• Guest, Help The DPF Community Thrive - Join Our Donation Drive Today!

    We're launching a special DPF Donation Drive to ensure our beloved forum continues to flourish. Your support is vital in helping us cover essential server costs and keep our community running smoothly — This is more than just a donation; it's an investment in the future of our community.

    Join us in this crucial drive and let's ensure our forum remains a vibrant and dynamic place for everyone.

    Please visit the DPF Donation Drive Thread for details and instructions on how you can make your donation today!

Pin 42955

Status
Not open for further replies.
Pin 42955
carolynhill

carolynhill

DPF Charter Member
DPF Charter Member
Rating - 100%
49   0   0
Messages
721
Location
SF Bay Area, CA
(I posted this in one of Sosai's threads, but I think it really belongs here, so I'm editing and reposting.)

A few years ago, I paid a reputable seller $300 for a pin that looks like Pin 42955, which is listed on Pin Pics as unauthorized. OK, I'm stupid. But here's my confusion: the pin I have in my possession absolutely does not look squashed or low relief and is not light-weight (like other fake D pins that I've seen), although it does have a vertical clasp (unlike authorized D pins).

I've been trying to get specific info about why it's listed as unauthorized on Pin Pics. I'd like to show it in person to a D collector, but I don't know anyone who specializes in costume pins.

Here's a smallish image of the one I have.
attachment.php


In my pin images album on my profile page, there's a larger image that shows close-up detail.

Rocke01 says (helpfully and frighteningly) that the real pins have a horizontal clasp and that pins with vertical clasps were sold a few years ago on eBay. :anxious:

Do any of you have clues or insights? I'd really appreciate hearing them.
 
Hi Carolyn
I am no expert here..but your castle on the pin looks like its on the wrong side
pin14907


As the 14907 is on the left side.I do not know if yours a diff year maybe
But I think it could be real..whats it say on the back of it?

Judy
 
The back of my pin says "c. Walt Disney Productions." It's written all in caps, in two lines: the copyright symbol and "WALT DISNEY" on the first line, and "PRODUCTIONS" on the second. The writing is on the bottom of the pin (on the banner piece that, on the front, reads "Guide").

Besides the differently placed castle, Tink's arms are at different angles than 14907.
 
I wish there was a way to know for sure whether the pin is legit or not. But I very much appreciate your feedback.

Frankly, at this point, I just want to be able to sell it without b-s-ing anyone.
 
Last edited:
A little to ease your mind Carolyn is that there is nothing on the back of the bad pin I have and the pin is vertical. I was told at that time that the pin was the easiest way to tell the real from the fakes being sold on Ebay. I bought one for the memory of the tour I took with my Mother and didn't really care that it was not real as it was more for what it represented than the actual pin and I didn't want to shell out a bunch of money. The cost I think was under $20 so maybe your pin is real... I wish I could help you more.
 
Someone I know in SoCal has Pin 14907, the definitely legit guide pin that Judy mentioned above. The next time I visit DLR, I hope to get together with that person to compare my guide pin to her pin. The comparison can't in any way prove that my pin is legit, but if there are glaring differences besides the placement of Tink and the vertical clasp, the comparison could make me decide my pin is not legit.
 
One other point to consider may be size. When Jewelery is copied the remolding process usually reduces detail by about 10% , in fine detail pieces this becomes glaringly evident in loss of fine line detail.<ie Hair strands and multi-line parts become solid or non detailed.> In larger pieces the biggest tell tale is overall size. A 2 inch piece reduced by 10% side by side an original is much easier to spot diffrences with. Perhaps your friends pin and yours side by side will reveal much more diffrences than pin and tink placement.
 
Excellent suggestions, Lucan444. We will definitely compare the detail and overall size. We can weigh the pins, too, to see if they are the same weight or differ significantly. Thank you for the advice!
 
Someone who owns the definitely real Tink D Guide pin (Pin 14907) looked at my pin this past weekend and says that my pin looks like the ones with vertical clasps that went on sale on eBay a few years ago.

The owner of the real pin compared both the real pin and my pin. Both pins feel like they are the same weight. The detail and sculpting on both are equally polished and beautifully rendered. And both say "c. Walt Disney Productions" on the back. But the different placement of the castle and Tink, along with the different clasp (vertical on my pin, instead of the horizontal clasp on the real pin) make my pin probably one of the pins that were sold on eBay.

I just wish I knew who sold them on eBay and where that person got them. Are they scrappers, error pins, or outright counterfeits?

Anyway, I'm going to chalk this all up to another Pin-Life Lesson learned. If anyone wants a pretty-but-questionable pin for cheap, let me know. :)
 
Last edited:
Thank you for the offer, Judy! I'd rather sell it, since I'm selling all my pins, so any pin I got in trade from you, I'd have to sell in turn. But I'm going to PM you right now and see what you have in mind.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top