- Beating the Fakes - The Genuine Product is Sold by Disney, Not on eBay
- Sellers Use The Official Disney Pictures to Sell Fakes
- How to Identify Fake Baby Yoda/Grogu Dolls
- General Appearance
- Fake Products Can't Be Detected Until They Turn Up
- Key Takeaway: Purchase from Official Retailers
- Frequently Asked Questions
Disney's Mandalorian (available to watch on Disney+) launched a hurried interest in the character known as the "Child," a star of the series. This lovable creature, which quickly became a favorite amongst Star Wars fans, is more well known as "Baby Yoda" and is officially known as Grogu.
And, as with all Disney franchises, Disney.com has the official merchandise to match.
However, if you are not shopping directly at Disney, you'll probably get scammed into buying a counterfeit Grogu plush toy.
Both Amazon and eBay are littered with sellers of fake Baby Yoda dolls, with the sellers lifting the official picture from the Disney website to sell their own counterfeit Grogu plush toy.
Beating the Fakes - The Genuine Product is Sold by Disney, Not on eBay
Disney created a fantastic adorable Grogu character doll (plush toy) and made it available in official Disney stores, at their theme parks, and from authorized retailers.
However, counterfeit sellers on eBay and Amazon have lifted the official image used on Disney.com and re-used it in their product listing advertisements. These third-party sellers are not selling the official Grogu plush toy, and customers are being misled.
By lifting the official images, it is almost impossible to detect fakes in the Amazon and eBay listings alone.
Unfortunately, for buyers on Amazon and eBay, the product that customers will receive looks nothing like the official doll.
You can get the official Baby Yoda doll at Disney.com.
Sellers Use The Official Disney Pictures to Sell Fakes
eBay and Amazon sellers are deceptively using the official image stolen from the Disney website. The listings shown below are actually for the fake Baby Yoda product, even though the listings show the official (stolen) Disney image.
These pictures are stolen from Disney. It is deceptive for the sellers to hide images of the product they are actually selling. So BEWARE—these images do not represent the product you are buying!
Star Wars fans are bound to be disappointed if they end up with one of these poorly made fakes instead of the legitimate Grogu toy plush.
How to Identify Fake Baby Yoda/Grogu Dolls
When the doll turns up from a counterfeit seller, it is pretty obvious that it looks nothing like the picture. There are differences in:
- Shape
- Size
- Stitching
- General appearance
Poor Stitching on Face, Head & Eyes
The head, face, and eyes on counterfeit products are very different from the real deal. For example, the neck is not covered by the gown in many fakes. Additionally, the mouth and the curves around the cheek are flat in the fake products, and the elongation of the head and space between the ears is of an improper proportion.
Grogu does indeed have large eyes as the counterfeit toy has, but the problem with the fake is the shape—it's too round and not quite right.
Incorrect Stitching & Clothing Problems
The clothing on the fake dolls tends not to match the official doll. For example, the official doll has a large seam in the middle of the neck, whereas the fake product extends across the neck.
General Appearance
When compared side by side, it's easy to spot the difference between some counterfeit Baby Yodas and the legitimate ones. Sometimes you don't even need the real toy plush to know you've got a fake on your hands.
Here are some other details to pay attention to:
- Skin color: On many counterfeits, the manufacturers haven't quite nailed the color of the green skin. For example, it may look more blue than green, or the green could be too dark.
- Soft body: The Baby Yoda doll should be nice and soft. Some counterfeiters will use cheaper materials, making the toy not as nice to hold.
- Ears: Counterfeiters may also make mistakes in the ears. This little guy is known for his big ears—some fakes may make the ears too small or way too big.
Fake Products Can't Be Detected Until They Turn Up
As eBay and Amazon sellers are deceptively using the official image stolen from the Disney website, it is hard to know what you will get. Importantly, the only sure way to avoid disappointment is to purchase directly from Disney or other official retailers.
Fake products often can't be detected until they show up
Some comments from victims of this scam include:
- Fraud, not what is advertised Amazon customer review
- BAD IMITATION OF BABY YODA PLUSH!!!!! Amazon customer review
- Not at all as pictured Amazon customer review
- Not the same as in pictures Amazon customer review
However, this Amazon review sums up this scam perfectly.
To Comply With eBay Rules, Sellers Even Admit They are Lying
While using the Disney pictures to advertise their products, the counterfeit eBay sellers are adding a disclaimer to the bottom of their listing to absolve them of the burden of returns:
The real object is not the same as the picture, please understand the difference. We have tried our best to reduce the Picture color error.
This disclaimer is hidden away on the mobile app, rendering it un-seen by most shoppers who use the mobile app and use photos and titles to choose products.
Key Takeaway: Purchase from Official Retailers
This is not an expensive product, and to avoid disappointment, we recommend that you only purchase this Star Wars toy from the Disney store. This character is a great addition to any Star Wars fan's collection, but if you end up with a fake toy, you've pretty much wasted your money.
Although you may be trying to save some money by buying from Amazon or eBay, you're likely to end up with a fake—and a bad fake at that. However, that's not to say you can't buy the official item from the Star Wars Store on Amazon.
- Buy Star Wars toys made by Hasbro and Mattel
- Free shipping on millions of items
- Free returns on eligible items
Cost of Star Wars "The Child" Toy
The original Star Wars "The Child" plush toy currently retails for $24.99 via the Disney store or the Star Wars Amazon store. However, these toys are regularly discounted, dropping to around $15 a pop from time to time.
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