Real or Fake? - Part 1

[akaibara]

I'm a super newbie pin collector who recently bought a bunch of pins on eBay. I had done some research beforehand about what to look out for and avoid such as sellers who sell large lots and/or are located in China. So I picked out a few and decided to give them a try. Service-wise they were all excellent, now what I need to know is if the pins they sent me are real or not so I can leave appropriate feedback and get refunds if needed. I don't want to leave positive feedback to someone who's selling fakes!

Experts let me know what you think these are! Do you want these circulating around?
Also include a brief (or not so brief) description on how you came to your conclusion(s). What did you look for? This will help me and other newbies out. I'll update this post later with the conclusions. I'd like to have at least 3 opinions on each pin.

Below are the first batch of pins I've received, 20 in all. I have photographed the front and back of each. The photos have been reduced to 25% or less the original size but are still pretty big. If you need to see a certain section up close let me know and I'll upload it for you. I also have scans of the front available if you need to see something in crisp detail. I posted the photos because the colors are more accurate than in the scans although they are a little on the yellow side due to indoor lighting. I didn't do any color adjustments. If you need me to check something that's not visible in the photos let me know and I'll check for you. I also have a scale if you need to know the weight.

If anyone wants to use my images for anything, please feel free to! No need to ask for permission.


Pin #1064 - Donald Duck 65th Birthday (Proud Donald)

My thoughts: It looks good to me. There's a tiny dot of black enamel on Donald's hand but I think that's just a manufacture's defect. The back is different than what I've seen but this is a much older pin so I figure that's just how they were back then. Also I don't know if the clasps where what this pin originally came with of if they were replaced. I guess it doesn't really matter either way.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: Questionable - no edtion number, need more info.


Pin #35927, 42330~42333 - WDW DisneyQuest - Animation Academy

My thoughts: Of all the pins I've bought so far, these worry me the most. The seller used the images found on PinPics and the ones I received are a bit different in design (although Minnie's face is greatly improved, IMO). I've included both images below so you can see the differences. According to PinPics these were originally released in 2005 and are open edition pins. The back of all these pins have the year 2009 so I'm hoping they just tweaked the designs and re-released them but I haven't been able to find any information so far regarding that.

Pin #35927 - WDW DisneyQuest - Animation Academy (Mickey Mouse)

EXPERT'S VERDICT: Questionable - need more info.


Pin #42330 - WDW DisneyQuest - Animation Academy (Donald Duck)

Note: I forgot to photograph the back of this pin but it's the same as the rest in this set. I'll replace it when I have the back image.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: Questionable - need more info.


Pin #42331 - WDW DisneyQuest - Animation Academy (Goofy)

EXPERT'S VERDICT: Questionable - need more info.


Pin #42332 - WDW DisneyQuest - Animation Academy (Pluto)

EXPERT'S VERDICT: Questionable - need more info.


Pin #42333 - WDW DisneyQuest - Animation Academy (Minnie Mouse)

EXPERT'S VERDICT: Questionable - need more info.


Pin #44592 - Donald Duck - One Hand Out

My thoughts: This one is the only one so far that I've accidentally purchased two of. Both were from different sellers. The first one is from a seller I believe to sell authentic pins. The second one, I'm not sure... but it did come with a backing card but I don't believe that to guarantee anything. A fake could easily be stuck onto a backing card. If you need to see the backing card let me know.

According to PinPics this is another open edition pin. I don't know if that excuses the difference in line width. But I suppose they could have come from different runs or something after the first batch sold out.

EXPERT'S VERDICT (pin on left): AUTHENTIC
EXPERT'S VERDICT (pin on right): Questionable - possibly authentic from a sloppy run


Pin #47531 - Mickey Mouse Icon: Dragon

My thoughts: I think this one's real. It fits PinPics' description, "On the back of the pin, the pin trading logo is not centered to the "Copyright Disney" box - it is instead aligned on the ride side of the box." It also came on a backing card.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #48113 - Disney/Pixar's Monster's Inc. - Mike and Sulley

My thoughts: It looks legit to me. This one also came on a backing card.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #48265 - Angry Donald Duck

My thoughts: I'm not too sure... I think it's legit with some a couple manufacutre's defects. There's also a scratch on his right arm but I don't think it's manufacure's defect just normal wear.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #64952 - Daisy and Donald Do the Tango

My thoughts: Looks legit to me, just one tiny black dot of enamel on Donald's finger.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #66680 - HKDL - Romantic Series - 4 Pin Set - Donald & Daisy Only

My thoughts: This look legit to me too. The back is a little tarnished but I think it can be cleaned up.

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #75844 - Give A Day Get A Day Annual Passholder Set - Donald Only

My thoughts: There's a warning on PinPics for this one. And the description is not clear "There are two boxes on the back; the top box contains the ODPT logo, year is 2010. The bottom box states:
(c)Disney
CHINA
the bottom box contains the ODPT logo, 2010"

I don't know if mine's legit or not...

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #82947 - Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set

My thoughts: When I first received this I was initially concerned with the choking hazard warning which just seemed weird to me. I haven't seen this in the store so I don't know if they are like that or not, all the images I've seen have that portion cropped out. On the back I see the remains of an official looking price tag which makes me feel a bit better. The pins themselves look alright to me.

