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Thread: I received a bootleg(?) mermaid tail

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  1. #1

    Post I received a bootleg(?) mermaid tail

    Hey, Mernetwork. I have a bit of a dilemma right now. So long story short, I have family in China and I always ask them to send me bootlegged items like the Samantha Vega Sailor Moon bags and anime figures. I know it's awful to get bootlegged stuff but I can't afford the real things. This is no excuse though, so I admit I'm a trash person. But anyways my family sent me a fake mermaid tail out of nowhere thinking I would like it. Their gesture was sweet but I can't bring myself to use it. I tried to explain to my family how it's wrong to get things like that and they told me "You always asked for bootlegs!!" so..yeah. They have a point and I didn't know how to argue with that. So I just told them that I'm thankful that they thought of but but the quality of the tail is horrible(which is true) so don't ever buy them again and they said they won't.

    Anyways. I'll talk about the tail. It's huge and weird. I've never actually seen a silicone tail myself but I don't think the flukes are as nearly as big as what mine is like. The fluke alone is as big(or long) as my body. I feel like there's no way I can actually swim in this without drowning. There's a large logo(and the logo is stolen from Mertailor) printed in the front and back of the fluke that says "Candy Mermaid" I think. It's too blurry and nearly impossible to read lol I'll take better pictures of it later and upload it. The monofin is...not really a monofin. It's a regular snorkel fin kind of held together by the clear material which is what the fluke is made out of. Again, I'll take better pictures later to show you guys.
    So for now, I'm not entirely sure what to even do with the tail. I kind of want to make a video about the quality of this bootlegged mermaid tail and warn people not to get these but is featuring a bootlegged item right?
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  2. #2
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    Oh wow that's a big fluke! I don't think getting "bootleg" stuff is bad because if you can't afford the real thing then mine as well get bootleg I mean I've been buying bootleg movies and cds my whole life it can't really hurt the tail maker because it's not like all Finfolk costumers are going to jump to get this item. It's called a hustle and that's the way some people survive nowadays. I don't think you'll drown as long as you are a good swimmer and know your limits, you should definitely try it an a pool and don't worry your not a horrible person I know most of us have bought something bootleg atleast once in our lives.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Marinus Mortimer View Post
    Oh wow that's a big fluke! I don't think getting "bootleg" stuff is bad because if you can't afford the real thing then mine as well get bootleg I mean I've been buying bootleg movies and cds my whole life it can't really hurt the tail maker because it's not like all Finfolk costumers are going to jump to get this item. It's called a hustle and that's the way some people survive nowadays. I don't think you'll drown as long as you are a good swimmer and know your limits, you should definitely try it an a pool and don't worry your not a horrible person I know most of us have bought something bootleg atleast once in our lives.


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    These tails are actually not good. They are very poor quality and very dangerous to swim in. They are not safe to swim in and these people make a load of money by stealing designs and printing it on cheap fabric.

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    yes these are screen printed rip offs of finfolk. they take finfolks photos and print them out on fabric. it sucks for them. these companies probably make more money than finfolk. Finfolk make deal with more money but their items cost so much to make.

  5. #5
    It looks cute from the pic you sent, I can't see the whole thing though. It appears to be made out of fabric. If it's your first tail you could think of it as a practice tail. So when you do finally get a silicone one you won't scratch it up and destroy it. This one can take the brunt of the damage that most tails seem to get the first few weeks.

  6. #6
    I admit that it does look cute from a distance but from up close you can definitely see it's all blurry because it's stretched out from the original size. I put my bird scarf next to it to compare how blurry it looks. I could not get a good picture of the monofin but it's those two tiny things on a clear floppy material.
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    looks a bit like this one too


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    this one too


  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by AniaR View Post
    this one too

    I knew it was this one lol but it's not such a big deal it's not like they are making exact silicone copies down to the scale pattern it's just fabric print.


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  12. #12
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    now that i see them all there it's def that one. ^ sorry for the multiple posts I tried to put it all in one!

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    it looks like Mermaid Gingers but I think it's Meilyns
    Last edited by AniaR; 04-27-2017 at 05:43 PM.

  14. #14
    "not such a big deal" is easy to say when you aren't an artist who has to deal with people profiting off of your work. These are ripoffs made from something that is someone's bread and butter that they spend forever perfecting their skills on, only to have it stolen and the EXACT likeness of it being sold for profit by another company which probably makes more money on it than the original creator does on their own craft.

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    I received a bootleg(?) mermaid tail

    Quote Originally Posted by Mermaid Momo View Post
    "not such a big deal" is easy to say when you aren't an artist who has to deal with people profiting off of your work. These are ripoffs made from something that is someone's bread and butter that they spend forever perfecting their skills on, only to have it stolen and the EXACT likeness of it being sold for profit by another company which probably makes more money on it than the original creator does on their own craft.
    It's not not really. How are they making more money than Finfolk when the original tail cost more than 3Gs they would have to be selling these tails by the hundreds to make more than what the original is worth especially if this came from china which means that shit is super cheap.

