Posted By:
davidcyclebackCounterfeit trading cards and fakes have been around for years. It wasn't invented by eBay.
My advice to beginning collectors who want to have good clean fun is to make a list of quality sellers and buy from them. Ask around, start by buying inexpensive items and seeing how the deal goes. If the deal works well, you've got yourself a good seller. Good sellers were put on this earth to make your life as a collector easier and funner. Take advantage of their services.
My other advice is to start by buying inexpensive items. If you spend $5 on a 1974 Topps Tom Seaver and it turns out to be a reprint, no big deal. If you spend $15 on a Hank Green berg wirephoto and it turns out to be second generation, the photo may still be worth $15. If you have no clue what you are doing and purchase a postcard for $2 at an antique store because it looks nice to you, I see nothing wrong with that purchase.
There is no reason a collector has to make $1,000 and $2,000 purchases to have fun. In fact, I bet the average collector purching $3 trinkets that catch their fancy at the local antique store or will look nice on the hallway wall are having twice the fun of those droping thosands on PSA 10 Gem Mint cards and Kobe Briant signed UDA/PSA/GAI/matching hologam jerseys.
So, I am all for beginners having good clean care free fun collecting inexpensive items that they think are super cool. If you think that $15 concert poster looks swell framed and hung from your wall, I'll tell you that it was well worth the purchase price whether or not it was original. And if you bought a $10 aluminum baseball ring that you've enjoyed wearing on your finger for the last year, I'll tell you that that you made a fine purchase even if neither you nor I have a clue as to the ring's age or book value.