Re-cast alert on eBay Cooper Blockade Runner

[grumble garage]

I saw a Blockade Runner kit on eBay that looked a lot like Randy Cooper's. I emailed him and he said it was a re-cast of his and to get the word out. Below is a link and the item number if the link doesn't work.
Randy said he has a call into eBay. Not sure it they will act on it. I have not contacted the eBay seller.


[AUCTION LINKS REMOVED BY MODERATOR ]

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

Dan, thanks for alerting the community!

I have removed the auction link to prevent any accidental generating of interest in favor of the recaster.

I bet that any member who thinks about buying a Blockade Runner will first take a look at the RPF resources anyway and will return here to check if the kit is legit or not.

Michael
RPF staff

 

[feek61]

I reported it to ebay but also PM'ed the seller. This is his reponse:

Hello Sir:

Thank you inform us the right name. We will correct it later. Otherwise, about you said this is a recast from Randy Cooper's kit. Actually, it's not. We got Cooper's kit last year and we found it's very bad in casting. We just take around 10% of original kit and re-build an new kit. You can see many parts are different from Cooper's kit. We didn't deny that we use some parts of his kit(around 10%), but I want to say we re-build around 90% to an new kit. Please understand it and just let us know what we can do to make you feel comfortable. Thank you very much ~

 

[Contec]

We didn't deny that we use some parts of his kit(around 10%), but I want to say we re-build around 90% to an new kit. Please understand it and just let us know what we can do to make you feel comfortable. Thank you very much ~[/I]

Well.....that makes it totally OK right!!!!? :wacko

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

I reported it to ebay but also PM'ed the seller. This is his reponse:

Hello Sir:

Thank you inform us the right name. We will correct it later. Otherwise, about you said this is a recast from Randy Cooper's kit. Actually, it's not. We got Cooper's kit last year and we found it's very bad in casting. We just take around 10% of original kit and re-build an new kit. You can see many parts are different from Cooper's kit. We didn't deny that we use some parts of his kit(around 10%), but I want to say we re-build around 90% to an new kit. Please understand it and just let us know what we can do to make you feel comfortable. Thank you very much ~

Seems like it´s a heavy case of "copying is the highest form of flattery", I guess :rolleyes

 

[IEDBOUNTYHUNTER]

oh well only 10 % recast, if it was 12 % that would be different. recaster scum bag.

 

[JPolacchi]

I deeply despise re-casts.

 

[MonsieurTox]

Well they just glued parts together to get less part to cast and they probably replaced some rods full of airbubbles ! :lol If they think that gluing 2 halves together to get one part instead of 2 will make us think it is a new kit at 90%... :lol

 

[TymerDC]

I really don't understand why the auction link was removed. I don't think removing it avoids generating any interest in the recaster's auction...I think it has the opposite effect. I for one have no intention of buying any kits from this person but it would be informative just to take a look at the auction just so everyone is aware just who to avoid buying from. Took me only a few seconds to find it and removing the link didn't do alot of good far as I'm concerned. I just bookmarked this guys name so anything he sells I'll know who to not buy from like a few other names on Ebay I have on my list. Frankly I think deleting the link just makes everyone more curious just to see who this person is selling the kit...just like I was. I'm grateful of anyone warning people here so none of us get taken. Just my opinion of course.

 

[beerninja]

I like this particular recaster. Thanks to him I was able to get some cool looking painted monster hunter statues that were only sold for a limited time at the wonder festival in Japan and would normally have required me to pay at least a few grand in travel expenses not to mention the language barrier and the fact that they would not have been painted.

Sorry to hear about the recast from the work of an RPF member though. This guy also sells on Japan Yahoo auction, and on the flip side, think about the millions of Japanese people who love star wars and will never be able to read the RPF because of the language barrier. Then they might see this on an auction and be delighted. Too bad that credit isn't given where it's due though...

 

[Jestefarean]

I like this particular recaster. Thanks to him I was able to get some cool looking painted monster hunter statues that were only sold for a limited time at the wonder festival in Japan and would normally have required me to pay at least a few grand in travel expenses not to mention the language barrier and the fact that they would not have been painted.

Sorry to hear about the recast from the work of an RPF member though. This guy also sells on Japan Yahoo auction, and on the flip side, think about the millions of Japanese people who love star wars and will never be able to read the RPF because of the language barrier. Then they might see this on an auction and be delighted. Too bad that credit isn't given where it's due though...