    I'm making my own line of extended silicone tails and if people want to make print mock up replicas let them they would never compare to the original products craftsmanship and besides this serves as good advertisement cause anyone who looks at this tail knows it's a finfolk tail wannabe.

    People do this all the time with more reputable brands like Gucci, MK, LV, etc and no one bats an eye. Like I said before it's called a hustle baby and for some folk is the only way to bring that "bread and butter" to the table. This product could never compare to Finfolk work and therefore can't actually steal any more than mere pocket change it can't hurt no one I for one totally supports the bootleggers of the world may they continue on their pirate ways... "Take what you can, give nothing back." -POTC


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  16. #16
    I don't make mermaid tails so my comment is coming from a design perspective. I've had my designs used without my permission before and it sucks, it hurts for sure. But in this case it's some company in China, and that's what they do, they make bootleg items. Since it's being done over there I don't believe the original makers could lawyer up with a cease and desist letter.

    Since you have the item already you might as well use it because throwing it away would be a waste. Maybe see it as a learning tool about how bootleg items are bad and effect the person whose work they mimic.

    Since it's a mermaid tail that you've seen from a tail maker you respect, it appears to have become personal for you, where as the other items purses ect weren't. So now you might have some empathy or at least some sympathy for the companies that make the other bootleg items you own. Maybe you won't buy bootleg again, maybe you will. It all depends on you.

    Not saying you're a bad person. It doesn't effect me one way or the other I'm just offering some perspective.

    Ps If you don't want to use it you could always donate it
    Last edited by Khaleesi Daenerys; 04-27-2017 at 05:16 AM. Reason: Ps

  17. #17
    There's no excuse for stealing other people's designs. End of.

    That tail is from Chucky mermaid - and he's got a reputation for stealing other people's designs and making money from it.

    He could just as easily have drawn up his own designs and printed them off. That wouldn't have cost him any more. There is no excuse for stealing FinFolk client's designs. That just shows a complete lack of respect for both FinFolk and their clients, as well as sheer laziness on the copycat's part.

    If you can't afford a silicone tail, then by all means go for a cheaper fabric tail - but that doesn't justify blatant copying of someone else's design.

    And it doesn't matter how many other people do it too - that doesn't make it right, and it's a really poor excuse.

    Given the size of the fluke and what you've described of the fins, I would be very cautious about swimming in that. A large fluke will add drag, and you'll struggle if you don't have a decent fin in there.

    You might be ok with other people taking your designs for their own gain, but the vast majority of the population wouldn't. Myself included.

    Please try to understand just how hurtful and disrespectful it is to steal someone's design like that. A lot of time and effort goes into each individual tail design - from both the client and the tail maker. Any artist who puts a lot of work into creating a unique tail design does not deserve to be ripped off by someone who can't be bothered to put in any real effort themselves.


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  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by LouLouBelle View Post
    There's no excuse for stealing other people's designs. End of.

    That tail is from Chucky mermaid - and he's got a reputation for stealing other people's designs and making money from it.

    He could just as easily have drawn up his own designs and printed them off. That wouldn't have cost him any more. There is no excuse for stealing FinFolk client's designs. That just shows a complete lack of respect for both FinFolk and their clients, as well as sheer laziness on the copycat's part.

    If you can't afford a silicone tail, then by all means go for a cheaper fabric tail - but that doesn't justify blatant copying of someone else's design.

    And it doesn't matter how many other people do it too - that doesn't make it right, and it's a really poor excuse.

    Given the size of the fluke and what you've described of the fins, I would be very cautious about swimming in that. A large fluke will add drag, and you'll struggle if you don't have a decent fin in there.

    You might be ok with other people taking your designs for their own gain, but the vast majority of the population wouldn't. Myself included.

    Please try to understand just how hurtful and disrespectful it is to steal someone's design like that. A lot of time and effort goes into each individual tail design - from both the client and the tail maker. Any artist who puts a lot of work into creating a unique tail design does not deserve to be ripped off by someone who can't be bothered to put in any real effort themselves.


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    Was this for Mortimer?

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Khaleesi Daenerys View Post
    Was this for Mortimer?
    Yes - it was primarily a response to the comment 'it's not such a big deal'. Because it IS a big deal.

    I don't have an issue with the method that's been used - printing tail designs on fabric to make a good looking, cheaper tail option. What I do have an issue with is stealing other people's designs to print.

    If Chucky had used his own design instead of a FinFolk one, that would have been fine!

    I apologise if this comes across as a rant, but I hate seeing people being ripped off and their designs stolen. It's just not fair.



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  20. #20
    "It doesn't hurt me and therefore it doesnt hurt anybody else." What flawed logic.
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