Authenticating vintage cards

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Posted By: davidcyleback

For the T206s, a simple thing to do is to compare the front (white border) surface and the back surface. Before printing they put a bright white coating to the front, to make the image brighter. It's kind of like they white washed or enameled the front before printing. The white borders are smooth, though not glossy. The backs, however, are a slightly different, darker color and have a more rough, fibery feel-- as the back didn't get the same 'enameling' treatment. Unless it's been laminated or whatever, the genuine T206 will have different front and back textues, and the white border will be whiter than the back. A card with the same texture front to back is a reprint.

After you buy a few T206s, it's not hard to identify reprints as they will all be different in a variety of ways. For example, I looked at a common T206 reprint and it was thinner and the front and back had the same too smooth surface and overall looked distinctly different than a real T206. Even though it's a big set, all the cards were made the same way, and if you buy a few PSA1 fair commons you have your sample cards for comparison. The only card that has a different gloss from the other cards is the T206 Ty Cobb Tobacco back-- but presumably someone will be purchasing their Cobb Tobacco back from Mastro or REA, not at a yard sale.