[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by steve B

I'd add that part of the starter kit should be a type set of sorts. One common from each set in the era you want to collect. And it doesn't need to be in really great condition, in fact it's probably best to include a few worn cards and at least one beater. None of these should be graded!

That way you can get the feel of the cards, and see how various problems look on that eras cards. Some are layered, others aren't.

One of the things I see constantly with fakes is that the faker tries to make the card look "old" but the old thicker cardboard of the 50's creases differently from a new bit of similar cardboard, and the layering will usually be different.

For example, a 50's card gouged on the front will show the brown cardboard behind the thin layer of the front. Many fakes are prints pasted to modern cardboard that's the wrong color. So a 50's card with a gouge showing white cardboard in the gouge is almost certainly fake. (This applies to prewar too a T206 with damage showing brown cardboard is fake as that cardboard was white all the way through. )


When I started everyone had stacks of 50's cards that were basically loose with maybe a rubber band keeping the stack together. So everyone back then got to handle a LOT of cards. That gives one a good idea when something seems "off"

Steve B

Steve, I did address this very thing a little further down in the guide:

I. The very first piece of advice I'd give to a new collector is to start small. Though that T206 Cobb, or 1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle might wow your socks off, those cards will cost quite a bit to acquire. And, if you're going to buy one of those cards, you really want to know what you're doing first. I referenced creating "starter's kit" earlier, and provided a small list of items that every collector should have. I would also add baseball cards to that list. I've created a small collection of commons for all the years I am collecting, and whenever I buy a card from a particular set, I compare any card I get in to the common card. These commons won't be expensive. You don't even need a high quality common. In fact, it's probably better if the commons have a little bit of wear.

That's exactly how I started. And I agree, the more worn, the better. A little further in the same part of the post, I recommend that starters take an x-acto blade and a ruler, and trim part of the edge (on a worn card, obviously). This allows them to compare what a factory cut edge looks like, and how it differs from an altered edge.

Great thinking on your part. Learning how to spot alterations is more important than ever.