The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => MLP Nirvana => Topic started by: kcat99 on May 27, 2020, 07:10:38 PM
-
I found her today in one of my boxes...one of Ponyland's most infamous scams!
https://www.modus-energy.com/mlpg1 (https://www.modus-energy.com/mlpg1)
Here is my story, for prosperity!
_______________
I don't remember the exact date I purchased this RG, likely in the late 2001-early 2002 time frame as this was when I was working on my chemistry doctorate and spending my days in the lab. It was definitely after the first RG was found, and perhaps even a second was already known by this time. The community was so excited, as it always is when a new Nirvana is discovered (back at that time, the word Nirvana didn't even exist yet to describe a rare/foreign pony - lol I'm old).
She's truly a jaw-dropping color combo. When the next one became available, I knew I needed her in my life (at any cost!).
I didn't think too much about the seller or track record, call it being blinded with infatuation. I had a bad feeling in my gut, which I chose to ignore. I *really* wanted to believe she was real.
Reality came crashing down quick. Another RG popped up on ebay and through some sleuthing discovered it was the SAME seller as who sold me mine. *red flag, fire alarm*
When I received her I popped of the head immediately to find a perfectly sewn in mane and standard tail, pure Hasbro manufacturing style. It almost looked too perfect, if that makes sense.
As a chem grad student having access to spectroscopic equipment, I took a glue swab from RG as well as a glue swab from a standard Gusty and see if it was the same type of glue. It wasn't. This take alone is by no means a true scientific experiment with anything remotely bearing statistical significance nor ability to produce a meaningful conclusion. I would have needed at least a few more RGs and a bunch of regular Gustys to even get basic validation. But this one data point, combined with the second RG the same seller made available, plus her less than credible history put the final nail in the coffin for me as to her authenticity. Personally, I would not feel comfortable even hinting at the chance she is the real deal.
I believe the seller was banned from the community and don't know who has her other fake RG's. But I speculate there are at least 1 or 2 more floating around somewhere.
#thanksforcomingtomytedtalk
kcat
______________________________
-
Dang she's still gorgeous though!
-
She is really pretty! I don't know about this scam (relatively new to the mlp community), can anyone link me to some more information? Would be awful if someone tried to sell her as MLP produced.
-
She's gorgeous, but I have to keep my funds together unfortunately. :-/
Someone would have to be really stupid in order to sell her on as the real thing, since Karma is a metaphysical law. I wouldn't want this kind of debt in my own future.
-
She is really pretty! I don't know about this scam (relatively new to the mlp community), can anyone link me to some more information? Would be awful if someone tried to sell her as MLP produced.
I really feel that with so many long-time members leaving the community, we need a common place for all the good stories!
Someone correct any details I may have mis-remembered, we are talking about something that happened well over 20 years ago LOL
TIL: Reverse Gusty was found at a carboot sale in the UK. Collectors went back and forth about agreeing on the authenticity. At this time, scammers were starting to pop heads off and switch them onto other pony bodies, particularly when very little was known about Nirvanas, and digital cameras were in their infancy. So of course there was intense scrutiny. Things got really heated when a SECOND Reverse Gusty showed up!
In order to solve the puzzle, a collector who worked in a laboratory took samples from the glue in RG's mane plugs and compared it to several samples of genuine, ordinary Hasbro MLP. The samples matched! Industrial-strength glue, used in the Hasbro factories, was used to secure RG's hair. Now the ultimate test: the 2nd RG. Eventually #2 made it into the hands of a collector who was comfortable with sending the pony onto Amazing Lab Tech pony collector. RG #2's hair glue turned out to be an ordinary brand of Super Glue that anybody could have bought from a domestic retail source. RG #2 was FAKE! *shock, horror noises*
When RG#3 and others showed up on the secondary market, collectors realized that scammers were preying on the reputation of the unique OOAK Reverse Gusty.
There can only be one!
