Streetwear & Collectibles Authentication Specialist
Streetwear authentication specialist. Focuses on print quality, tagging, and seasonal production codes.
Published September 2026 · Contact
What Makes a Bearbrick Checkable
Bearbrick (styled BE@RBRICK) is Medicom Toy's collectible bear, first released in 2001. Thousands of designs exist, from the blind-box 100% series to 1000% collaborations with artists and fashion houses, and that variety is what counterfeiters rely on: a buyer rarely knows exactly what a given design should look like.
The advantage for you is that every genuine Bearbrick shares the same body. The design on the surface changes; the Medicom Toy parts, the proportions for each size, the articulation and the stamps on the feet do not. Fakes that copy a print well still tend to fail on that shared body.
Worth knowing
This guide is built from Medicom Toy's standard construction and from counterfeit patterns widely documented by collectors and toy retailers. We don't yet have a large enough set of confirmed counterfeit Bearbrick photos from our own orders to run a full photo comparison. When we do, this guide will be upgraded. Use it to learn what genuine looks like and which checks carry the most weight.
Sizes and Proportions
Bearbricks are sold by percentage, and each size has a fixed height:
- 100%: about 7 cm, sold in blind boxes and small sets.
- 400%: about 28 cm, often paired with a 100% as a "100% & 400%" set.
- 1000%: about 70 cm.
Measure the figure. Recasts are commonly reported to come in slightly short of the stated height, because they are moulded from a genuine figure and the plastic shrinks as it cools. Proportions should match exactly between sizes: the head, ears and limbs of a 400% are a scaled-up 100%, not a new shape.
| Check | Genuine | Often reported on fakes |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Matches the size class | Slightly short, especially at 400% and 1000% |
| Symmetry | Ears, arms and legs mirror each other | Small left-right differences |
| Seams | Crisp, consistent parting lines | Soft, uneven, or rough seams |
Articulation
A genuine Bearbrick is a set of separate parts that move independently: the head swivels, the waist swivels, the arms and legs move at the shoulders and hips, and the wrists turn. Joints move cleanly and hold a pose.
Fakes are often reported with stiff, loose or gritty joints, and the cheapest copies have parts that are fused or do not move at all. On a 1000%, a joint that flops under the weight of a limb is a warning sign.
The Foot Stamps
Turn the figure over. On a genuine Bearbrick, one foot carries the MEDICOM TOY logo and the other carries the BE@RBRICK logo, together with a copyright year and "MADE IN CHINA". The lettering is clean, evenly spaced and easy to read.
This is where counterfeits most often fail: stamps that are missing, blurry or crowded, a wrong font, letters out of alignment, or a foot finished differently from the rest of the figure. Collaboration releases can also carry the partner's copyright line, so compare against a genuine example of the same design rather than a generic Bearbrick.
Worth knowing
The stamp layout has changed over the years and varies with size and release. A clean, correct stamp is expected; it is not proof on its own, because good recasts copy it. A missing or garbled stamp is the stronger signal.
The Box and Hologram
Genuine Bearbrick boxes are printed sharply, with correct logos, fonts and product details for the release, and a box format that matches the size (a "100% & 400%" set ships in a wider box that holds both figures). Inside, the figure sits in a fitted tray or cradle.
Many releases also carry a colour-shifting hologram sticker. Treat it with care: genuine holograms are peeled off and reused on counterfeit boxes, and a genuine box can be paired with a fake figure.
| Check | Genuine | Often reported on fakes |
|---|---|---|
| Sharp, correct colours and fonts | Blurry print, colour shifts, typos | |
| Box format | Matches the size and set | Wrong box for the set |
| Inner packaging | Fitted tray or cradle | Loose figure, generic bag |
| Hologram | Present on releases that use it | Missing, flat, or moved from another box |
Worth knowing
Packaging is context, not evidence. Use it to cross-check the release, never as the verdict.
Blind-Box Series (100%)
The 100% series are sold in sealed blind boxes, each with a card listing the designs in that series. A genuine box contains one figure, foil-wrapped, with its card. Sellers who offer "the whole set, sealed, below retail" deserve extra caution: sealed-looking boxes can be resealed.
When to Get a Professional Opinion
High-value Bearbricks (1000% collaborations especially) are the most copied and the most expensive to get wrong, and the best recasts pass a casual look at the stamps. If you are paying serious money, have the figure checked before you pay, not after.
LuxeDetect authenticates Bearbricks from photos, from $9 with a 24-hour turnaround, and every verdict comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. See our Bearbrick authentication page for the photos we need: the figure from the front and back, the underside of both feet, and each side of the box.
FAQ
How can I tell if a Bearbrick is fake?
Start with the feet: one should carry the MEDICOM TOY logo and the other the BE@RBRICK logo, with a copyright year and "MADE IN CHINA", all cleanly moulded. Then check the height for its size class, the joints, and the box print. A missing or garbled foot stamp is the clearest sign of a fake.
What should be on the bottom of a Bearbrick's feet?
The MEDICOM TOY logo on one foot and the BE@RBRICK logo on the other, with a copyright year and "MADE IN CHINA". Collaborations may add the partner's copyright line.
How tall is a 400% Bearbrick?
About 28 cm. A 100% is about 7 cm and a 1000% about 70 cm. Recasts often come in slightly short.
Does a hologram sticker prove my Bearbrick is real?
No. Genuine hologram stickers are removed and reused on counterfeit boxes, and a genuine box can hold a fake figure. Check the figure itself.
Who makes Bearbrick?
Medicom Toy, a Japanese company, which has produced Bearbricks since 2001.
