Serious question about repros.

[_Lee_]

So we have seen a glut of repros over the last few years,and with each passing day they are getting better.To an untrained eye,they will fool some,but they wont get past many.My question is who you think is churning out the best repros,and whether you couldnt tell the difference after throwing it into a case and on display.This is a serious question,as ive been seeing some very,very good repros lately.Colour/grain is getting closer,as is punch technique etc.Obviously a worrying trend,but is marking them so they cant be passed as original still working?

So what are your thoughts on both repro moc,mib and weapons and how they are progressing?

 

[itfciain]

I think the issue is probably around the items that aren't commonly reproduced - thinks like Y-Wing Bombs, Taun Taun Reigns and Yoda Snakes - these are an issue because you aren't looking for them

With regards to standard weapons, I have yet to hear of anything that is a massive worry (isn't to say that they haven't got through) - a trusty bowl of water will still eak out the majority of repro weapons

 

[_Lee_]

Hey Ian,great points.I actually meant MOC repros,but any repro is good

 

[Palifan]

I think the best by far I've seen are the Poon ones. It doesn't look like he's going to be putting any more out of the stormtrooper 12 backs since the last lot were pulled from ebay but he still does do Boba and Vlix now and then.

The other ones I seen listed seem to mainly come from Spain and look bretty bad to me but have you seen any others that are to the Poon level?

 

[itfciain]

Sorry, didn't read it properly.

Aside from the whole TT debacle then I don't think there is anyone out there that has got the repro card thing right (yet) - TT was using original materials - no-one has been able to replicate this yet and long may that continue

 

[palitoyjunky]

I think most if not all repro MOCs look far more convincing in picture than in hand :?: At the very least I have yet to see a MOC repro that would get me worried.

 

[tiefighterboy]

I would have to say hands down as far as carded figures go...Poon is your man. He has an overseas printing firm at his disposal and a molding plant willing to churn stuff out. It amazes me he has not began to heat seal his copies as for him it would be simple with all the small China outfits willing to do it.

I think I have figured out how Toni may have home heat sealed these...but I still do not know how this fooled people under close inspection.

 

[x-pack]

The cards from Spain are terrible. Colour and scale are all wrong. Years ago, before joining the forum and before i realised there was a large internet collecting community out there, I bought a couple Still have one that I kept for comparisons sake. Binned the rest.

I reckon it's worth seeing these things so people know what to look for. When JJ came to FF4 with his case of rare MOC's it made me think of having a similar type case but instead of having the absolute choice items have it full of repro crap for people to see :idea:

 

[Fishtalk]

I saw a Kenner 20 back R5-D4 listed about a year ago, seller said it was a reproduction but if it was then it was the best I've ever seen. In fact I'm sure it was real.
Thankfully most repros have the same giveaways, colours way off, card and bubble too big and the major tell, wrong font on the nameplate and ages 4 and up.
but those Poons were very close to the real thing, so it can be done, and with a little artificial ageing and fake price sticker, who knows?

 

[aussiejames]

I saw a Kenner 20 back R5-D4 listed about a year ago, seller said it was a reproduction but if it was then it was the best I've ever seen. In fact I'm sure it was real.

Might have been the 'funky' print R5D4. Up until a few weeks ago I hadn't noticed:

There are some 'new' reproduction weapons that are very difficult to spot.

 

[Palifan]

So we have seen a glut of repros over the last few years,and with each passing day they are getting better.To an untrained eye,they will fool some,but they wont get past many.My question is who you think is churning out the best repros,and whether you couldnt tell the difference after throwing it into a case and on display.This is a serious question,as ive been seeing some very,very good repros lately.Colour/grain is getting closer,as is punch technique etc.Obviously a worrying trend,but is marking them so they cant be passed as original still working?

So what are your thoughts on both repro moc,mib and weapons and how they are progressing?

I see what you mean about some of these repros looking better than they used to, the Leia looks really good to me.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/imageguy2006/m.html?item=380837829129&pt=US_Action_Figures&hash=item58abb41a09&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562


Unlike this turd -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1977-Star-Wars-Darth-Vader-12-back-reproduction-carded-action-figure-/141185248301?pt=US_Action_Figures&hash=item20df4bec2d

Ian

 

[Pomse2001]

scary that they can do it

 

[tiefighterboy]

Many of these may look good from a picture, but once in hand the biggest giveaway is the paper they used. Many of them use matte photo paper or sticker sheets. These do not have the same gloss, look or feel of the real ones. Most of the better looking ones come form "Beggars Canyon". I bought one of his kits due the fact I needed one of his bubbles, I will say they are nice print wise and cut wise, but once again...matte sticker stock and the ink screams printer upon close inspection. The only repro cardbacls that scare me are Mark Poons as he has his done in an actual industrial printshop.

 

[Palifan]

It's true that Poon's are by far the best but I thought the hanger punch on these looked better than usual……that said though it's probably a different thing once in hand.

When I first started collecting years ago I stupidly went out and bought some repro 12 backs thinking that I would be happy with them (oh how wrong I was!). I bought them off ebay and they were from Yoda's Hovel (ebay user name not Yoda's real home :lol: ). The print for these is probably still the best I've seen other than Marks but even though they were listed as original figures and accessories, I could clearly see the capes and weapons weren't :evil: . This really put me off of them but it did give me the push to buy all original so at least something good came out of it.

I still have them somewhere so I'll have to post them up at some point for everyone to see.

Ian

 

[tiefighterboy]

I think that guy died...seriously. Anyways....he used to sell bubbles to me for customs and sent me one of his cardbacks. Once again looked good, but the feel and gloss still wrong.

 

[Palifan]

True enough and maybe you've just explained why the last order I placed with him never made it to me. I remember sending loads of emails to him asking where it was and finally had a response that he had been in hospital. I didn't really believe him but never had another response.