[ajw9356]

Originally Posted by 1880nonsports

" I recall the card looked like the old bicycle spokes got ahold of them like so many other vintage cards, though there were no creases if I recall."

Sorry I really don't understand (not unusual). Hopefully you will be able to post some scans.....?

The card basically looked fairly worn like some of my Dad's 1950's that looked to be in poor condition because of handling, card games, what ever mishandling they endured (sometime bicycle spokes, which my dad admitted to doing), however, I don't recall there being any major creases.

Originally Posted by Striker

A 7x jewlers loupe might be a good first step!

Ya, I've got a pretty nice loop and two different magnifiers, along with a blacklight and a digital caliper, so I should be able to get a pretty good measurement on the card even the thickness.

Originally Posted by steve B

I've seen a few shellacked cards, as well as a few that were laminated in the 70's to "protect" them. It was more common on signed baseballs.

I've also seen cards coated in wax - but late 40's early 50's cards. The wax made them heavier for one of the card flipping games.

The reprints vary in quality, most have obvious flaws, but were also sold as reprints so they didn't try very hard to get them exact. Here's one of the early 80's ones. Obvious things different, but if someone hasn't seen more than a couple T206s it might pass if the front was pasted to a common.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONUS-HANS-W...item51b0e7debb

There are very few real ones with Piedmont backs. I can only be sure of two, one is handcut and has some printing issues, so it's probably printer scrap. The other is very famous, but is now known for sure to be trimmed, and is rumored to have been cut from a sheet at some time. There's probably one or two others but I can't find scans.

Another reprint was sold in a common book from Dover press. Thinner paper, and perforated so you could remove it from the page. But I have seen dover reprints with machine rounded corners and trimmed off edges being sold as real. (In 1979 -) Those would also appear decent if glued to a real card. and they were glossy.

A lot of edge wear, no creases, maybe coated with something, all points to a fake.

It's not entirely unusual for an auction, -especially a not so well lit country auction- to include an item like that in a lot that might need a bit of "help" in order to sell. Maybe a box of tools that's not going to bring much and hasn't sold in an earlier auction. It's crooked, but it's done. And not always by the auction, since some just auction whatever comes through the door that morning. I've bought items at auctions like that, and stuff needs a very good looking at to be sure what you're getting. The one time I didn't check an item out closely worked out well, but could easily have gone the other way. (40's Braves warmup jacket that I didn't even see in the preview. They had it on a chair behind one of the tables and I just figured it was one of the workers jackets. Nobody else looked at it either, and there were only two bidders)

Steve B

Thanks Steve