FAKES..
- Thread starter plantman
- Start date
Frunkstar
Grand Master
PGowdy said:
I am not bashing you Pete, but the more folks that think that & can't be bothered to at least try to do something to stop this, the more likelihood this will go from stormies to hoth trooper to next figure & next figure, this IMO needs to be nipped in the bud if at all humanly possible & its only the vintage collectors (US) that can hope to do what little we can.
Although I dont collect loose figures, only carded, its stuff like this with the stormies that is seriously making me think about stopping collecting. I suppose carded collectors do have the same problem but you can 9 times out of 10 tell a repro caard from an original. Looking at those stormies I wouldnt have had a clue they were repro's unless told.
I really dont want to stop as I love Star Wars and love the thrill of receiving them through the post and the hunt for the figures you want, but I feel as each year passes, more fakes are entering the system and more uncertainty is creeping in about what i'm buying. Stuff like this will ruin the collecting industry.
I really dont want to stop as I love Star Wars and love the thrill of receiving them through the post and the hunt for the figures you want, but I feel as each year passes, more fakes are entering the system and more uncertainty is creeping in about what i'm buying. Stuff like this will ruin the collecting industry.
Guys, did someone here report this sale? - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160712479186?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_1321wt_1272
It has been removed.
There is another sale here which i have reported for copyright infringement. We need to keep doing this EVERY time someone tries to sell them. We can;t catch them all, they are out there now and that is that but we can put people off trying to sell them by having their auctions removed and eventually they may give up. Keep your eyes peeled for lots of "minty" Stormtroopers being sold as "original" too. Matter of time!
Here's how you report a sale -
Click "report item" which is under the seller ID "box".
Then fill out the information like this (adding your own blurb).
I think several of us need to be reporting the same item for it to really get ebay's attention.
It has been removed.
There is another sale here which i have reported for copyright infringement. We need to keep doing this EVERY time someone tries to sell them. We can;t catch them all, they are out there now and that is that but we can put people off trying to sell them by having their auctions removed and eventually they may give up. Keep your eyes peeled for lots of "minty" Stormtroopers being sold as "original" too. Matter of time!
Here's how you report a sale -
Click "report item" which is under the seller ID "box".
Then fill out the information like this (adding your own blurb).
I think several of us need to be reporting the same item for it to really get ebay's attention.
Yeah, it needs several of us to report the same item tho. DON"T ASSUME SOMEONE ELSE IS DOING IT!
Just one report is unlikely to get an auction removed.
Report ANY sales of perfect white Stormtroppers being sold as original too. Tough luck if they ARE real. They have Mark Poon to thank for making minty white Stormtroopers worthless.
The above seller is not going to risk getting his ebay shop shut down by selling these. It looks like he has bought loads so i look forward to him realising he's not going to able to sell them.
He'll probably try to use another account so we need to keep out eyes peeled.
Someone really ought to contact AFA too and inform them they should no longer be grading loose Stormtroopers. It will be at their peril if they do. I think there's a 90% chance these could get graded by AFA and if they did and people found out... their reputation, such as it is, would be in tatters.
Just one report is unlikely to get an auction removed.
Report ANY sales of perfect white Stormtroppers being sold as original too. Tough luck if they ARE real. They have Mark Poon to thank for making minty white Stormtroopers worthless.
The above seller is not going to risk getting his ebay shop shut down by selling these. It looks like he has bought loads so i look forward to him realising he's not going to able to sell them.
He'll probably try to use another account so we need to keep out eyes peeled.
Someone really ought to contact AFA too and inform them they should no longer be grading loose Stormtroopers. It will be at their peril if they do. I think there's a 90% chance these could get graded by AFA and if they did and people found out... their reputation, such as it is, would be in tatters.
Dark Sith Lord
Grand Master
I am up for a signing a petition defo! 
Will try to keep my eyes peeled on the bay guys! :wink:
Someone needs to contact UKG too!
Will try to keep my eyes peeled on the bay guys! :wink:
Someone needs to contact UKG too!
Dark Sith Lord
Grand Master
Here is an example guys - :roll: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/star-wars-figures-bulk-/180799123287?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item2a1877af57
Dark Sith Lord
Grand Master
:lol: :lol: Have I just read the discription right - there is no biddding and it is only BIN but there is NO BIN in the listing! :?
