Fake #8874 Jeff Long Astronaut Box

Rick Porter's Fake #8874 Jeff Long Astronaut Box

Submitted 2019.07.26 by Rick Porter

Rick Porter contacted me in July of 2019 about this Jeff Long in Astronaut box he picked up. When comparing it to other figures he noticed that there was a "too shiny" sheen to Jeff's paint. He sent me several images to see if I thought it was a fake. After looking at the images I recommended that he return the figure.

Rick Porter's Fake #8874 Jeff Long Astronaut Box Comparison

On the left is an authentic Astronaut box - while the one on the right at first blush looks real, if you compare the typesetting of the type at the bottom you'll see that the fake has been redone using a different font with different spacing and kerning. Note also the Commemorative sticker.

Rick Porter's Fake #8874 Jeff Long Astronaut Box Front

I don't believe any of these stickers are real so any of these you see with the round sticker is questionable. It's usually there to make it look authentic - as far as I know they weren't used (at least I haven't seen an authentic box with one).

Rick Porter's Fake #8874 Jeff Long Astronaut Box Bottom

Whomever is making these has gone to great lengths to make them look real, like the addition of tape and an extra closing sticker. This is usually there to hide imperfections.

Rick Porter's Fake #8874 Jeff Long Astronaut Box Top

Note how bright the background blue is in the top of the fake at right.

Rick Porter's Fake #8874 Jeff Long Paint Comparison

This is what made Rick suspect that this example was a fake. These figures are usually rewired or otherwise worked on to make them look new. The new paint isn't an exact match, often looking "oily" and too shiny - also the hue of the paint is a bit too blue when you do a side-by-side.

John's Notes

As always, take my comments and opinions with a grain of salt. In my opinion this is a fake figure in a fake box. It's a bit different from my own fake Doug Davis as whomever made this box went through the design process to make a new box, evident by the typesetting. The font, interestingly, has the same incorrect font as the fake Doug Davis Cat Trac card I own - I suspect it was made by the same people and probably the same sellers who made and marketed these fakes on Toy Shop years ago.

As always, if you see something that's inaccurate, want to have your information updated/removed or want to contribute, contact me.

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