The Energon Pub

I myself do posess a few knockoffs. My first one was a repaint of G1 Bruticus in a package labeled: Motorbots. It was 2 years before I realized it was Bruticus. I also have a small red and yellow barricade and a 3-pack of legends figures (Green BW Dinobot, Orange Anim. Snarl, and black BW Cheetor) that I got at an arcade. However with Onslaught, Vortex, Brawl, and Cheetor, I've realized that Hasbro's plastic quality control is 1,350,020,989,044,815,067.769902 times better than knockoffs. But hey, I use tape (WHAT?!) so now I can still play with them. The arcade ones were freebie toys so what should I expect, and Bruty was $6. Bruty is also as G1 as my collection gets. So as to whether you like knockoffs or not, it all depends on the plastic's quality, the amount of playability it has, (Motorbots has a lot due to the fact that they're all combiners from Walgreens.), and overall the actual mold of the toy. Motorbots are repainted from the 80's so do I expect Bruty or even the separate dudes to have Armada Unicron's articulation? No. So I can forgive it for now. Overall, I think Knockoffs are great ways of adding to your collection for a LOW price, especially if you're cheap. (No offence to cheap people intended. HA! NOW YOU CAN'T SUE ME!)

Speaking from personal experience I would strongly recommend you avoid these KO's at all costs!

Although, I agree it can be a good way to add to your collection, it's never quite the same as owning the original genuine product.

I've also found to my cost, that these KO's aren't always correctly advertised. Unscrupulous traders will often use them to dupe innocent fans into parting with their hard earned cash, for what is essentially an inferior product.

while I agree that it's just plain wrong to try and pass off a KO as a genuine product, I do see the place for them. They're usually a lot cheaper than hunting down original G1s in good condition, good custom fodder and sometimes the wild and wacky colour schemes mean you don't even need to repaint for them to be a completely different character. The variation in scales can be good sometimes too, as Voyager class toys get downsized or Deluxes (or Legends, etc) upgraded.

Also, even if you hate the idea of knock-offs for some reason or another, surely everyone can appreciate some of the hilarious packaging Engrish?

Personally I abhore KOs that are passed off as the real thing as too often they're pawned off on the innocent. I can understand that some collectors get these in the stead of a figure until they can affoard the real deal, but that's in the minority of cases. However KOs that are very different I may pick up (hello seeker army).

I order all my KOs from KOTOYS.COM.
Awesome KOs: Mirage, Henkei Thundercracker, Snarl, Gnaw, Shockwave, Springer
Middle-of-the-road: Grimlock, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack
Awful: Henkei Skywarp & Ghost Starscream

So this is acceptable?

No Amelie that one look as a fraud and fraud is never OK.

KO is OK if they are announced as KO and they are good to use for custom job and repaints or as cheap toys for the kids instead of they use my expensive G1 original.

Most of my experiences with KO's have been pleasent. Then again I have only purchased them from KOtoys. It's been my experience that if a deal is too good to be true it probably is when dealing with transformers..If yoiu find a Shattered glass Optimus Prime on ebay for a buy it now of $250, your gut reaction is to buy it as quickly as possible right? little do you know that the $250 figure you think your buying , is actually a KO that some D-bag bought for $50 and is trying to pony it off..

best advice, stick with a source that KNOWINGLY admits their products are in fact KO's...