I have made a video with my thoughts on recasting......please watch and subscribe to my channel if you agree:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFvNnFqIK1Q

Thanks for an excellent post and video. However, you might have had more fun with a Bass-o-matic

Watch those fingers when you use the chopper!

I support your stance fully on this subject and I would add an addendum telling people who get caught out to notify the producer of the genuine article where the fake was purchased so that they can take action. As these types of items usually come through EBay who will take action if contacted by that producer, and you should also be able to get your money back as the product is not as described.

How does one tell if what I'm looking at on ebay is a recast or not?

Sometimes by the Price, sometimes there's a lack of Packaging photos, Sometimes you won;t know until you get it and the quality isn't that of the original producer.

Before you bid, you should simply ask the seller if it's legit product via eBay to leave an evidence in writing. (the fake seller usually plays dumb and would tell you he doesn't know where they came from) This way, you can get a refund if you receive a counterfeit figures.

1) If the auction does not state the name of manufacturer, it's fake.
2) if the auction states that original packaging is missing, it's fake.
3) many fake sellers use Alpine's official images with Alpine watermark blurred out. Then it's fake.
4) If it's too cheap, be aware.