Can You Spot the Fake Fire-King Mug?
Let’s face it, Fire-King collecting is becoming more and more popular everyday. We all love collecting it. So much so that we buy almost everything we find with a Fire-King or Anchor logo on it. We have an awesome hobby!
But all that collecting, is not without it’s downside. There are people out there that are making counterfeit mugs. Especially of the more rare, but eagerly sought after mugs.
We all come across some things in our careers as collectors that just don’t seem actually right. So, here at Fire-King-Mug.com, we want to hear from you when you get a mug that you don’t think is up to snuff. There are other sites out there with more information, but we will dedicate this page to what we find.
That said…let us hear from you. Help us spot mugs that aren’t spot on and happy collecting to you!
Can you spot which one of these mugs is the fake?
CAPT N’ CRUNCH
How can you tell which of these is fake?
1. With most fakes you will notice that the mug appears older than the decal. So the decal will have a brighter shine than the mug itself? Why?
Counterfeiters will take an old mug and put a new decal on it…but they don’t usually fade their decal work. So it appears new, while the mug is still aged underneath the decal. You might even find a scratch that goes “under your decal” and then continues without ever having the scratch in the decal part.
2. The designs will be a little different.
Carefully look at the lines of the designs…sometimes they are thicker or thinner. Sometimes things could be missing or the details not defined as well as they should be or worse missing altogether.
3. Lettering and Fonts might be a different than the original.
Comparing the lettering on two mugs you can usually spot differences that will help you identify a fake. Letters are sometimes spaced further apart or too close together or might just not match at all.
4. Texture of the decal print may not be smooth.
Depending on the process used to apply the decal to a fake mug you’ll notice that it might have a different texture or feel when rubbing your finger over it or looking at it in a good photo or under bright light. Also older mugs that have had decals applied will have lost some of the shine that would normally be consistent for the whole mug. Most real mugs will glisten evenly.
5. Colors may be a little off from the original or company branding.
Comparing two mugs next to each other you may find that they don’t quite match. There are sometimes factory defects that might be a little off, but this is extremely rare. The truth is for most companies their colors are associated with their brand and never will be off.
We hope this helps!
If you find a fake let us know and send us your pictures.
This list can be used as a starting point to help you identify counterfeit mugs. We hope this helps you in your collecting and perhaps saves you a few pennies or embarrassments.
Now do you think you can identify the fake?
Answer: The mug on the left is the fake. It displays all 4 points listed above. Carefully compare it to the real mug on the right.