Last week, I reported on the "minty white" reproductions of inserts that turned up in the hobby a number of years ago as being from a "warehouse find". Those who passed off these as originals made fortunes selling them on eBay and elsewhere over the past decade, and that success (and complete lack of punishment, despite hundreds of complaints to eBay) led those who made these to continue on and make similar "minty white" reproductions of lobby cards (in complete sets)!
     I first reported on this in this email club way back in message #374 (many years ago!), where I wrote the following:
     "I have learned first hand that the same people responsible for distributing the "minty white" inserts have now created "minty white" lobby cards! How did I learn of this? It started several months ago when I received a single "Godfather II" lobby card in consignment from a long time poster dealer (as part of a large consignment of older cards). I did not look closely at the card, and included it in an auction of single lobby cards. After the auction, it was paid for and sent.
     A couple of weeks later I received an e-mail about the card. The buyer said he felt certain it was counterfeit, and wanted to return it. I of course immediately agreed, and, as is always my policy when I have made a mistake, agreed to refund the cost of the card, the shipping both ways, plus two of my books of his choice as an apology. At that time I thought he might have been mistaken about the card, and I was so busy when the card came back that I did not inspect it closely, but simply proceeded with the refund, intending to inspect it later.
     Then a potential consignor called me. He said he had just purchased a large number of lobby card sets from top titles of the late 1960s and 1970s, and was I interested in selling them? I asked him what condition they were in, and he said "so incredible you will find it hard to believe" and that set off bells in my head, and I asked him if he thought there was the slightest chance they were fake. He replied, "I don't know, but they look great, so why does it matter?" to which I politely told him I did NOT want them.
     Next, I received another single "Godfather II" lobby card in consignment, this time from a long time collector. I glanced at the card, but it was sent by someone I thought to be very knowledgeable, so I did not look very hard. I included it in an auction of single lobby cards, and it was won by the same person who had won the first one. A few weeks later he returned that one as well! This time I looked at it very closely as soon as it returned, and I concluded he was right.
     What was wrong with the card? In some ways it was TOO perfect. It did not have the slightest sign of age, and there was not the slightest writing or stamping anywhere on the back. The color of the paper stock was a SLIGHTLY different shade of white (kind of "whiter" than all 1970s lobby cards). The differences are subtle enough that many collectors might not realize the card is not simply "mint", although I think most collectors could quickly tell them apart if they saw a known original side-by-side with one of these counterfeits.
     At that point, I was certain there were counterfeit "Godfather II" lobby cards, but I didn't really know what other titles were involved, and I did not feel I yet had enough solid evidence to "go public" with what I had thus far learned. BUT THEN, LAST THURSDAY, THAT CHANGED CONSIDERABLY!
     A consignor sent me a group of lobby card sets, and at first glance all looked to be "mint sets" (many were in plastic bags, with price stickers attached). But on close inspection, I realized I was seeing the new "minty white" lobby cards first hand! Why? The titles came from a thirty year period, and yet every single card was printed on the exact same paper stock (exactly the same as the two Godfather II cards I had previously been consigned!
     I quickly contacted the consignor, and he told me he had received these "mint sets" in trade for lesser posters, and that he had kind of suspected the deal was too good to be true", but sent them to me hoping I would feel otherwise. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THOSE WHO SOLD THE FIRST MINTY WHITE INSERTS DID WHEN THEY FIRST SURFACED WITH THEM (they went around and traded lots of them to dealers with large inventories of lesser titles). Remember the dealer I told you about above who had earlier tried to consign a bunch of these to me, but I turned him down? He also was someone with lots of posters from lesser titles, just the sort of person the creators of these cards would have contacted at first. I am 100% certain these are recently created reproductions!"

THE ABOVE IS WHAT I WROTE IN CLUB MESSAGE #374. Flash forward to 2014. HERE IS A PRETTY CURRENT LIST OF ALL THE KNOW TITLES OF REPRODUCED "MINTY WHITE" INSERTS AND LOBBY CARDS:
Army of Darkness - Lobby Card Set
Blade Runner - Insert - Lobby Card Set
Blue Velvet - Lobby Card Set
Blues Brothers - Lobby Card Set
Caddyshack - Lobby Card Set
Casino - Lobby Card Set
Empire Strikes Back - Insert (style A) - Half Sheet (style A) - Lobby Card Set
Enforcer - Insert - Half Sheet
For Your Eyes Only - Lobby Card Set
Godfather - Insert
Godfather II - Lobby Card Set
Goodfellas - Lobby Card Set
Grease - Insert - Lobby Card Set
Hard Days Night - Lobby Card Set (R82 Issue)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Lobby Card Set
Jaws - Insert
Manhattan - Insert
Matrix - Lobby Card Set (International Issue)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl - Lobby Card Set (International Set of 14)
Raging Bull - Insert
Raiders of the Lost Ark - Insert
Reservoir Dogs - Lobby Card Set (International Issue)
Return of the Jedi - Insert
Rocky Horror Picture Show - Lobby Card Set
Shining - Insert
Silence of the Lambs - Lobby Card Set (International Set of 8)
Spiderman 2 - Lobby Card Set (International Set of 10)
Star Trek - Insert
Star Wars - Insert (Style A)
Saturday Night Fever - Insert
Scarface - Insert

     OF COURSE, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THE ABOVE IT IS A FAKE, BECAUSE THERE CLEARLY ARE MANY ORIGINALS AS WELL! But I would say that if you got a "mint" insert or set of lobby cards, and at a price that seemed low at the time, you were more likely sold the fakes, and you want to get it (or them, if you bought more than one) "checked out" and then try to get your money back if you WERE sold a fake.
     I MOST WANT TO HEAR FROM ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY KNOW OF OTHER TITLES THAT MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN REPRODUCED. I will add those to the above list as "suspected" titles. I need EVERYONE'S help to make this list as comprehensive as possible.
    WHAT CAN WE THE HOBBY DO ABOUT THIS? I don't know. eBay does not care at all! It greatly saddens me that there are still lots of people getting ripped off by these fakes nearly every single day, and I wish there was some way to stop these people!
     At least I hope that everyone makes sure to double and triple check all of the above titles before they buy any of them, and that they try to only deal with the most reputable dealers and auctions, and that, if they discover they bought any of these, to do all you can to get your money back! AND PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THESE JUST AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THIS, OR KNOW OF SOMETHING WE CAN DO, PLEASE E-MAIL ME.

See Also:
Did you know... that there are "minty white" reproductions of inserts, lobby cards (and other sizes) that you should watch out for? (Part I)