This is a guide to common terms for shopping for Transformers Knockoffs on Idlefish/Xianyu and Taobao. With the loss of SirToys, you might wonder where you might get your weird KO fix, but luckily I got a solution.
Idlefish/Xianyu isn’t the best with buyer protection, keep this in mind when buying items second-hand.
For regular Taobao, you’ll need to log in to copy links. But for Idlefish, they surprisingly have a site that’s open to anyone without signup for browsing, provided you have a bookmarklet that redirects to your shopping agent before the “sign up” page is posted.
My preferred agent is Superbuy; you can sign up here with my referral.
Here is my Superbuy redirection bookmarklet, just drag to your toolbar to use.
superbuy redirect
Disclaimer: I do not speak Chinese. This is just stuff I got from translators, as well as trial and error. If you got additions or comments, especially if you speak Chinese, feel free to comment.
| Term in Chinese | Translation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 变形金刚 | Transforming Vajra. Last two characters are often translated as “King Kong”. | Transformers franchise. This term is often divided for bootlegs for trademark reasons. |
| 08动画, or just 08 | 08 Animated/Animation | Transformers Animated. Used because the name of the show is way too generic when directly translated. |
| 国产 or 祖国 | Domestic or Motherland | Bootleg. |
| 得意小子 | Proud Boy (in English packaging, they translate themselves as FunnyKid) | Company that is known for making poor-quality Animated and Beast Wars knockoffs. |
| 老d | Old d(omestic) | Also bootleg. Not to be confused with D级, which means D(eluxe) Class. |
| 07电影 | 07 Movie | Original Michael Bay Transformers movie. |
| 尸体零件 | Corpse/body parts | A junker figure meant for parts; typically meant for repair or restoration. |
| 怀旧 | Nostalgic | This isn’t always the case, but KOs being sold in the second-hand Chinese market might be marked as this due to their popularity among fans when they were children. |
| 拼装 | Assembly | Model kits, kabaya-style, of dissected existing figures. |