Cracker Jack fake?

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Posted By: Tim Newcomb

What do people think of this one? Looks fake to me, but the seller is apparently well established and seems to believe it's genuine.

I think Cracker Jacks are ebay minefields, and no longer bid on them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31719&item=4124040627&rd=1


Cheers,

Tim

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Posted By: jay behrens

No brainer. It's fake as almost every other CJ Jax offered on eBay. The distinct line between the white of the boarder and the white of the uniform is a dead give away. Also, with one being offered in the MAstro auction, it's real easy to make comparisons to a legit one right now.

Jay

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Posted By: quan

about this one Jay. Maybe the guy's contrast on his scanner is off. I haven't heard of a reprinted "144" series? who's the resident cracker jack expert in the house?

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Posted By: jay behrens

Look at where the red meets the uniform highest point on the boarder on the MAstro and card and then look at the same spot on the eBay card. There is a distinct difference in the whites on the eBay card. The board anf uniform blend perfectly on the MAstro card.

Jay

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Posted By: Bill Cornell

I think it's worth reprinting a post from Frank Ward where he explained how to spot fake CJ's.

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Here is some info on the Cracker Jack sets.

1914's will say "144 Pictures" in the paragraph on back bottom, the 1915's will say "176 Pictures". The ACC# (American Card Catalog Number) for the 1914's is "E145-1", and 1915's is "E145-2".

There are many many reprints (all worthless) made for the 1915 set, and a few for the 1914's. The easiest way to tell a reprint from an original is to look at the paper type and quality. Real cards are made from a thin lower quality construction paper, very porous in texture, with a rough surface if viewed closely on both front and back. All fakes Ive seen will be made from a thin higher quality smooth surfaced modern card stock. Also the fakes will have a smooth slightly glossy or waxy surface to the front, the real cards have no gloss or waxy look to them and will not cast a glare if turned at angle to a light.

Another 100% positive way to tell a fake on the 1915's only ("176 Picture" series), is for some unknown reason, the backs on all 1915's have been printed upside down. In other words, the bottom edge of the back, is the same edge as the top of the front. I have yet to see a 1915 reprint with this upside down back.

Another characteristic of all real Cracker Jack cards, is there is no white ink on the cards. The white or light parts of the uniform is the natural paper color. Most fakes have a white ink for the white parts of uniform, that doesnt match the white border of the card. Real cards will have the uniform blend perfectly into the white border where they meet.

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Posted By: J Levine

Tim,

Total fake...not only for the reasons above but you can tell because the corners on cracker jacks almost never round like that. The paper is so low quality and thin that they usually flake and come apart. This looks like a thicker cardboard that is rounded down.

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Posted By: Tim Newcomb

Last night I emailed the seller and the two main bidders advising them of all this. I gave them the URL to this thread as a reference point.

The auction ends in an hour. No replies to my emails, no retractions. Some fool is going to make an $860 mistake. Well, he can't say he wasn't warned.

The seller's ebay name is "dickcrow" -- anyone know anything about him? One has to question his ethics at this point.

About two years ago I foolishly jumped at 5 CJs that had $19 BINs and small scans. Got the cards, quickly concluded they were reprints, and sent them back. The seller, who I had previously believed to be very honest, refunded my money cheerfully, and a few weeks later stuck them back on ebay, again representing them as genuine.

Shall I tell you all that seller's name? Not sure of etiquette, but I will be glad to do it if Bill thinks it's a good idea. He's mostly a postwar seller.

Cracker Jacks are best bought in person, from a dealer you trust.....

Tim

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Posted By: hankron

What gets me is when I contact someone to say that he is bidding on a fake and he ignores me and wins the item(!) .... Regular bidder indiference, rather than an angry seller or eBay's blinders, is what is most likely to keep me quiet when I see issues with an auction. This is particularly true as one will regularly catch heat for accurately pointing of fakes.

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Posted By: Bill Cornell

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Posted By: Tim Newcomb

Bob Courtney, Glen Ellyn, IL

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

This Cracker Jack, questions of color aside, seems to me to be too thick. For corners to "feather" the card must have some thickness, like a 1956 Topps card. A card which is actually made of cardboard. The Cracker Jack cards are so thin that there is not much card to "feather." The would typically ding, and blunt the point, or tear, but it seems highly unlikely that any Cracker Jack would have four corners so similar and so feathered. Also, the corners of the offered card seem to cast shadows bigger than one would expect with a Cracker Jack. The card did sell however, for $1052.99.