What is a repro weapon?

The word repro comes from "reproduction". It is a counterfeit replica of one of the weapons that came with the vintage Star Wars figures, but have been made nowadays. The reason to create them is that there are much less weapons than figures. For being them so small, they were much easily lost, so now it is more difficult to find a complete figure than one that is not complete.

If they are almost identical to the originals, what is the problem?

The problem is that they are not authentic. The value of the vintage Star Wars toys is that they've been around for more than 20 years. Imagine that you collect stamps: would you prefer to collect original stamps or fake stamps printed with a laser printer of the highest quality? The answer is straightforward. Another factor is the price, the complete figures costs quite more than the ones without weapon, because these are difficult to obtain. If somebody sells you a complete figure and the weapon is a repro, that person has fraud you.

Is there a way to tell the repro weapons from the originals?

Fortunately yes, you just need some experience and, over all, INFORMATION. We have created this page with that purpose.

What is the "drop test"?

That's a test that can help to detect a lot of the repro weapons thanks to the fact that they are made of a different kind of plastic. Drop the weapon on a table or a flat surface and listen to the sound. The repros make a tinkling sound, and bounce a bit more than the originals. You need to have a trained ear to detect this. The best way to do it is to drop an original weapon and compare the sounds.

My weapon is painted, is it a repro?

Yes. The colour of the original weapons is the colour of the plastic they are made of. If you scratch it with a metallic object, the paint will go off and you will see the plastic of a different colour that is underneath. We are talking about weapons that are painted on their entire surface. Of course the weapons that have decoration, such as the Amanaman or Gamorrean Guard ones, have some painted parts.

Is the flexibility different in the repro weapons?

In most of the cases it is. This is easier to detect in the long weapons such as pikes, sabres or rifles. In occasions they are made of a harder plastic that is less flexible, and they'll break if you try to bend them too much. Other times they are made of a gummy plastic and they'll be too flexible.

My weapon is too brittle, is it a repro?

Probably, some repros are made of a more brittle plastic than the originals.

My weapon is too sharp, is it a repro?

The original weapons have different levels of finish, but if it s too sharp in details, it is probably a repro.

My weapon is made of painted lead, is it a repro?

Of course it is a repro! (One guy sent me one of these once).

Somebody has sold me a figure with a repro weapon but didn't tell me it was, however he didn't say that it was an original either, Should I complain?

Yes, if somebody has sold you a repro weapon without explicitly telling you that it is a repro, you've been fraud. Ask for a replacement or a refund. If you think that the person did it on purpose make other collectors beware of that seller (in the auction sites, leaving feedback is a good idea).

My weapon has mould flash, is it a repro?

Not necessarily. The original weapons were created in different places during several years, so some have better finish than the others. For example, the one in the picture is a 100% original weapon.

How can I use your page to know if my weapon is a repro or not?

Look your weapon through a magnifier and compare it with the ones in the picture. Look for the small details, like if the buttons are in the same place, how many lines are on the barrel and things like that. If everything is exactly like in the image, then it is genuine, if everything is like in one of the images of the repros, then it is for sure a repro. If it is not like any of the pictures in the site, then it is probably a repro but it could be a variant of the weapon that we don't know. In this case, please contact us to send a picture in order to catalogue it.

© S I T H N E T - Javier Lois

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