Reproduction World Series Press Pins
 

It seems that there has been a surge over the past few years or so in eBay listings of repro press pins of series going back as far as the 1920s. Most of the sellers are from Europe. These repros have mostly either been represented as real or with no representation as to authenticity. From what I’ve seen, the repros have gotten better over the years and I would think many buyers are unsuspecting, leading to repros being introduced into the collecting community and then later resold. For the press pin collectors here, what are your thoughts on how to spot the fakes and how much of a threat this is to this niche of the hobby?

I think it's become a deal-killer for many knowledgeable collectors, with even the Dieges and Clust stamping on a lot of the fakes. I wouldn't touch any of them with a ten-foot pole without airtight provenance, but the fakes are nice if you wanted to mount a collection for a fraction of the cost.

I would avoid eBay completely and go the auction house route. Any reputable AH will know if it's authentic or a repro. Stick with the major/established ones like Leland's, Hunts, REA, LOTG, SCP, Heritage, etc.

Buying them in multiples is a great way to mitigate the cost. You used to see a lot of press pins offered in group lots, but they're getting tougher to find.

Best of luck.

That’s great advice for collectors. My post isn’t so much motivated by a desire to acquire them, but rather general concern about a threat to this niche of the hobby. I would think you’re correct that the major auction houses have experts who can spot the fakes. However, I was wondering whether there are some expert collectors here who can confidently sift out the bad ones just by looking at photos, no matter who is offering them. It just seems to me that once somewhat crude repros have evolved to the point of possibly fooling knowledgeable collectors. I guess I could see where such collectors might be reluctant to specify the obvious defects in the fakes, so as not to help the forgers further improve, but I’d still like to hear from collectors in general terms about their ability to do so.

[QUOTE=icollectDCsports;2522454 I guess I could see where such collectors might be reluctant to specify the obvious defects in the fakes, so as not to help the forgers further improve, but I’d still like to hear from collectors in general terms about their ability to do so.[/QUOTE] +1. I would like to see Net54ers weigh in on the characteristics distinguishing the real ones from fakes.

It's a great question, and is definitely an issue that threatens the integrity of that segment of the hobby. I'll just speak for myself here...

I wish I could proudly boast that I can spot a fake press pin at a glance. But it's become quite difficult, as you say. Often there are tell-tale signs that instantly give away many of the lesser fakes. And often there are sellers with integrity who will disclose that the Pin is a reproduction.

But there are many more sellers who never disclose a thing (and in some cases, I bet a good percentage of these sellers don't even know, themselves). The fakes have gotten better, so it's difficult to discern the authenticity from a photo or a computer screen. I'd like to believe that if one had the Pin in-hand, it would be easier to spot any anomalies.

Hopefully that's indeed the case. It sure seems like the act of creating fake press pins would be a major investment in terms of time, effort and money (creating the molds, etc.) Hard to believe it's a lucrative venture, given the small segment of the hobby that it is.

Maybe Al S. can chime in here. He seems to focus more on vintage Pinback Buttons, PM10s, etc. But he's very adept at identifying counterfeit Pins and Reproductions. Perhaps he can share some insights on Press Pins as well.

I know, right? For what they go for, sure wouldn't seem to be worth it. If you're that good with jewelry, just make your fortune the old-fashioned way: talent, hustle, some luck. Doesn't seem like you're going to make it hawking a handful of bogus press pins, and it could land you in prison.

I've engaged with eBay on this topic recently (even took to social media and tagged the offended parties numerous times). At the end of the day, the teams, leagues, trademark/copyright holders can't be bothered to do anything about it and eBay's stance is "that's a you problem". If the NFL, MLB or anyone else doesn't care...eBay's not getting involved. A very self serving approach but appearently a legally valid one.

Depressing, but not surprising. Just more reason to avoid eBay and stick with reputable auction houses.

All the ones I listed above are legit, and you can add Clean Sweep, Hakes, Huggins, Sterling, Brockleman and Inside the Park to the "good" list.

Generally speaking, good advice, but when it comes to these press pins I wouldn't bet my house against the idea that some of these repros have made their way into and been sold by even the top AHs. At the 2011 National, I bought the best version of the 1924 World Series 7th game panorama I'd ever seen. Walking the floor, I noticed that Heritage had one behind their booth. I could tell right away that theirs wasn't a Type I, and asked one of their guys what they were doing with it. He said it was a consignment for the next auction. I went back to my booth and retrieved the one I had just bought to show him the difference. He feigned interest, but lo and behold, the consignment was in the next auction and went for a lot of money.

Yeah, Heritage has done that on occasion with vintage pennants as well. Buyer beware for sure. Perhaps I should've phrased it differently. Something like... You lessen your chances of getting ripped off when going through the respected auction houses... Perhaps a 90/10 chance of success that way, versus 50/50 on eBay.