Identifying a resin recast, how do you do it?

How do you identify a resin recast?

I’m asking because I scored a bunch of Alpine figures in an ebay deal. They were add-ons to a Dragon Panther. I bought the Panther and was very indifferent about the figures that were included which were essentially free as far as I can tell. It was from a US seller and I have no context.

I happened to have one of the figures already, an Alpine Waffen SS guy, and the figure is as far as I can tell absolutely identical, same size, same color resin. But there was no original packaging.

I guess the thing that makes me curious is that it was probably $100 worth of resin figures had I bought them new.

I would never buy a known recast, but I didn’t even think about it at the time as I just wanted the dragon panther…

If you have a known original, I’d look for differences in:

  1. Different packaging

  2. Box art of lower quality and resolution

  3. Fidelity of detail of resin parts may slightly decline with the copy.

  4. Different type of resin than the original

  5. Different smell of from the resin because a difference resin has been used

  6. Air bubbles or other defects

  7. Difference in pour plug

Thanks very much.

These figures came without any original packaging. They were kind of a bundle with the kit, so 1&2 aren’t helping. #3 these are very fine in detail, the one dupicate perhaps finer in detail than the one I purchased (and don’t doubt its provenance). #4 looks the same, but there are a couple that are a different color of resin. #5 really? #7 I no longer have the pour plug of the one that I know is original.

I may have to buy a real one to duplicate one of these for comparison purposes.

Some resin products have a distinctive smell, one could pick out the difference in Verlinden, MB Models, Chesapeake Model Design, Jaguar products back in the day. Some friends would make copies of stuff their own use and the copy would smell different.

Your mileage may vary

1 Like

Seeing that they were free…don’t look a gift horse in the mouth! :roll_eyes:
:smiley: :canada:

I don’t! But it has made me curious.

Phil,

You could post a photo of the figures for us to review and/or email and ask Taesung at Alpine for his thoughts.

HTH

1 Like

Or you could send them to me for appraisal. If (and when) I decide they are pirate copies I won’t bother returning them! :wink:
:smiley: :canada:

1 Like

Good “spidey sense” as usual Ryan. :spider_web::spider:

—mike

1 Like

packing
Price
Quality