Pin #82948 - Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set - Mickey Mouse

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #82949 - Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set - Minnie Mouse

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #82950 - Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set - Donald Duck

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #82951 - Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set - Goofy

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #82952- Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set - Pluto

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #82953 - Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set - Tinker Bell

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC


Pin #82954 - Character Cupcake - Mini-Pin Set - Marie

EXPERT'S VERDICT: AUTHENTIC

 

[LadyArmonua]

I am by no means an expert, I'm still pretty new myself, but most of these look pretty legit to me. I'm a little unsure about the first Donald only because it says it's a Limited Edition but it doesn't say out of how many; ie, 250, 500, etc? The LE pins I have all have a number on the back.

The Animation Academy pins mostly look okay, better than the Pinpics images, but that could be due to being a more recent run. The Minnie pin, however, is completely different; not just facially but her lower half is in a different position. The back of the pins also makes me a little curious; I've never seen a diagonal pattern of the Mickey heads. I can't say that makes them fake, I've just never seen that before.

That second of the two Donalds, [pinpics]44592[/pinpics], has some ridiculously thick lines on it. That would make me wonder, personally, but it could have just been a sloppy run.

The rest all look pretty legit to me, no other complaints.

 

[akaibara]

I am by no means an expert, I'm still pretty new myself, but most of these look pretty legit to me. I'm a little unsure about the first Donald only because it says it's a Limited Edition but it doesn't say out of how many; ie, 250, 500, etc? The LE pins I have all have a number on the back.

It's an older pin from 2000 so they might not have been putting an edition size on the pins at that time? I could be entirely wrong which is why I need some of the older collectors' to shed some history on this.

The Animation Academy pins mostly look okay, better than the Pinpics images, but that could be due to being a more recent run. The Minnie pin, however, is completely different; not just facially but her lower half is in a different position. The back of the pins also makes me a little curious; I've never seen a diagonal pattern of the Mickey heads. I can't say that makes them fake, I've just never seen that before.

Minnie is the most different from the set, but I think her changes make her look much better. Goofy on the other hand, has a lot of differences too but they're more subtle. His whole arm and hand that's scratching his head, the clothes wrinkles, even the paper, his colors don't look that great either. Overall I think he looks the worse.

I noticed the diagonal waffling too but I thought it might because you can cut more out from the same sheet of metal if it's angled a little differently. Kinda like when I would cut weird sheet cookies out and try to leave as little waste behind as possible. I didn't think much of that but I know notice that they are the only ones I have with diagonal waffling.

That second of the two Donalds, [pinpics]44592[/pinpics], has some ridiculously thick lines on it. That would make me wonder, personally, but it could have just been a sloppy run.

Yeah, it doesn't look nearly as nice as the other one. I recall reading that thick lines could be a sign of a scrapper, so I wonder...

The rest all look pretty legit to me, no other complaints.

Thank you for taking a look and sharing your thoughts.

 

[tiggermickey]

LadyArmonua
You did good....I would say that looks correct to me and the Donald that was mentioned does scare me..its looks sloppy done
the rest look great!!my oldest collects Donald so I have to put some on our want lists..Judy

 

[RumsGone]

The cupcakes look fine to me. The main wait to tell if a pin has the mickey background is a fake is if the mickey heads don't go off the side of the pins. I will take a photo of my fake ones and will post what they look like.

I do worry about the Animation Academy Donald Duck one. Looks rather bad. The lines appear rather thick. Typically the lines are way smaller than that. Also the Pluto one looks off also. The color looks different in your photo and the pin pics photo. Could be the way each was taken.


The rest of them look fine with me.

 

[akaibara]

Thank you to everyone who shared their opinions! I've updated the original post to reflect the conclusions thus far.
There's still a few questions about some of the pins though:

#1064 - Is this limited edition pin supposed to have an edition number? All I know is that it was originally released in 2000.

All of the Animation Academy pins - Still no info about them. Are they a more recent run with some changes to the design? Has anyone gone to DisneyQuest in the past few years and seen these there or own them? Did they look like mine or the Pinpics ones?
I was planning to make Mickey, Minnie and Pluto traders but I want to be sure they're acceptable in the community first. I can still get my money back if these are fakes, but not for much longer...

#44592 - Thick-lined Donald. What should I do with it? Since I already have the one I was going to make this a trader. But if this one is too questionable and nobody wants it, I could send it back or a refund or make it into a refrigerator magnet since I paid very little for it.

The cupcakes look fine to me. The main wait to tell if a pin has the mickey background is a fake is if the mickey heads don't go off the side of the pins. I will take a photo of my fake ones and will post what they look like.

I've heard about that. I'd like to see what it looks like so yes, please post a photo.

I do worry about the Animation Academy Donald Duck one. Looks rather bad. The lines appear rather thick. Typically the lines are way smaller than that. Also the Pluto one looks off also. The color looks different in your photo and the pin pics photo. Could be the way each was taken.

The Animation Academy Donald's lines looked about the same thickness as the rest of the Animation Academy pins. All of them seem to be a little on the thick side. Pluto's colors are actually closer to what it is in the Pinpics photo. The angle and poor lighting made mine look more off than it actually is. Also the gold lines right next to yellow make it look a little off too.

 

[bigbro84]

My advice for all new traders is to inspect the pins for the following culprits, paint strokes, paint smells, borders on the new ones.