Frunkstar
Grand Master
I have spoken to Steve @ UKG & will be sending one in to him so he can maybe shed some more light on the subject & with luck know what to look out for, through talking with him I think I may have found a couple of ways to tell the difference, but I will be going over my vintage ones with a fine tooth comb to make sure I am right b4 I post anything.
poncho
Grand Master
just read and catched up on the poon stormtrooper gate! i bought a custom rocket fett years ago of him for a bit of fun, but this is disgusting! the accuracy of the stormtrooper figure is spot on i admire the skill involved but its just gonna flood the market with people selling them as genuine. your right we need to shut this guy down! burn his moulding factory down. its on like donkey kong biotch...........
Frunkstar
Grand Master
Firstly please excuse my piss poor photo editing skills or should I say lack of them :lol:
I think I have a few good pointers for spotting the new Poon Stormtroopers & at least one sure fire way to spot them, I have done lots of photos to try to show as best as I can with the little point & shoot camera I have.
I used a vintage stormtrooper of the same COO marking as the fake has, but did compare it to 3 other coo variation I myself own to be sure as I can be that the information below is accurate.
V = Vintage
F = Fake
Above you can see the most obvious difference between the Fakes & the Vintage, this being that under the arms there is a flat area all the way around the arm socket which goes down in to a v below the armpit.
2 fakes & a vintage side by side to show the under arm flat area
The right leg (left as you look at the photo) on all the 4 I got were tapered in to the other leg which is very noticeable IMO
Standing back to back you can see that if you want the fake to stand like the vintage you have to have the legs bent back slightly which pushes the waist forward & the head back, I will explain why below.
The feet on the fakes are actually slightly bent upward at the toe making them not stand quite straight as seen in the 2 photos directly above this one.
Lastly & a point which is also quite easy to spot (one you have noticed - took me a while) is that the spray opp's on the back of the helmet are actually considerably smaller that on the vintage & do not go all the way to the edge of the indentations on moulding of the helmet.
Below are the all the photos b4 alteration & some photos of the weapons from as close as I can get.
Lets hope this goes some way toward preventing some of us from being stung.
EDIT - also just noted that the peg holes in the fakes are slightly larger & will not hold in a standard pro tech stand
I think I have a few good pointers for spotting the new Poon Stormtroopers & at least one sure fire way to spot them, I have done lots of photos to try to show as best as I can with the little point & shoot camera I have.
I used a vintage stormtrooper of the same COO marking as the fake has, but did compare it to 3 other coo variation I myself own to be sure as I can be that the information below is accurate.
V = Vintage
F = Fake
Above you can see the most obvious difference between the Fakes & the Vintage, this being that under the arms there is a flat area all the way around the arm socket which goes down in to a v below the armpit.
2 fakes & a vintage side by side to show the under arm flat area
The right leg (left as you look at the photo) on all the 4 I got were tapered in to the other leg which is very noticeable IMO
Standing back to back you can see that if you want the fake to stand like the vintage you have to have the legs bent back slightly which pushes the waist forward & the head back, I will explain why below.
The feet on the fakes are actually slightly bent upward at the toe making them not stand quite straight as seen in the 2 photos directly above this one.
Lastly & a point which is also quite easy to spot (one you have noticed - took me a while) is that the spray opp's on the back of the helmet are actually considerably smaller that on the vintage & do not go all the way to the edge of the indentations on moulding of the helmet.
Below are the all the photos b4 alteration & some photos of the weapons from as close as I can get.
Lets hope this goes some way toward preventing some of us from being stung.
EDIT - also just noted that the peg holes in the fakes are slightly larger & will not hold in a standard pro tech stand
itfciain
Grand Master
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2010
- Messages
- 7,907
Great work Frank - good to see that there are at least some tells. Trouble is none of that is going to be very visible from a far away shot - so it is very likely that the first time you know it is a fake is when it is in your hands.
Still, we will overcome !!
Still, we will overcome !!
itfciain
Grand Master
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2010
- Messages
- 7,907
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:PIGCITY said:
**** it, we have a petition, we have a logo and we have a plan .. how can we fail !!
aussiejames
Sith Lord
Great eyes So it's the flat armpit variant
:lol: @PIGCITY
So it's the flat armpit variant :lol: @PIGCITY
That's great work Frank. Well done.
I've also noticed in those pictures that the black dots on the front and sides of the mask are much smaller and neater than many Stormtroopers i have. Not sure if this is consistent across the board tho.
Again, good work.
I've also noticed in those pictures that the black dots on the front and sides of the mask are much smaller and neater than many Stormtroopers i have. Not sure if this is consistent across the board tho.
Again, good work.
