Fingerlings Real vs. Fake

FINGERLINGS: REAL VS. FAKE

DON'T BE FOOLED

Goodness, these cute little Fingerlings. The cause of so much joy and grief, yet it's still an entire month before Christmas arrives. If you recall, I posted an article featuring my ToysRUs Gigi the Unicorn Fingerlings on November 20th (see it here), and since then she made an appearance on Pix11 News on the 22nd How? My social media posts of the unicorn. I got the call for the story just as I was heading out to the Macy's Balloon Inflation. Story? Fake Fingerlings (relax, my Gigi Unicorn is real). With demands high, supply short and tempers flaring; parents are going crazy trying to find a Fingerlings for their kids in time for Christmas. I even had a parent try to snatch mine off my finger! She nearly broke my finger!

Go Gigi 🦄

I'm having a blast testing toys this holiday (marketing). Which brings us to fake Fingerlings. Sure you may have seen the reports, warnings and I know it may be impossible to find a Fingerlings in stores at this point (but don't give up). A friend of mine ordered a monkey Fingerlings from Amazon, which turned out to be a fake - so she gave it to me for this article. Now my Finn the Monkey Fingerlings (black with blue hair) is a Walmart exclusive, which came with a bonus base. If you see one online (eBay) and it doesn't have one, don't assume it's a fake. Also, you may purchase it as a gift for Christmas, which only means they won't be opened UNTIL December 25th. So what to look for?  (read on to see my pics...)

Front of packaging

Packaging - **Disregard the "Bonus Stand!" sticker, unless it was purchased at Walmart, an exclusive from Walmart, which is REAL.** Fingerlings are manufactured by WowWee, so look for the logo on the front AND back of the package. You can see it on the REAL one, right, lower, right-hand corner in the pink heart, under the word "sounds" (looks like a monkey with two eyes). It says "Baby Monkey" in the lower middle, to the left of the heart, by my thumb. The FAKE only says Baby Monkey, NO LOGO. This fake only worked about 12 hours, with the sounds on a recorded loop. Then it stopped working. Except for the eyes. This thing binks non-stop as if it's possessed! My advice? REAL fingerlings have a swirly logo/tattoo on their right buttock (colors vary by Monkey - Gigi the Unicorn has a horseshoe on her left cheek, which you can see from the side of the clear packaging even before opening it. Fake packaging varies, and different languages does not necessarily mean it's a fake. The true test is once you open it. 

A REAL Zoe the Monkey Fingerlings. Not the best pic, but you CAN see the purple swirly logo on its backside through packaging. **Logo color matches the hair.** 

Back: This fake was convincing at first... logo was there, but looked "off"
MISSING WOWWEE WEB SITE.

If purchasing online (like eBay), simply ask the seller to send a picture of the package at an angle where you can see the logo on the backside through the plastic. That's what I looked for before opening my friends fake monkey. Once you open the Fingerlings, it's clear which one is real, as the authentic Fingerlings is secured to the inner plastic casing, with mini ties.Fakes are not (they fall right out of the packaging).

Look for the clear ties securing the Fingerlings around the neck

Distinctive markings on AUTHENTIC Fingerlings: Aside from the swirl tattoo on the monkey Fingerlings right butt (left horseshoe for the unicorn), there is a serial number on the back of the head. Look for the CE logo underneath the Fingerlings, between the legs. Right under the neck, FAKES only say "Made in China", while the REAL Fingerlings shows the year of manufacture, along with Wowwee: "2016 Wowwee China".

Fake is on the left

CE logo on fake is on the battery compartment. Nice try, but wrong placement

Fake is missing 2016 (year) and Wowwee name

Fake Fingerlings on the left, REAL on the right

FEEL - Real Fingerlings feel rubbery on the arms and legs, and feel smooth and seamless. Fake Fingerlings, the limbs feel plastic and have a sharp seam/edge around the arms and legs. Dead giveaway.

Just won't work! Just now, as I was editing this article, my fake Finn Fingerling just turned on and started repeating "ello, ello, ellllllllllllllo" (and it was OFF) and started to laugh hysterically. If you seen the movie Chucky, I'm sure you can understand. You'll also understand why I flung the critter across the room and into my wall. CREEPY.

"So what if my Fingerlings is fake, who cares"? YOU will, as you probably paid triple the sale price (they retail $15, but I can understand paying more if you really want it. But you must ensure that it's authentic!) Also, fakes are not as safe as the real deal. They can break apart, be made with lead paint or worse - overheat. Trust me a child will notice a soon as they realize it isn't interacting as it should.

Fake Finn the Monkey on the left. Imposter!

You can expect the Fingerlings frenzy to only get worse, with new species releasing. Just a couple of days ago, they launched Amazon exclusives: Glitter Fingerlings. And I want one.

~Evelyn Lugo