[samosa4u]

I've been trying to figure out how to write this thread and I have decided the best thing to do is to just keep it simple. I will not be discussing my own personal experience and turning this post into a nine paragraph essay. Instead, I will just point out what's been happening and how all of you collectors can protect yourselves. I have decided to use the Q&A format for this post in order to make it easy for everyone to follow.

Q: What's the problem here?

A: I have noticed a lot of counterfeits coming out of Italy. The big cards that I have caught so far are the following:

- 1968 Sicker-Verlag Johan Cruyff RC
- 1974 Ageducatifs Michel Platini RC
- 1986 Panini Supersport Mike Tyson RC

Again, these are the ones that I have caught, but there are definitely more out there.

Q: How do I protect myself? What are some of the things that I should look out for?

A: At first I was thinking of posting scans of the fakes and pointing out what to look for, but then I realized that doing this would be a waste of my time. Counterfeiters can see this post and then make adjustments to their work. So I will just post one piece of advice that will help you the most - get a loupe! This is crazy, but there are some collectors here who still don't own one! A good one can cost around $10 and it will save you thousands of dollars down the line. Now these counterfeits look really good with the naked eye and have the same paper stock, size, and colors - this is why the loupe is the easiest way to catch them. The best thing to do is to start with the reverse side. Get your loupe and examine the lettering carefully. The edges of the lettering should be smooth. If you see pixels, then this means it was done on somebody's printer (it's fake).

Q: If I buy graded ones, then I'm safe, right?

A: Nope! I have strong reason to believe that some of these fakes have gotten past graders. If you declare these cards for $75 each, then I don't think graders are going to spend too much time on them. Furthermore, graders don't use the loupe on every card (unless they are expensive). If you do pick up any graded examples, then again please check them under your loupe and look for the pixels.

If you have any questions, then please post them here or just PM me. Otherwise, just follow the above advice and you should be fine.