88high Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 Hey all, I just ran across this video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNGPVUWJ2fY&feature=watch_response Apparently, a company down in Mexico, has been re-boxing 100%-Lego-brand sets, and selling them under the "BIO BLOCK" name. These sets are sold at the "Plaza Mall" in Mexico. They seem to be a LOT cheaper than what Lego sells them for... But, it is the exact same set and pieces! My question is , would you buy this, even though it is illigal? You would be getting the same set for quite the bargain... I live in Arizona, USA, so it would be a short half-day drive to get to Mexico to buy these... Do any builders here live in Mexico? Do you know about these BIO BLOCKS sets? If one of you do live in Mexico, would you like to take a closer look in these sets? Please Reply below! Quote
BrickPicker Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 (edited) I wouldn't risk getting shot over some knock-off Lego bricks...LOL Edited June 10, 2012 by BrickPicker Quote
Bilbo Baggins Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 I live in Mexico but I haven't seen any of these. Quote
Peppermint_M Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 I must point out that these are BOOTLEGS. Not official LEGO but a design rip-off by Bio Block. Parts would be poor quality and not worth it. Heck, the most you can hope for is poor quality but in unusual colours. Quote
The Blue Brick Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 I'm confused. So are these like other knock offs where they copy the sets and pieces but are low quality, or are they 100% lego and were taken out of a lego box and put into the Bio Block box. Your wording is quite confusing, but anyways, if it is real lego, then it should be stopped. If it is just a copy, but lower quality, then it should be left alone as there are many companies copying lego designs. Quote
Peppermint_M Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 I'm confused. So are these like other knock offs where they copy the sets and pieces but are low quality, or are they 100% lego and were taken out of a lego box and put into the Bio Block box. Your wording is quite confusing, but anyways, if it is real lego, then it should be stopped. If it is just a copy, but lower quality, then it should be left alone as there are many companies copying lego designs. Bio Brick looks like a new name for a bootlegger that copies designs and graphics and puts cheaper knock-off bricks in the box. Quote
The Blue Brick Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 Bio Brick looks like a new name for a bootlegger that copies designs and graphics and puts cheaper knock-off bricks in the box. Okay, thanks. For a second from 88high's description, I thought they were using 100% real lego bricks. Quote
88high Posted June 11, 2012 Author Posted June 11, 2012 I must point out that these are BOOTLEGS. Not official LEGO but a design rip-off by Bio Block. Parts would be poor quality and not worth it. Heck, the most you can hope for is poor quality but in unusual colours. NO, it is a REBOXED lego set apparently Okay, thanks. For a second from 88high's description, I thought they were using 100% real lego bricks. @PeppermintM hmph, never thought of that... maybe it is that way... but i am curious to find out ! Quote
splatman Posted June 11, 2012 Posted June 11, 2012 IIRC, TLG has a factory in Mexico, is that right? Is yes, what are the chances of the workers running the machines after hours, producing unofficial runs of product? Which then are delivered to another place to be packaged? Otherwise, someone is literally copying the bricks, LEGO logo and all, and selling them as their own. Maybe starting from old LEGO molds falling into the wrong hands, being salami-sliced right out from under TLG's nose before being concreted. Doesn't TLG track every last one just to prevent this? Quote
Aanchir Posted June 11, 2012 Posted June 11, 2012 (edited) IIRC, TLG has a factory in Mexico, is that right? Is yes, what are the chances of the workers running the machines after hours, producing unofficial runs of product? Which then are delivered to another place to be packaged? Otherwise, someone is literally copying the bricks, LEGO logo and all, and selling them as their own. Maybe starting from old LEGO molds falling into the wrong hands, being salami-sliced right out from under TLG's nose before being concreted. Doesn't TLG track every last one just to prevent this? Doesn't seem likely because many of the sets on those shelves are sets from before TLG even began doing production in Mexico, and furthermore some (like the BIONICLE set copies) include parts that are to my knowledge only produced in Denmark. Overall, I think the most likely scenario is that they are lower-quality knock-offs, even if the pictures on the boxes look like actual LEGO parts. Examples of knock-offs like this are plentiful in the BIONICLE theme. See here (bonus points for mangled English), here (a particularly peculiar example where the sets are duplicated but not the individual parts, which are fused into pre-assembled sections), and here (this folder includes a mix of direct knock-offs and more original sets that use non-LEGO components). Edited June 28, 2016 by Aanchir Quote
