*BEWARE* Wave of fake rental flags, claimed to be "pre-production run"

massimiliano

ネオジオ,
20 Year Member
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Feb 27, 2004
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Hi,

recently I've been contacted by at least 4 people asking me to check some rental flags pictures.
Someone may recall an authentication request on NGFL recently (which I have been notified about, as I do not have FB) that was the first case.

Basically they are all the same, thick fabric, no print on the other side, no hooks but most important, all the mistakes present in the fan-made vector file avail online... here only *one* of the many differences (fake on the right, see circle position and shape):

original_vs_fake_banner_circle.png

here the same detail from the vector for reference:

Screen Shot 2017-06-24 at 10.59.10 AM.png



I won't make names, as the potential buyers so far were kinda victims, but in one case I've been "explained" (...) that to be a pre-production run of around 20 pieces available from a guy from Japan and it seems that's were they are actually coming from, as stated by other people pretty much with the same story.

I'm pretty sure most of the people involved are in good faith, but fact is, someone made a batch of very bad fakes, and trying to exploit naive/last minute collectors who wants to believe *anything*, in order to get some new item ... see the recent case of Metal Slug "ASOF" , with alleged offers beyond 3000$ despite having being verified as a fake, even by the seller.

Frankly, if people have money to waste and like to buy any piece of shit with a neo geo logo, be my guest, just please do not feed these stupid rumors about "pre-production" items, every time there is a cheap fake.
 
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mahesak

Morden's Lackey
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Mar 1, 2005
Posts
352
Thank you so much ... Massi.
I am the one who got message from seller to sell rental flag in 1600 euros but I can say truth that I have not knowledge or any informations of it. If it's AES, I can compare with my collection for checking but this flag, I don't know really. So I asked Massi for checking and finally he said "fake" and stay away from it.

Nowadays technology can make re-product as good quality so if you don't have experience then you can be vitim to buy re-product.

Thank again for nice thread :)
 

madman

Blame madman, You Know You Want To.,
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Will NGF be authenticating these and providing their own COA?
 

BlackaneseNiNjA

The Fatal Fury Disciple
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Damn. If their copying the flags now I would imagine the rugs can't be too far behind :keke:

Thank you for the heads up massi. You rock!
 

massimiliano

ネオジオ,
20 Year Member
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It's not the fact of seeing fakes of the flag too (which have been around for years in a way or the other) rather this mentality of casting/accepting doubts like "what if it is a rare pre-production set!?" I mean, c'mon...
 
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Gyrian

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Mar 24, 2016
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Jesus, there is nothing SNK related that someone won't try to fake down the road. You joke about that carpet, but just give them a little time.
 

MCF 76

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Jesus, there is nothing SNK related that someone won't try to fake down the road. You joke about that carpet, but just give them a little time.

Yep, get out now. That's one of the reasons I got out of Neo, this shit gets old very fast.
 

oliverclaude

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Fake prints are true sings of popularity and popularity is just an obituary in disguise.
 

chrisr

Known Scammer and One Deluded Individual, NeoGeoFr
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652
Jesus, there is nothing SNK related that someone won't try to fake down the road. You joke about that carpet, but just give them a little time.

Yo are about 10 years too late. arcade attempted to bootleg the NGW mat back in the day.
 

awbacon

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jesus not their bootlegging flags? I give up on the neo scene (no I don't....but damn)
 

SNK_Pro

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I'm just waiting on the "someone contacted us to let us know an item we have was mentioned on here" line. You know, instead of the reality of we wait until we can pounce on anything we can lay claim to by lurking relentlessly. (But we don't care about the scene, or that you might forget us, we don't!!!!!!)

Great thread title though, wave of fake flags is funny whether intentional or not.
 
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massimiliano

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I'm just waiting on the "someone contacted us to let us know an item we have was mentioned on here" line. You know, instead of the reality of we wait until we can pounce on anything we can lay claim to by lurking relentlessly. (But we don't care about the scene, or that you might forget us, we don't!!!!!!)

Great thread title though, wave of fake flags is funny whether intentional or not.

Care to elaborate?

edit:
gotcha, you were talking about Chris Ray/NGF posts...right? whatever, now that you mention it wave/flag is indeed cool!
 
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wyndcrosser

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Wasn't there someone a few months back reproducing "flags/signs" for the neo geo mascot here? OR am I thinking of another product?
 

massimiliano

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just to elaborate:

a detail that can help spotting counterfeits, is the white hook:

here som epics from other collector's flags and mine as well (I had many through time, one from Brian as well, *all the same*):

Screen Shot 2017-07-14 at 7.29.05 AM.png

Screen Shot 2017-07-14 at 7.28.59 AM.png

Screen Shot 2017-07-14 at 8.55.59 AM.png

see the pattern of the fabric, and the clean borders

now here one of the pictures from a recent flag, claimed to be original:

Screen Shot 2017-07-13 at 5.41.18 PM.png

Screen Shot 2017-07-14 at 8.57.34 AM.png

see the "daisy" border, no pattern, thicker fabric.
 

Gyrian

Hardened Shock Trooper
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Mar 24, 2016
Posts
443
Thanks for sharing these details, massi. Even though both sets of pictures have vastly different lighting, it would seem as though the fabric of the flag itself is not the same. The counterfeit one is very coarse, for lack of a better word.
 

massimiliano

ネオジオ,
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Yes, agree, and my feeling is that fabric is quite heavy too...I weighted the banner, so I'm pretty sure it will be easy to spot a fake just using a scaler..
 

wingzrow

Galford's Armourer
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Jan 20, 2006
Posts
466
What next, reproduction Neo Geo Pocket Thumb rings? Blockbuster rental flyers? Maybe a run of fake Top Player's golf carts? This shouldn't surprise me, I guess I'm not jaded enough yet.
 

Rot

Calvin & Hobbes, ,
Joined
Jul 8, 2003
Posts
11,441
If ya' wanna buy a fake item... go for it...

If you want to claim it's real... go for it...

I expect peoples bullshit to be called out... it is NG.com...

xROTx

PS. As for helping the Flaxinubster repent... I just don't care enough....

EDIT: As long as he doesn't try to sell it here... let him stew in his own decisions....
 
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