So when looking at boxes, how do you identify a reproduction box from an original ?
The first thing to check for is any identifying marks that state it is a reproduction or copy. This might seem obvious but it is surprising how often a model with a box is assumed to be original. Open the box and check it.
The reputable reproduction box makers include a statement with their trading name and the word COPY or Reproduction printed on the inside of the box.
The next thing to check is for the colour of the paper. Stark white, which RecoverToy uses, is a sure sign that it is a reproduction as all the original boxes were printed to un-bleached card. Some people making copies have obtained some card stock that is unbleached, but it is not necessarily identical to what was used 50 or more years ago. All the printing businesses that supplied the toy makers used different card stock and the natural colours varied greatly from a dark grey to pale cream.
To me the biggest give-away is that many reproduction boxes are made with simple photo-copies and laser printing. The photo-copy process copies things like creases, folds, price-stickers and rips, which are then re-printed as 2-dimensional marks on the surface of the print. If you can see a price sticker image but cannot peel it off then it is a photo-copy. The use of colour laser printers for reproductions make the copies obvious in that they have a glossy finish which is an effect of the heating of the laser ink and the way it is applied to the paper.
All RecoverToy boxes are made with a logo on the inside or similar un-obtrusive location. The logo includes the word COPY and a year that it was produced. We also make our reproductions with white bleached card stock to also make it obvious with minimal scrutiny that the item is not original so that the potential buyer should never mistakenly purchase a RecoverToy reproduction box as if it were an original.