that the creators does not get the credit or support they deserve, and the money supports someone else.
Most official wands are created in limited numbers, and while these may still be in the thousands for newer releases, itâs still nowhere near the volume of fake wands. Theyâre often produced in countries like Japan, or overseen by Japanese or Western companies, which have better working practices, wages, product testing, and quality checks. Many official companies are making strides to be more transparent, ethical, and sustainable as well.
Fake wands are produced in much larger quantities, and are usually made with lighter, cheaper, and even less-safe materials. These are usually made in Chinese factories, with little or no oversight, quality control, or testing. The sustainability and ethics of these products are entirely unknown.
Official wands typically prioritize accuracy - they look identical, or as close as is reasonable, to the artwork of the show/game/manga. They usually have a relevant gimmick, like making sound effects from the show, playing songs, or voice clips from the characters. Exceptions to that may be gachapon or McDonalds-style toys, but they will usually forgo accuracy for official artwork on the item instead.
âFake wands can face legal issues if deemed too similar to the real thing. For that reason, they are often intentionally inaccurate, with different colours and details. Many have no gimmick, or a generic one, like playing lullabies. They will usually not feature any art, or if they do, itâs fan art, from a different show, or has been edited in some way. Some changes are also made to cut production costs, like not painting certain details, or not having moving parts.
Real wands are almost always expensive, due to the better production and limited numbers.
Fake wands are generally cheap, though prices do vary.
One of the biggest hurdles, besides price, is access.
Real wands are often only sold in specific countries - typically, Japan, then the Philippines and Korea, followed by the US, the UK, and Australia - so many people in smaller, further away countries miss out entirely. Theyâre only sold by specific, licensed stores, which are only in major cities or online.
Fake wands, on the other hand, are everywhere. Theyâre often sold in dollar stores, book shops, online, even at conventions. In comparison to the real deal, fake wands are incredibly easy to come by.
But perhaps the worst part isnât the items, but rather the lack of accessible information and education - too often, ârealâ stores sell fakes alongside real items, many people simply donât know what to look for, or donât understand the potential damage fakes can cause. Â
At the end of the day, what you do purchase is your own decision.
Because MSF is run by a person i a country with only one convention, with no anime-specific stores let alone magical girl ones, and who has lived a long way from malls in the past, with no transportation, we understand that for many, purchasing real versions isnât just hard - it can be downright impossible. Plus, we all make mistakes sometimes!
So while we donât intend to judge those who do by fakes, we do thoroughly encourage you to look elsewhere - be it official or fanmade - if you can.
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