Fake Vinyl Cape Jawa 12-back: With the market price for a legitimate 12-back vinyl caped Jawa already through the roof and going higher, you can be sure that the fakes are close behind. The primary difference between the real deal and the rash of fakes currently making the rounds, is in the bubble. As these three photos attempt to show, the bubble on this figure is slanted outward over the head area. This is the bubble used on later "cloth" caped 12-backs, as well as on the subsequent 20-backs, but not on vinyl cape 12-backs. Please follow this link for more descriptive information on these bubble discrepancies.

This photo comes from a collector in the New York area from which this current crop of fakes has been emanating. Collectors seeking out this figure (and there are alot of you), must keep this "bubble rule" in mind while shopping for this piece and stick to it. Only through the shared knowledge of collectors is it possible to stay on top of and thwart this type of fakery. Please make it a point to pass this information on to other collectors, particularly those currently seeking this piece.