shotdot wrote:You imply they use sonar or x-ray machines to catch defects in the skeleton and voids in the TPE layer?
No. I do not imply that. Please read my post again because clearly my writing is difficult to understand.
The brand has two factories. They are separate. You can draw your own conclusions and be happy about your personal choice but as a matter of Occam's Razor we see two lines of product at two different price levels intended for two different distribution networks coming from two different factories. One distribution network is local and where transport of a faulty product back to the factory isn't expensive, and the other distribution network which requires that products are good enough reliably for them not to have to be shipped back as international shipping is killingly expensive.
The bottom line of this thread is that access to the Chinese market dolls exists through AliExpress and other sellers, and that such dolls may be outright fakes or they may be genuine brand dolls made for the purposes of and the quality and price required by the local market. These dolls are cheaper than the cost price of dolls sold internationally to reputable vendors.
There is a caveat. From time to time I suspect that it is possible for apparently reputable vendors to buy dolls from among the local market dolls, making extra profit or bringing extra discounts forward. Clearly that would be wrong and if discovered be cause for any such vendor to be banned from TDF. It is, however, for that reason that I suggested the Transparent Provenance Assurance system
https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 87&t=93077 so that people can track orders of their dolls through vendors back to the manufacturers. Not unlike the ID card that WM has instigated for the local market.
Buying local market dolls presents a risk or risks
and if people are happy to take such risks, great. My personal experience of that doll is having a dead-loss waste of money, a doll which I have no pleasure in using, it being grossly inferior to the genuine doll, and which I cannot resell.
Best wishes
Harem