Buyback Autographs
 

Thanks to Chad's post about a Jordan buyback, this got me thinking that I should post in general about the dangers of some of the buyback cards.

A buyback autograph is the manufacturing company 'buys back' there own card, then has the player sign that card. They then affix a sticker on the back on the card. Bowman uses a small square hologram, UD uses an oval with serial numbers and a small matching COA paper. Then they are typically numerically numbered.

2006 Bowman Sterling Baseball had a TON of these buybacks. They had the small square hologram affixed, and then most were put into an 'uncirculated' case, that was supposed to be tamper evident.

Now, the problem with this is that the holograms are some what easy to remove. So fraudsters take a super thin blade to lift in, sign a card, affix the sticker to it. Because unlike UD, these cards have no small matching COA. The problem with the cases is that it's a round sticker at the top that can easily lose it's adhesiveness by heat or working it until it becomes loose. Then they put the fake card in that case, and re-seal it.

I have tried to peel off the sticker, mine was done fairly well, but obvious it was tampered with, but the point is, it can be done.

Here's some knowledge to arm yourself with, first thing is to simply go to beckett.com and see if they even have a buyback card for that player. Here is an example on eBay that disgusts me. Here is a supposed "Mauer" buyback rookie card. Doing a quick search on beckett (http://www.beckett.com/search/?term=mauer+buyback) will show that Mauer does not even HAVE a buyback card. And, this autograph is atrocious.

Here is a list of Pujols buybacks. And here is a legit one on eBay that matches the year, numbering, and legit autograph. And if you just do a search on eBay, you can just compare to see if it even matches with beckett that they even had a buyback for that specific card.

I enjoy buybacks, but just wanted to give some people help if they were looking at purchasing any.

Anyone familiar with that 2006 Bowman Originals knows that Topps screwed up big time. Of course, as you point out, too many people are unfamiliar with it. They needed to slab those things or not release them at all. A fakers paradise it was.

Yep, those are the big forged ones