How to spot a fake Star Wars figure

[Simply Sci-fi]

Since the airing of the Star Wars segment of Fake Britain, I thought I'd share my thoughts on how to spot a fake Star Wars MOC (if only for people who are googling the subject). In saying "fake" I'm referring to the practice of sealing a second-hand Star Wars figure against an unused backing card from the Palitoy factory with an unused bubble.

The easiest way to check for authenticity is to check for the cross hatch/waffle pattern in the glue under the rim of the bubble. This is impossible for fakers to replicate. Light scratch marks across the front of the card can be a sign of it being a recent seal.

As far as I am aware, the vast majority of the faked Star Wars figures are Palitoy Return of the Jedi, including a great many German language ones. There have been a number of Boba Fett 45 back card fakes, which are easy to spot due to the action figure being too large for the bubble and is crammed in at an angle.

Collecting Star Wars MOCs can be a very rewarding hobby and I'd hate for anyone to be put off for the fear of buying fakes. As long as people do their research and be careful of what they are buying, they should have no trouble.

Craig.

 

[mr_palitoy]

Palitoy cards are generally smooth seal so looking for a waffle pattern isn't going to help you.

Jason

 

[Simply Sci-fi]

The figures that do have the waffle pattern are 100% genuine but I would not discount a MOC automatically if it does not feature it.

Craig.

 

[ChallengerFox]

I know it's difficult to capture on a picture but is there a picture example anywhere of the waffle pattern ?

 

[Simply Sci-fi]

It's a case of you'll know it if you see it. You can tell right away that it is something a faker could not accomplish. A strong light source or bright daylight is best for examining MOCs.

Craig.