Does anyone know any good sources for good quality fake oranges that would be suitable for a cup routine? (I am using a Don Alan Full Sized Chop Cup from RNT2 https://www.rnt2.com/don-alan-full-size-......ish.html ).
I know real ones are best, but sometimes it can be hard finding the right size before every show (a few times I have tried the supermarket and fruit market, and they were all too big).

I have some cricket balls and baseballs I can use as a backup, but I think oranges usually get a better reaction, plus they are very bright and visible.

There are several fake food websites (where do you think FabFruit comes from?):

One I tend to use is found here (link to a set of three oranges for $12.00): https://www.displayfakefoods.com/store/p......1070.htm

or home page: https://www.displayfakefoods.com

If there's a 'Michaels' store near you, they have some and you can try before you buy. They usually have a couple sizes.


.

Https://www.mkcups.com/
Michael has great fake fruit

Thank you very much for all the sources!

Unfortunately I can't go to Michael's easily, as I am in Australia, but I might check them out the next time I am visiting the US!

There’s no weight to the ones at Michaels. If you want the best order from mkcups.com

If you don’t want to spend a lot of cash
The fake lemons can have weights put in them.
Pop the pip steam off pull it out it’s very long surprised me.
Any way you can put any type of weight in side glue back and your set.
I had the Ammar lemons for years, nice but a bit small.
Nickoli

Personally, I could use a new lime, but I can't seem to find the price list on the mk website.

They're all listed under the "PRODUCE" section of the site. Most of them are currently out of stock but he has lemons for $25 and plums and potatoes for $30. I would guess the price depends on the size of the item.

-Brian

I spent some time measuring my cup, and it seems the largest round thing it will take as a final load is 3.1 inches diameter, and only barely.

I'm rather afraid that the produce from MKCups either wouldn't fit for some, and would look rather small for those that do. I suppose for now I will use a mix of real fruit when I can get it, and baseballs when I can't. Hopefully in time I can find the perfect fake fruit.

Thank you again to everyone for their help and suggestions!

If oranges are out of season.....you can use apples.

Oranges and lemons are classics...and the vibrant color makes them visible and identifiable...but apples will work just as well in most situations.
Their red, yellow or green colors are almost as good and they are very identifiable.

I’ve noticed quite a lot of fake Fruit at thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army,etc. )

Many are are heavy plaster, some are thin rubber, but recently picked up 3 lemons and 2 oranges that were latex, perfect for cups, only $3

I guess it depends on what kind of fake fruit you are looking for. If you are looking for fake fruit for stage performance, almost any would work but if you are looking for fake fruit for close up, then Michael Kaminskas has the best out there. They feel real, they look real as long as all the fruit that you produce are his, and they weight approx. that of the real thing. When I use them, nobody in my audience can tell that they are fake, even when they touch them and pick them up. The reason that I say that they look real as long as all the fruit that you produce is his, is because his fruit colors are a slight bit darker than the real fruit in my region. I am not sure what the material is that he uses but I think it can be remedied with either a silicone paint or a model paint. The only other thing is that the material likes to grab the working surface which is not a problem if you don't slide your cups with the load across the table. If you do, you can cote the fruit with either carnuba wax or renaissance wax and it helps with the fruit grabbing.

I agree about the Michael Kaminskas stuff. Just got two potatoes from him and they are amazing. Perfect weight, looks totally real.

If you are actually performing splurging for the best is worth it. The other fake fruit I tried not only didn’t look real but were hollow and plasticity.

Do it.

Eldini

I just wanted to post an update. This past weekend I used the renaissance wax on the MK oranges. They slide across my table fine without lifting the cup. Now I just have to figure out how often I will have to coat them.