Some sellers on eBay have been selling counterfeit/fake/unauthorized reproductions of Shag (Josh Agle) and Kinkade Disneyland images.  My guide covers the commonly counterfeited Disneyland "Petite Prints" and also the 24" x 36" poster of Kinkade's "Disneyland's 50th Anniversary" Sleeping Beauty Castle painting.  I will provide information and tips here to help you identify the bogus copies being offered on eBay.

My qualifications to write this guide are the following.  I have been a serious Disneyland collector and Annual Passholder since 1997 (I average at least 20 visits to Disneyland a year.).  Some of my main related Disneyland collecting interests are Disneyland posters/lithographs and Shag's Disneyland works.  I have been selling Disney and Disneyland items on eBay since 1998, with 100% feedback.  I frequently visit and buy from the Disneyana Shop on Main Street and the Disney Gallery, where the "Petite Prints" are sold.  I have bought many "Petite Prints" over the years and I am very familiar with them.  I have friends that have worked for Disneyland for years, so I know how the "Cast Member" discounts work and I have visited Company D (the "Cast Member" discount store) many times.

Disneyland has been selling a variety of wonderful collectibles featuring artwork done by Shag (Josh Agle) and Thomas Kinkade for Disneyland's 50th Anniversary.  These images have been legimately reproduced and sold in a variety of formats and sizes by Disneyland.  The Thomas Kinkade image is also available at authorized Thomas Kinkade resellers.  The most popular print format is the "Petite Print."

Again, not all "Petite Prints" are fake.  A "Petite Print" is a popular legitimate print format that Disneyland has developed.  Disneyland sells many images in this format, not just Shag or Kinkade prints.  A Disneyland "Petite Print" has the following characteristics:

• It is printed on heavy white paper.  Not as heavy as card stock, but heavier than poster paper.
• It is not printed using Disneyland's "Print on Demand" service.
• It does not look like it was printed on an inkjet printer.  You cannot easily see "dots" making up the image.
• It is matted and backed.  The matte board and backing are not glued or attached to the print.
• It is packaged in a clear plastic bag that has a reseable flap.  It is not shrinkwrapped.
• There is a "Walt Disney Parks and Resorts" barcoded price tag on the back of the bag. 
• There is a (C) Disney on the front of the print hidden under the matte board. 
• It is 11" x 14".  The matte is cut so the viewable image is 8" x 11" for the Shag images, but the print and matte and backing is 11" x 14."  Other images (such as Disney animation scenes) can be of other sizes, but the matte and backing is 11" x 14."
• EXCEPTION:  There has been a recent Shag work in July 2006 ("New Orleans Square" or "Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion") that is in a new "super-sized" "Petite Print" format that is larger and sells for $35.  The packaging characteristics are the same.

The main Shag prints to look out for include the work he has done for the Disneyland 50th Anniversary:  the five images from his "Original Lands" (also called "Five Original Lands") series (Main Street U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland and Frontierland) and his 50th Map that shows the original layout of Disneyland in 1955.  

Counterfeit copies of the work he did for "Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room 40th Anniversary" have not shown up as fakes to my knowledge.  Authentic "Petite Prints" of these works would have the same characteristics as described above.  Disneyland released "One Enchanted Evening," "Tangaroa," and "Waking Jose" in the "Petite Print" format.  The original price on those older items was $15.

Warning Flags to watch out for on Disneyland "Petite Prints":

• "Petite Prints" sold without the matte and resealable bag.  Disneyland never sells these items as just a plain print.
• Buy It Now prices that are impossibly low.  The "Petite Print" format is currently $18 plus tax at Disnyland, and has been as long as the Shag and Kinkade prints discussed here have been available.  If someone is selling $100-$120 worth of prints (5-6 prints) for a Buy It Now of $40 and the prints are not matted and bagged... well, your chances of getting fakes are pretty high.  If they tell you they bought them as a Disney employee or "Cast Member," the maximum employee discount is 35%, which would bring their cost down to about $65-$78.  It's still not very likely that you're getting the real thing.  Who would pay eBay and PayPal fees to resell you something for at least $25 less than they paid?  Especially continuously listing and selling the prints at this price and losing money every time?
• Missing (C) Disney marking on the print itself
• Sellers unwilling or unable to provide a photo or scan of the (C) Disney upon request.

There's a reason people say:  "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

The Kinkade image to be wary of is "Disneyland 50th Anniversary" which depicts Sleeping Beauty Castle resplendantly dressed up for the 50th Anniversary with the crowns, jewels and banners.  Watch out for "Petite Prints" that do not have the characteristics described above, and all auctions for the 24" x 36" "poster."  This image has never been reproduced by Disneyland or Thomas Kinkade as a 24" x 36" poster.  This has been verified by Disneyland's Disneyana Shop and at a Thomas Kinkade Gallery.  You can also search eBay for "Kinkade poster" and you will see that no other Kinkade images are/were listed as "posters."  This is because Kinkade does not offer his works in poster format.  It was not offered as a Disney "Cast Member" exclusive.

If you're considering buying an unmatted and/or unbagged Disneyland "Petite Print" and you care about buying an authentic item, consider asking the seller for the following: 

• Scan or picture of Disneyland receipt.
• Scan or picture of Disney copyright on the print.
• Explanation of how the item was purchased without the bag and/or matte.  Company D does not sell these unmatted and unbagged.  It sells items as they were packaged and sold in the park, so the only possible difference should be a line through the price.

If you are thinking about buying the 24" x 36" Kinkade poster, ask where it was bought from.  Neither Disneyland nor any Thomas Kinkade Gallery offer this print as a "poster."  I have not been able to determine a legitimate source for this product after consulting Disneyland and Thomas Kinkade employees.

Thanks for taking the time to read my guide.

Happy eBaying!

Kevin / "kcb1"