Fake 1952 Bowman Willie Mays in PSA case?

[smillz300]

Hi guys,

I'm no vintage expert but I picked this up on ebay for a decent price (under $200 dlvd) and I'm looking for your help if it's fake or not. I thought maybe he was taking pics with his potato phone camera so was hoping it didn't look as bad in person....boy was I wrong.

You can see the frosting at the bottom corners of the label but I don't see much frosting elsewhere. The case is scratched and scuffed bad however and there's fuzz stuck along the edges like it was glued. The card itself is very blurry and nothing like my Mantle or other 52s that I have. Here's the auction if that helps. Thanks in advance.
Steve
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171955989286

[KCRfan1]

I don't know what a potato phone is, but if you're unhappy with the card, why don't you just return it?

[swarmee]

When they fake cards, they normally don't make them poorly registered. Looks real to me. Most people also wouldn't replace a 1.5 with a fake.

Cert number checks out as well. But you probably already knew that.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by swarmee

When they fake cards, they normally don't make them poorly registered. Looks real to me. Most people also wouldn't replace a 1.5 with a fake.

Cert number checks out as well. But you probably already knew that.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions in the hobby. There are way more fake low end items than high end items.

I know nothing about the card in the holder but it looks like the holder has been opened because of the broken pins just above the card on both sides.

[Leon]

I am not an expert on those but I don't see obvious signs of it being a fake.

[buymycards]

It looks real, but it is difficult to tell from the photos. The seller could have spent $75 for a decent scanner and probably would have gotten his $75 back through higher bids for this card.

The seller has 5 negatives out of only 28 feedbacks as a seller, so good luck if you try to return it.

Rick

[Laxcat]

Looks good to me. I have a handful of 51B Football that are off register just like that. The case looks like it was knocked around in a desk drawer or the such.

[pokerplyr80]

Since the case is so banged up I would suggest quickly sending it into PSA to have it reholdered. If they determine it's a fake you should still have time to file an Ebay claim. I see no obvious signs of the card being a fake.

I am also curious about the potato phone.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

Since the case is so banged up I would suggest quickly sending it into PSA to have it reholdered. If they determine it's a fake you should still have time to file an Ebay claim. I see no obvious signs of the card being a fake.

I am also curious about the potato phone.

I googled it, potato phone is slang for a low tech, poor quality phone or phone camera. Edited to add, wouldn't going through all the trouble of putting a counterfeit poor condition 1952 Bowman Willie Mays into a tampered 1.5 PSA case be like putting a lot of work and effort into turning a legitimate one dollar bill into a counterfeit five dollar bill? Edited again, it sold for $189 so I guess there would be a profit motive.

[TAVG]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

I googled it, potato phone is slang for a low tech, poor quality phone or phone camera. Edited to add, wouldn't going through all the trouble of putting a counterfeit poor condition 1952 Bowman Willie Mays into a tampered 1.5 PSA case be like putting a lot of work and effort into turning a legitimate one dollar bill into a counterfeit five dollar bill? Edited again, it sold for $189 so I guess there would be a profit motive.

its an online joke, if something is low quality especially a video or photo people say something like "what the F***, did you take that with a potato??"

especially on youtube if something is under 720P, or just horrible quality video.

[vthobby]

That card is not fake. It actually looks like a very nice PSA 1.5. You should be thrilled and take the advice of someone before that said "send it to PSA immediately" and get it in a fresh holder. If there is a problem then just open a case with Ebay but I am positive you will be fine.

Mike

[rjackson44]

Pretty card

[pokerplyr80]

That makes sense about the potato phone. I guess I'm not up on all the internet slang.

Good luck with the Mays. Hopefully you can get it into a new holder.

[smillz300]

Thanks for all the help and advise. Id love to keep it if its legit and I dont mind spending the $20+ for the reholder but my question is IF PSA did deem it altered or something, will they return it back in the same holder so I can file a claim? I would think theyd crack it out before they send it back and wouldnt that effect my claim process? Thanks again guys.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by smillz300

Thanks for all the help and advise. Id love to keep it if its legit and I dont mind spending the $20+ for the reholder but my question is IF PSA did deem it altered or something, will they return it back in the same holder so I can file a claim? I would think theyd crack it out before they send it back and wouldnt that effect my claim process? Thanks again guys.

That's a good question, and I would assume they would not return a fake card to you in a PSA case, but I don't know the answer. I would suggest calling the PSA customer support number. I have found them to be very helpful.

[smillz300]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

That's a good question, and I would assume they would not return a fake card to you in a PSA case, but I don't know the answer. I would suggest calling the PSA customer support number. I have found them to be very helpful.

I'll try calling them in the morning, thanks....here's a better scan if anyone is interested.

[ls7plus]

That the registration is bad is not necessarily determinative, as those above have posted. Take a look at it under high magnification (I like a 16X loupe). The dot patterns for the various ink colors should be regular, whereas if the card was made from a rescreened image, the dots will not be so aligned.

Good luck with it--early Mays cards have appreciated substantially over the past 7-8 years!

Larry

[Bruinsfan94]

The case looks super shady but I don't see anything wrong with the card.