Another bogus Mantle in a cracked PSA holder!

[Brianruns10]

Guys, I think I've spotted another fake 52 Mantle in a PSA holder. I spotted one previously, and the thread is a few below this post. This one is the same diagnostics for fake:

-The font on the team logo is far too fine; on an authentic example it is more blotchy

-The stitches on the baseball in the team logo are likewise too sophisticated and artfully drawn

-the baseball bat in the logo has a white center; all authentic examples of both types have solid black bats.

On top of that it seems clear one side of the holder is frosted.


What's really worrisome is this guy has sold a ton of stuff, and he's already gotten an offer. Someone's gonna get burned big time because they'll buy the plastic, and not the card!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-M...item4cfce9faa2

[Cardboard Junkie]

Oh man, I think you are correct. This is a new fake to me. I sure would like to see this one and the other you caught in person. I wonder if the size is exact and the cardboard is correct thickness? The "feel" the texture? The "smell" Best fake I've seen. Good eye dude. How can it be stopped. Somebodys gonna buy that piece of shit for 30K OMG!!

[Brianruns10]

I know, it's a really good fake. If you see the reverse of one, the color of the paper isn't right...small wonder the seller only shows one side. But the coloring of the baseball bat is a dead give away. The fake is BETTER than the real one.

What is bothering me terrible is both fake cards I'm monitoring have received offers from buyers. Sooner or later someone is gonna buy it, and get taken for a ride.

But I don't know what to do. I reported it to ebay, and wrote the sellers, but I fear both will have the same reaction: "It's in a holder...therefore it's legit." They don't get that holders can be cracked, and authentic cert. numbers can be duplicated.

It's getting to where these cards need titles of ownership. Because the only way to prove these cards are fakes are to track down the actual owners of the PSA cards, to prove the numbers are stolen.

[con40]

It seems that the counterfeiters rely heavily on the PSA slab to give credence to the legitimacy of the card. Again, the font on this flip doesn't match a genuine PSA flip.

PSA should be very concerned about this. Doers anyone send scans of these listings to him at PSA?

[Cardboard Junkie]

..sending the fox, who is charge of the hen house, a scan of a fake chicken? dave

[ALR-bishop]

Do you think the seller's ID was high jacked ? You would think if you were going to try to sell a fake you would not start it at $ 32 K +. Even a real 6 would not bring that much

[novakjr]

I think rather than reporting the card as a counterfeit or reprint, reporting the holder as having been compromised, counterfeit, altered, fraudulent, or whatever would be more appropriate, and more likely to draw a serious response from ebay. If you simply report the card as a reprint, then all the seller has to do is say that it's in a PSA holder, per ebay's rules regarding top-dollar cards(Mantle, Wagner, Plank, etc....). Ebay requires certain cards to be graded/authenticated otherwise they can't be sold. It can be clearly seen, due to frosting, that the case has been cracked, therefore the card doesn't officially meet the required standards for this specific card, and the listing should be removed.

[Brianruns10]

Here's what he said:

"Thanks for the email-I think. I'm not sure what else you can do protect yourself other than buying a PSA graded card. I'll research the item."

Uh, how about educating yourself on what an authentic card looks like, rather than blindly trusting a plastic holder?

I've only been collecting 52s a year, and already I know enough that once glance told me his card was off, and five minutes to spot a half dozen diagnostic flaws:

1) The bat in the team logo is too stylized, with a white center; should be all black

2) The stitching in the baseball on the logo is too fine; should be more blotchy and resemble a string of misshapen pearls

3) The Yankees script is too fine; should be bolder and blotchy

4) The signature is too high; the "Y" in "Mickey" should be practically touching the frame

5)Where the top horizontal and left vertical frame lines join, on the suspect example the top of the left vertical juts out, leaving an extra few pixels on top. Authentic examples should have an extra pixel jutting out to the LEFT.

6) One example I've seen on ebay, on the reverse it was plain the color of the cardboard was off...it practically resembled one of the mid-series white-backs.

And all this from a medium rez ebay scan. And this fellow puts his trust in PSA, and I'm sure his conclusion will be: It's in a holder, and the number is legit, therefore the card is legit. And some poor sucker is gonna get taken for low five figures.

Shameful!

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by Brianruns10

Here's what he said:

And this fellow puts his trust in PSA, and I'm sure his conclusion will be: It's in a holder, and the number is legit, therefore the card is legit. And some poor sucker is gonna get taken for low five figures.

Shameful!

Well it looks like he was not trying to scam anyone as he took down the listing. It just took a couple people pointing out the flaws to him. Maybe he was already scammed or it was cosigned to him and he didn't bother looking at it too closely.

[Gr8Beldini]

This should demonstrate to everybody that buying the card in the slab does nothing to protect against a scam; Its much the same as buying an autograph with the certificate of authenticity. I have cracked many cards out of PSA slabs (I'm a raw card set collector)... It always seemed too easy to put the slab pieces back together with a substitute card inside if I was inclined to do so.

[ALR-bishop]

I also prefer ungraded cards but when I end up with a graded card I use a bolt cutter to free it, so i would need a lot of super glue and patience to reassemble it

[fkw]

good catch on the bat being white.

It is a good fake and will fool many that dont know about these.

[hunterdutchess]

This just sold for $7,750 making it the lowest 52 PSA 4 Mantle sold :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-3...#ht_500wt_1202

Is is just me or does the back look funny?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by hunterdutchess

This just sold for $7,750 making it the lowest 52 PSA 4 Mantle sold :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-3...#ht_500wt_1202

Is is just me or does the back look funny?

The cardboard on the back looks lighter that in should to me. Is that what you are seeing?

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by hunterdutchess

This just sold for $7,750 making it the lowest 52 PSA 4 Mantle sold :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-3...#ht_500wt_1202

Is is just me or does the back look funny?

I don't know about the back, but that Mantle has the same "white bat" problem as the other fake. I think we have a new crop of fake 52 Mantles to worry about. I'm glad someone pointed out how they know it's a fake, but I almost wish they hadn't. Now the bad guys will know how to improve their phony cards.

[Brianruns10]

This is sickening. I WARNED that dealer he was selling a bogus card. Now some schmuck just drop seven grand for a piece of junk.

I'm gonna report this fellow.

And Everyone, AVOID DEALING with ndifilippantonio on ebay. He has now crossed the line from being a dealer misled to a willful participant in fraud!