Hrw-Amen Posted June 11, 2012 Posted June 11, 2012 Why would someone buy a LEGO set, take it out of its box and put it in another one only to sell it at a lower price, that does not make sense; at least not unless there is a very wealthy person with too much time on their hands and a liking for Lego fans! Surely it is more than not likely to be a cheap copy? Quote
Brickity Posted June 11, 2012 Posted June 11, 2012 Ew.. that must be in the city, they have lots of knock-offs there (both mexican and chinese) Quote
TheWarden Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 Weird question (I guess since no one has said) but has anyone emailed LEGO or our Ambassador's program about this? It seems like the only useful thing we can do. Except not buying them. Quote
Vindicare Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 Why would someone buy a LEGO set, take it out of its box and put it in another one only to sell it at a lower price, that does not make sense; at least not unless there is a very wealthy person with too much time on their hands and a liking for Lego fans! Surely it is more than not likely to be a cheap copy? Yeah, gotta agree here. I suppose the LEGO(if genuine) was stolen then reboxed? Not accusing because I really don't know, but it seems more logical than buying and repackaging... Quote
Bilbo Baggins Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 I think they are Knock-offs. I found really hard that they would be able to steal so many pieces. Quote
Faefrost Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 I'm sure they are 100% pure knock off. THey have a Lego logo because the molds they use we're cast from real Lego parts. As with any recasting counterfeit the quality rapidly deteriorates when you don't make the molds from. Purpose built master and instead copy a production product. Quote
88high Posted June 12, 2012 Author Posted June 12, 2012 (edited) Hey all, I finally got the time and I tracked down BIO BLOCK. You guys were right. It IS a bootleg brand, made by Dongguan Xinjifu Plastic Products, a huge Chinese industrial conglomerate that makes all sorts of plastic things, from kitchenware to lego bricks to halloween props. Here is how I found them after EXTENSIVE googling for "Bio Blocks Toys" I kept getting random organic fertilizer cubes as results... So, after scrolling a while, I found their import page on Alibaba. That, led me to Their company profile on Alibaba. Resulting, in finding Their Company Website Only, it was in Tradiotional Han Cinese Thank god for google translate... Anyways, thats my story. *CASE CLOSED* Edited June 12, 2012 by CorneliusMurdock Color, font, size edited to be kinder to the eyes of readers. Quote
Solscud007 Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 A piece of advice when holding a video camera or phone. count like 5-10 secs before moving the camera. You move the camera around WAY too fast. Quote
LEGO Guy Bri Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 A piece of advice when holding a video camera or phone. count like 5-10 secs before moving the camera. You move the camera around WAY too fast. I don't think thats him, just a video he found on youtube. Glad I don't see much bootleg Lego around my local shops or stores. A real waste of money IMO Quote
Dervish Posted June 17, 2012 Posted June 17, 2012 Nice to see a bunch of rant generated from the initial post, but atleast I would like to see someone actually buying one set and reviewing it with pics etc. And yeah, that video is horrible to look at, almost the worst possible video I've ever seen.. Quote
Peppermint_M Posted June 20, 2012 Posted June 20, 2012 Nice to see a bunch of rant generated from the initial post, but atleast I would like to see someone actually buying one set and reviewing it with pics etc. And yeah, that video is horrible to look at, almost the worst possible video I've ever seen.. Check out the index in Community, I am quite sure the manufacturer has supplied at least one of the brands I came across and reviewed. I have stopped doing them since I became staff but I did a lot of reviews before. Quote
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