I got both a genuine Manfrotto 323 and the 12$ ebay clone and took some pictures for you to compare. The Manfrotto one looks more valuable. The release lever of the clone is a bit loose bit holds the plates in very well. The Manfrotto plates fit the clone very well too.
I think the clone is good enough for what I’m doing with it so I will stick with it.
I bought this “DC 3.6v-6v to 400kV Boost Step-up Pulse Power Module High-voltage Generator” thingy from on ebay thinking it’s total crap since the description is nonsense. Stating it can deliver 200kV and also stating it can deliver 400-600kV but no even mentioning the polarity of the input. It was only $3.95 (including shipping) so I bought it anyway.
Of course it can’t generate Voltages nowhere near to 600kV or even 200kV but HELLO! It puts out enough voltage for some nice sparks. I’m still looking for a volunteer to test the how these sparks feel :D