Beerninja...I dont mean to be rude, but saying you like a recaster because you got cheap stuff is really kind of stupid. Its like saying I dont agree with thieves, but I do like the one fence who sold me the hot car stereo I otherwise couldnt have afforded. They have stolen Randy's work, and of course they can sell it cheaper...they dont have any of the overhead he had of making it in the first place. Like you, I would love for rare models to be cheaper and more available, but people stealing them only discourages the artists from making them available in the first place. Why should someone like Randy continue to practice his trade and help modelers like himself if someone is simply going to steal his work and undercut him.

On another note, glancing at my Cooper Runner and the Ebay one, I dont see any major differences at all, other then the clear parts. In fact, they brag about easy lighting in the engines, but coopers kit looks easier to light in the way he cast it. They may have made the fit easier, but 90% different is total crap. I will be writing them as well.

 

[Jestefarean]

Here is what I sent. I will share their reponse, but barring any evidence of anything significantly new, I will alert Ebay that this is stolen. I don't know if it will do any good, but it can't hurt to try.


Dear etinkp,

I'm really discouraged to see you have stolen the work of a good hard working artist and are passing it off as your own. You didn't make this sculpt, and you had no right to pretend you did. If you had any decency at the least you would notify the artist and ask for a deal to do a run of his kits. You claim to have significantly altered it, but I have an original and I dont see any major differences. Can you back up that claim? Please send before and after pictures that show your work and I will be happy to share them in the model and prop communities to defend your innnocence. Without any proof you will only be viewed as a recaster.

Jesse

 

[moffeaton]

Hey Beerninja - how do you think that makes me feel? I routinely work my butt off like you would not believe to afford to do exactly that - go to Japan, hit Wonderfestival, and buy LEGITIMATE KITS.

If you're not a brain-dead idiot, you too can save up, do the trip, and MAKE MONEY doing it. All you have to do is put in the effort, buy things to resell on eBay, LEGITIMATELY, and fund your trip.

Your post insults me, the amazing craftsmen in Japan who work harder at this than most people I have ever met, and the RPF in general.

Fail.

 

[moffeaton]

And believe me, the Japanese Star Wars fans can smell a crap kit just like we can, know who Randy Cooper is, and have resources on our side of the world for their hobby/habit just like we do over there.

In general terms, they tend to have honor and don't buy recasts too.

 

[REL]

Poor Randy. This sucks.

 

[Jestefarean]

Here is the response I got from the seller. I'm not sure I understand his logic..."you can't see the difference because we made it the same" but I'm pleased to hear it sounds like they will pull it down.

Hello Jesse :

I am very appreciated for your messages. Actually, we received several messages to complain or curse us for selling this kit. The first, I would like to say sorry about such works to make everyone unhappy. But I want to say we didn't just recast it only. We got this kit 6~7 month ago, if we just recast it purely, no need to take so long time to work. Actually, we erase 90% of the surface of the kit and rebuild it. Of course, we rebuild it according to Cooper's original setting, that's why the final looking is the same. Otherwise, we also enhance the kit to make it easier to assemble an d install LED lights.
Anyway, this is our fault to do such works , I mean to rebuild it according to original setting(Cooper?s setting). If we rebuild it according to others, I think everyone will happy to see that. We really want to create/build more models about Star Wars.
I will cancel to sell this kit at ebay. And we will continue to create our own models. Thank you very much and please let me know if you have further comments.



- etinkp Did this answer your question? If not, let the seller know.

 

[feek61]

Pathetic! I hate these losers!

 

[ralphee]

I think beerninja, has has far too many beers and completely ruined his Kung fu.....are you seriuous dude, do you have a brain knocking around up there? Go back to SSM and stop sharing brain farts in the this section.

lee

 

[MustangGTR1]

I got a look at them yesterday and thought they were Randys. I just wonder how many he will sell to overseas markets other then e-bay that dont know.

It really sucks, Kev

 

[TymerDC]

Guys......assuming this is the correct auction on Ebay I found since there was only one Blockade Runner kit for auction... why are you surprised this person is copying someone else's work?.....This recaster is in China right?...Please pardon me if I'm wrong ( I hope not) China floods this country with millions of pirated copies of just about everything of which many are inferior products. So why is this a shock to anyone? Just check the sellers location and if its in China at least it should throw up a red flag to be cautious especially if its a kit like this. Its actually pretty hard to not buy something made in china anymore...a few are good but many products are crap. So stick to local sellers....least its one less way to end up with something recast.