How to tell if a 1954 card is original or reprint

[egri]

I know this doesn't do you much good unless you have the card in hand and can do a comparison with another card of known age, but the reprints of the 1954 set are smaller than the originals. The originals measure 2 5/8 in by 3 3/4 in. Reprints will be the same size as a modern card, 2 1/2 by 3 1/2.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by egri

I know this doesn't do you much good unless you have the card in hand and can do a comparison with another card of known age, but the reprints of the 1954 set are smaller than the originals. The originals measure 2 5/8 in by 3 3/4 in. Reprints will be the same size as a modern card, 2 1/2 by 3 1/2.

Hi Scott,

You bring up a valid point. However, reprints and fakes come in all shapes and sizes. Size alone can be a helpful guide but should not be the sole criterion.

Best regards,

Eric

[bnorth]

Eric great posts and descriptions. The only thing I can add is Eric's description only shows how to spot a really bad home printer fake made by someone that has no idea how to counterfeit cards or run a printer. Luckily that is all most scammers are smart enough to do.

Net54 member Robert(Bob) Lemke put out a book called Sportscard Counterfeit Detector back around 1993. It only shows specific cards but if you read the entire book it has some high end counterfeit cards that have been rescreened using a real printing press. These cards are next to impossible to detect unless you really know what to look for. The book can be picked up on eBay for a few dollars and are well worth the money.

[dclarkraiders]

Eric,

Thanks for taking the time you invested in this thread. Very informative.

Duane

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by bnorth

?..... it has some high end counterfeit cards that have been rescreened using a real printing press. These cards are next to impossible to detect unless you really know what to look for. The book can be picked up on eBay for a few dollars and are well worth the money.

Ben,

This is exactly how I got scammed as noted in Post #15. However, I should point out that once i held the card in my hand i could tell it was a reprint. It had me 2nd guessing myself for about 15 minutes. Never again.....

And that dual layer card stock is hard to fake. If you look at the edges and compare it to the top surface, you can see it doesnt match up in fakes in the post 50s era.

Z

[hangman62]

Eric,
well done my man !