There are two counterfeit Maples currently making their appearance on the secondary market, both of which look very good. The first Maple does not have a Canadian tush tag which is it's key fault. Although it is entirely possible for a Maple to come directly from a Ty factory without the distinctive Canadian tush tag, the lack of one on a Maple should send up immediate warning signals. The next thing to check is the ribbon. On the fake Maple the ribbon is wider than it should be. It should be 3/16" wide -- the same color and width as Valentino's ribbon. Additionally, the ribbon on the fake Maple is attached directly to the bear, it is not free-moving. The nose on the false Maple is also darker, almost black whereas it should be brown. Again, the same color as Valentino's nose. The swing and tush tags look fairly good, except that the yellow star on the swing tag is darker in color and not the vibrant yellow found on an authentic Ty tag. The second Maple's most distinguishing feature is that it's head is stuffed so full of polyfill that it is extremely hard. There is no "give" to it when squeezed. The fabric is slightly more plush and "wrinkly." The star on the swing tag is not as bright a yellow as on the authentic tag. The ribbon is good, but is not tacked shut. The flag is also placed lower on the chest, and has a wider band of white material on the top and bottom of it. Another thing that is easy to spot and check, is the Canadian tush tag. Canadian tags have lettering in both English and French, with each language on only one side of the tag. On the fake Maple, some of the French lettering at the bottom of the tag has wandered over to the English side. Additionally, the colon (:) is missing after the words "Content" and "Contenu."

*GO TO*