-
This sounds less like a run-of-the-mill scam and more like if Nancy Drew was on the CGI team investigating a scam. That's seriously quite a story BabySquirmy.
-
I remember this. It was a crazy event back in the day.
-
I had heard of fakes but had no clue there was that much stuff going on! That's so cool! I'd love to see more longtime members share stories.
Your Rusty is so gorgeous.
-
Wow what a story! Almost an episode of ponybusters! Thank you for sharing lovesbabysquirmy.
I had heard of fakes but had no clue there was that much stuff going on! That's so cool! I'd love to see more longtime members share stories.
Your Rusty is so gorgeous.
I'd second that! And Rusty is a cute nickname.
Crazy that there's only one real reverse Gusty. Makes me wonder about possible unique ponies with factory mistakes that were simply tossed.
-
Ooh, the story of the Rusty scam... what a tale.
Honestly stories and history like this is a big part of why I love the pony community, even if I wasn't around for any of them!
I had heard of fakes but had no clue there was that much stuff going on! That's so cool! I'd love to see more longtime members share stories.
Your Rusty is so gorgeous.
We should definitely have a story thread, lol.
-
The adding baby powder is a slick idea.
-
wasnt there more that was thought to be real then just one?
-
The adding baby powder is a slick idea.
I might be super dumb to ask this but I don't get it? How does the powder help?
-
The adding baby powder is a slick idea.
I might be super dumb to ask this but I don't get it? How does the powder help?
You're not the only one, I don't get it either. :lol:
-
it's like a glitter bomb for her head... if anyone tries to mess with it, it's gonna be a real big mess.
-
Ahhhhhhh...like I said before, dense :facepalm:
-
Wow I'm amazed that someone in an actual lab went to the trouble of testing the ponies! :lol:
-
I remember the Reverse Gusty scam wave back in the day. I met the fantastic collector who worked at the lab and ran the tests. I remember meeting someone at a ponymeet and getting the story straight from them. It's been like 20 years though, so I don't remember all the details.
The reason the tests were needed was because the first wave of fakes were obvious rehairs if you looked at the inside of the head. Hasbro's manufacturing methods are very distinctive, and the usual methods customizers use to rehair ponies don't look like manufactured hairplugs. However, once word got around on the fakes, people started popping heads off and checking, so the fakes weren't fooling people anymore. Eventually one scammer figured out a way to replicate Hasbro manufactured plugs, and that's when the testing needed to be done.
-
I'm amazed people went that far to forge a fake toy and to test against them.
-
since the price was like at least a thousand, sad to admit there was an incentive to learn to do a pony weave rehair method
regardless of all scam aspect, she's a cool color-combo ;-)
-
since the price was like at least a thousand, sad to admit there was an incentive to learn to do a pony weave rehair method
regardless of all scam aspect, she's a cool color-combo ;-)
Great googly-moogly! :scared:
-
I just posted the story into my original post, so now you have the firsthand account :)
I agree there should be a repository of stories from the community.
About the chalk - it's a great natural desiccant. Absorbs moisture.
FYI this RG is not filled with chalk. That would have been a dumpster fire! A light dusting was placed in her over 15 years ago before I put her head back on for the last time, to prevent me from messing with her further and as a moisture experiment. A tiny amount puffed out when I popped off her head for the first time in ages last week. I'm happy it puffed! If I found clumps, that would have meant that some moisture had collected in her. I can happily say she is dry and very low risk for mold.
I'd recommend this for long term pony storage, or even better yet those tiny silica packets, like the ones you find when buying new shoes. Moisture is the enemy when it comes to old plastic. Mold needs moisture. I used standard talc/chalk, not baby powder. She doesn't smell like a newborn bum. ;)
-
She still looks awesome!! I'm so sorry you were scammed like that as I'm sure you probably dropped alot of $$ on her? She is still a very special part of pony collecting history, though!
