1948 Swell Sport Thrills - fakes?

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Posted By: Andy

About 3 years ago, I bought a large collection that had a lot of junk but also some nice stuff... in in one box that contained, among other things, a stack of (mostly poor condition) 1948-52 football cards, I also found what appeared to be two complete sets of 1948 Swell Sport Thrills baseball.

They do not bear the 'reprint' notation that "genuine" reprints do, and I know that reprints and/or counterfeits may exist without that disclaimer, so I took the card to a few card dealers and they couldn't definitively say. I even called up one well-known dealer and asked him, giving a full description, color, stock, thickness, etc... and he was absolutely convinced that they were real, and offered me 120% of book. Of course I would have to send the cards to him first. Ha.

Did I mention that all these cards are NM/MT or so?

I hate to send them through the mail because I drool at the thought of two complete sets of 1948 SSTs where the lowest grade is a PSA 7 (maybe a 7 OC), and what could happen to them if they go "out there" in the postal system... but I just don't think they are real.

Is there a sure fire way to tell??? Somebody suggested I smell the cards and that would be a dead giveaway... but I've never "smelled" a 1948 SST card. LOL. Besides, if they were kept this mint all these years, what would I expect to smell?

If I were to send ONE of the cards to one of the reputable grading companies (PSA, BVG, SGC) can I safely assume that they would have the knowledge to make the determination, and if it came back slabbed I would know it was genuine? Or is that just sending $20 down the drain?

Seriously, if anyone has a thought, I'd love to hear it. Gracias!

Andy

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Posted By: MW

Is there a sure fire way to tell???

Andy,

Yes, there is. Send one of the cards to a reputable grading company such as SGC or post a large and detailed image of one of the cards on this forum.

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Posted By: Joe P.

http://www.oldcardboard.com/r/r448/r448.asp?cardsetID=905

It's a start.
If you have waited three years, and you're near an area where you might find a large major sports collectors show - why not go there yourself.

Card graders are sharp (pun intended) in detecting corners and sides, but I wouldn't put my last centavo on them when it comes to knowledge and detection of all cards.

You seem to like research, and I applaud that.
Follow your instincts and seek out dealers that may have a background in that particular area.
If it's possible, that would be at a large show of over a few hundred tables.

Jose P.

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Posted By: leon

As I consider Rich K a friend but with my past experience I would take BVG out of the respected grader category.....this is ONLY my opinion in this thread....(and probably a few others too)..Personally I put SGC first and then GAI (forget the packs debacle) and last but not least PSA.......later

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

and they are clearly distinguishable from the 'real' thing. The backs are white and the cards are much thinner than the real ones. The real backs on them are kind of dingy grey if I remember correctly and they have a feel of a 1939/1940 Playball cards.