[buymycards]

When I go to card shows, both as a buyer and a seller, I bring along an "authentication kit", which includes a black light, a 100x microscope, and a loupe.

I also carry beat up commons for most of the common sets that I can use to compare to the cards I am considering purchasing. I have a beat up T206, T205, Cracker Jack, 1933 and 34 Goudey, 48 Leaf, one card from each of the Topps and Bowman sets from 1948 through 1975, and some other sports, such as a 1979/80 Topps and OPC hockey, 85/86 Fleer basketball, and others. The kit doesn't take up much room and it has saved me some money, especially when looking at Gretzky and Jordan rookies, and it seems like a lot of fake CJ's show up at card shows.

When I first started collecting pre war cards I got burned a couple of times on the old Yahoo auction site, so I am now very careful about what I purchase. I thought I was getting a great deal, and I got greedy and I ended up with some fakes.

Rick