I'm a huge Gusty fan, and maybe even a bigger fan of Reverse Gusty! ;) ^.^ I made my own custom RG years ago for my Gusty Army, and even dressed up as Reverse Gusty for my first pony fair last year. :blush:
-
Thank you so much for sharing your story and pictures kcat99 :hug:
There are some good comparison images on Facebook of a number of both confirmed REAL and FAKE reverse Gustys/Rustys
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.2499996376884717&type=3
Love pkw xxx
-
I knew there were comparison pictures but couldn't find it back.
Could you make the link public for those who don't have Facebook?
-
I knew there were comparison pictures but couldn't find it back.
Could you make the link public for those who don't have Facebook?
I am working on something special that I think EVERYONE will like and be able to see ;) I just need a little more time to work on it ^.^ :work:
:flirty:
Love pkw xxx
-
Oh my days I remember this 🤪 you should keep her for memory’s purpose, always look back then every time you look at her ❤️💚❤️
-
Thanks for sharing your story! I remember this incident too! Every new nirvana pony was a HUGE deal back then and commanded insane prices. I can understand the temptation to create fakes and totally respect the attention to detail. Who would ever expect a fake pony to fall into the hands of an actual chemist? That's karma for sure.
-
Does anyone know the person who made the fake Gusty? Being sold as the real deal is a big no go, but the creator is a great artist for sure!
And just curious. How sure are you all that this definitely is a fake? Isn't it possible that kind of glue was used on several pony's in the factory?
-
There are some great comparison pictures here (it is still a work in progress)
https://pinkkittywinks.wixsite.com/mlparenagallery/rusty
Love pkw xxx
-
I am still very sceptical of R_Gusties that don't have the exhaustive record trail that the "original" one has.
...In fact I did not believe in RG for most of the time from when the scam was going on till more recently. I am still a little bit quizzical about what happened in the factory, but the way the original one was discovered and the paper trail that people have kept to track her movements makes me think she probably is the real deal. There may be one or two others. I'm sceptical by nature but I won't rule it out.
Not to beat a dead subject to the bone but scams like this one, that put people out of pocket, is why I am so absolutely obsessive about information online being RIGHT. Not every collector has the same access to knowledge or memory of all these things, and we have to share the information we have and the stories we have to protect everyone going forward. We've lost a lot of information because people have stopped paying attention to accuracy in favour of speed.
...Another scam running back in the day was the idea that white haired Posey was a UK exclusive. There were a bunch of people dropped $50 or so on a faded ratty Posey before we finally managed to crush it as a rumour. Another one is White Windy. Again, people out of pocket due to the spread of misinformation and people either being fooled or trying to capitalise on it as a scam.
The Rusty one is the ultimate though. It was a big deal, a lot of people lost money, the person was indeed blacklisted. We had a small community back then but also very vigilant people tracking the actions/name changes/etc of scammers in order to protect each other. And the lab tests on this fake Rusty were a big deal as well. But this person didn't go away after one scam attempt. They were quite persistent. I believe at one point there was even an attempt to pass off a baby rg, but I may be wrong about that.
There is a genuine reason why it's important ID sites should be accurate and why misinformation hurts people. This is the best example I can think of why that is, and why we need to stamp it out. A lot of scamming went on in the old days because people didn't know as much as they do now, but we're in real danger of losing that knowledge completely.
And FTR, I'm pretty sure there are some 'prototypes' in our community now that wouldn't pass the RGusty science test. ;) Not to mention if you think this kind of scam is a thing of the past, let's not forget issues with undisclosed rehairs, apparent 'variations' that later prove to be rehairs, and repro products that could be confused with real...
-
Older thread I know but I havent be about for a bit. I was once comissioned to make a RG for someone here on the arena. I never tried to pass it off as anything but a custom and certainly never did anything weird with the hair to make it look professional. Im not sure if the person I made the custom for is still about or not as im not overly active these days, something I hope to rectify at some point!