[drc]

In person, you can smell it. See (so to speak) if it smells musty. Most magazines, books, scorecards etc that old will smell musty or otherwise old.

There is a famous ancient vase expert, one of the foremost authorities in the world. Along with all the scientific testes, one of his authentication techniques is to lick the vase because cause he knows what they should taste like. He said his wife is worried he will some day die of some ancient Chinese disease.