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Our old topic was quite long and quite old! It is still a useful history of some of the sorts of things that have come up over the years, so you may see it here as an archive.
Please use this topic to report any FAKE, “KNOCK-OFF”, COUNTERFEIT, or infringements you see of Windstones.
FAKE / KNOCK-OFF / COUNTERFEIT Windstones are just that; sculptures made to look like the real thing, but often with less skill or poor quality materials, finish, paint jobs, etc. A few “tell tale” signs of a fake are: No felt pad or stamp on the bottom with the official “Windstone” logo (note there are a very few, very OLD exceptions to this), eyes that are obviously the same material as the rest of the sculpture, eyes that are not glass, eyes that are painted on, obvious seams, poor overall quality, strange/poor paint jobs, and made out of materials OTHER than Gypsum (wax, resin, metal, and ceramics were not used to make Windstones, and concrete was used only for outdoor Windstones in a limited run). Think of FAKE Windstones like counterfeit money; a good enough copy to fool someone at a glance, especially if they are not a hardcore collector. Some fakes are much better than others!
INFRINGEMENTS refers to things that are not quite an obviously “faked” Windstone. This is much more tricky to define, as it is somewhat subjective. This includes things like: non-Windstone entities using Windstone imagery (a shirt company printing shirts with Windstones on them, or a mousepad company selling mousepads with some of Melody’s art on them, etc), a drawing or reproduction of a Windstone (while a drawing of a Windstone is transformative, it is still illegal if sold), etc. This also includes items that are NOT Windstones but look too similar to them to just be a coincidence. Unfortunately, because this is subjective, we on the forum can not judge these types of things to know if they are truly an infringement or not, so it is suggested in this case that John be notified directly, as he and his legal expert are the only ones that can make a final decision.
If you find an item that you feel needs a quick response, or immediate attention (“someone is selling 300 fakes and the auction ends TOMORROW oh gosh!”), please contact John directly so that he may take quick action! You can also call the Windstone Office at (541) 752-0404. There is generally someone available during most week days, 9-5pm Pacific Standard time.
Do you have a fake Windstone? Feel free to share your photos with us via email, and here on this thread! Your fake can help educate others on what to watch out for!
Are you not sure if your Windstone is fake? If you have a suspected fake, your best bet is to “Ask Melody”, and to post a query there with good photos of your possible fake. Close-up photos of the eyes, jewels, bottom, and details can help. Melody and the other forum members can usually sleuth out the truth!
Trying to avoid buying a fake Windstone on eBay, Craigslist, etc? Ask the seller for lots of photos, especially of “problem areas” such as the eyes, and the bottom. Still not sure? You can “Ask Melody”, and Melody / the other forum members can try to help you make an informed choice.
Please note that while Melody, the staff, and other forum members will try to help you determine the legitimacy of your Windstone, this advice is not a guarantee and must not be taken as such! Buy/sell/trade at your own risk!
Thank you all for your help, keen eyes, and diligence in helping us over the years!
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comKind of neat but still…
Brooch based off Melody’s dragon print.
…..What?!?! (I’m pretty sure this piece is STILL LISTED BY WINDSTONE THEMSELVES)
Finding happiness again.
…..What?!?! (I’m pretty sure this piece is STILL LISTED BY WINDSTONE THEMSELVES)
was just about to come in about this one too, it’s just weird….
why does someone in China want to pretend they have something that is still sitting in the Windstone warehouse?4 things I'm looking for:
1. Mother Meerkat
2. production color Sitting Young Oriental dragons to be made in more colors besides VF, Brimstone would be awesome!
3. Female Griffin – Siamese with White
4. September Raffle Prize 2022 AHD Male GriffinI know right? I reported it to eBay and to the Windstone email and eBay account. I also bid $10 on it so they couldn’t easily delete it. I also took screen shots of the listing (it is an exact copy) and a screen shot of the Windstone listing and the China listing side by side. What nonsense.
The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.
Looks like eBay took action. I followed the link and it wasn’t found.
My keyboard is broken. I keep pressing "Escape", but I'm still here.
I found these via my ebay suggestions
Chinese short term (12-hour auction) direct copy of a Windstone auction. I have emailed John.
I believe this is a knock off someone is trying to sell for $1500 on eBay. It is either a poor reprint or fraud. The eyes are really strange. Item number is 222320792906.
The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.
I just sent a message to the seller asking for a picture of the underside. I said I wanted to see the condition of the pad.
My keyboard is broken. I keep pressing "Escape", but I'm still here.
Yikes!!
Wanted: "Dragon Fruit" Male Dragon ~ "Fire Berry", "Paradise", "Dragon Fruit", "Tie Dye" ~ The brighter, the better!
Yikes!!
Looks like the seller is at least somewhat honest – s/he has changed the description to say it is most likely not a real Windstone.
My keyboard is broken. I keep pressing "Escape", but I'm still here.
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