[CodeNameRebel]

So I'm genuinely curious what everyone's opinion is. How big of an issue are reproduction/counterfeit parts? I see references to Heavy Metals mic, Lift Ticket's mic, Slaughters batons, etc and being worried those parts aren't the originals. Is this actually that big of an issue or do people blow it out of proportion?

[HitandRun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeNameRebel

So I'm genuinely curious what everyone's opinion is. How big of an issue are reproduction/counterfeit parts? I see references to Heavy Metals mic, Lift Ticket's mic, Slaughters batons, etc and being worried those parts aren't the originals. Is this actually that big of an issue or do people blow it out of proportion?

If you are looking to buy a figure and the seller indicates that everything is original and the parts are repro then yes it's a problem.

If you are someone who just wants to complete a figure or vehicle at a fraction of the price then the repro parts are a great way to do that.

[Sataninjaku]

Yeah, I hate them. If they're made with a small noticeable difference, then fine, but as far as I'm concerned they're a ticking time bomb.

Imagine you buy a repro, keep it awhile, then down the road, decide to sell and list it as a repro. The next guy does the same. Rinse, lather repeat for 20 years, and somewhere down the line, the fact that its a repro is lost, whether intentionally or not. Then three people sell it as authentic, and the fourth somehow discovers its not. Now the last guy to sell has to deal with tje headache, and its not even his fault.

I often wonder how many of my own accessories have a similar story. Yeah, I hate repros.

[Sean_C]

If it gets to a point were repros are indistinguishable, will it matter? Star Wars collectors already have conniptions over this stuff, and why I understand the desire for all originals, the prices for some parts are utterly crazy. But I won't accuse of any of collecting vintage anything as being entirely sane.

I mean, as we die off and the remaining toys go...where ever. Things with age and break. They already have. I mean, how many Stun flags are even intact at this point?

[Sataninjaku]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean_C

If it gets to a point were repros are indistinguishable, will it matter? Star Wars collectors already have conniptions over this stuff, and why I understand the desire for all originals, the prices for some parts are utterly crazy. But I won't accuse of any of collecting vintage anything as being entirely sane.

I mean, as we die off and the remaining toys go...where ever. Things with age and break. They already have. I mean, how many Stun flags are even intact at this point?

Yes man. "Indistinguishable" doesn't mean identical. Every time I decide I no longer need something and sell it, there's always that small prayer that I might not have accidentally duped someone due to tne generational nature of our hobby... and an even bigger prayer that one of those dudes that knows what he's looking for under a microscope, or with buoyancy test, or blah blah blah doesn't get it and create that hassle.

Granted, I get that for a personal collection, it doesn't matter all that much. However, despite the fact that I've always collected for myself and not for profit, there have been instances where I've had to sell to get out of a rut. Its nerve wracking every time. Doubly so, because if I'm selling my stuff, I'm already kinda fucked. The last thing I'd need is to be called out on a Slaughter baton I bought ten years ago as authentic turning out to be a repro.

[CodeNameRebel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sataninjaku

Yes man. "Indistinguishable" doesn't mean identical. Every time I decide I no longer need something and sell it, there's always that small prayer that I might not have accidentally duped someone due to tne generational nature of our hobby... and an even bigger prayer that one of those dudes that knows what he's looking for under a microscope, or with buoyancy test, or blah blah blah doesn't get it and create that hassle.

Granted, I get that for a personal collection, it doesn't matter all that much. However, despite the fact that I've always collected for myself and not for profit, there have been instances where I've had to sell to get out of a rut. Its nerve wracking every time. Doubly so, because if I'm selling my stuff, I'm already kinda fucked. The last thing I'd need is to be called out on a Slaughter baton I bought ten years ago as authentic turning out to be a repro.

Yea I'm not a big fan of the repro but I understand it. It's sorta like how if you "restore" a vehicle you have to use reproduction stickers. As long as they look original does it matter? But to some (and I'm in this camp) it matters and I would be upset if I paid full price for a "complete original figure" just to find out it has some reproduction parts.

Which is why I'm curious how "wide spread" reproduction parts are. I mean should I just assume every small mic or baton is a repro at this point? haha

[Breakerfan]

I'm ok with repros. I do understand the need for them to be slightly different. Were it not for Black Major, I would most likely never have a Gold Head Steel Bridgade, Star Duster or Ninja Viper as I just don't want to pay that much for a figure. They look almost exactly like the originals, good enough for my collection. In hand I can tell the difference though just by the quality of the plastic.

If I come across repro mics again, I would probably buy them to make my figures complete for me. I can't justify to myself to pay for originals.

I think the problem is much worse in the Star Wars community as they have a bigger fan base. I know which weapons of mine are original that I still have from being a kid. As far as things I have bought since, who knows. That's probaby why some figures seemed to be really good deals. As with GI Joe, I'm not overly concerned. If I ever sell them I will just be up front about the ones I'm not sure about.

In another 20 years, most folks won't care about ARAH anyways. That's when I plan to build my Flagg fleet for pennies on the dollar.

[Josh Z]

How many of us lost G.I. Joe guns and backpacks when we were kids and had to replace them with differently-colored reissues from the Battle Gear packs? We seemed to be OK with that back in the day. So why is it that, as adults, we get so obsessed with the idea of only having "authentic" parts, to the point that we won't accept a reproduction that looks exactly like the original? It's all kind of silly, isn't it?

To be frank, most of the vintage figures released from 1990 to 1994 came with crappy accessories. I threw away all the spring-loaded missile launchers and bright yellow generic guns, and replaced them with whatever I felt looked better or more appropriate for the character. I have no regrets about that. I don't see any point to "completing" a figure who originally came with a lame weapon tree.

[LockOn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sataninjaku

Yeah, I hate them. If they're made with a small noticeable difference, then fine, but as far as I'm concerned they're a ticking time bomb.

Imagine you buy a repro, keep it awhile, then down the road, decide to sell and list it as a repro. The next guy does the same. Rinse, lather repeat for 20 years, and somewhere down the line, the fact that its a repro is lost, whether intentionally or not. Then three people sell it as authentic, and the fourth somehow discovers its not. Now the last guy to sell has to deal with tje headache, and its not even his fault.

I often wonder how many of my own accessories have a similar story. Yeah, I hate repros.

Great question that I was thinking about myself. And I agree with Sataninjaku and a lot of other people.

I don't mind buying a repro part if it's close in design to the original and the original part is notoriously difficult and expensive.

The only repro part I've purchased that I know of was the fan tail deck railing for the USS Flagg.

But it's definitely a ticking time bomb when down the line, the fact that it was a repro is lost until another buyer discovers it. It's not fair to have to pay a premium for a figure to discover it has repro parts that you could have purchased for much less.

I also worry about that with re-carded figures too.

But I still think it's cool that they have repro stickers and parts to help restore figures and vehicles so we can continue to enjoy them.

[Jinx723]

Well, Joes are made in China...
Isn’t China the king of counterfeiting and knock offs?🤔