Fakes, Forgeries and the Future of Card Collecting

[Collect Equity]

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts with me. It makes me feel at ease on the topic.

PS - If anyone has any horror stories of buying fakes, or scans of the 'best done' fakes they've found, I'd love for them to share.

-Jonathan

[bbcard1]

A buddy of mine who collects different things has a saying that "a piece speaks to you." I think he's correct, but it's not a lot of help if you don't have some experience.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Collect Equity

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts with me. It makes me feel at ease on the topic.

PS - If anyone has any horror stories of buying fakes, or scans of the 'best done' fakes they've found, I'd love for them to share.

-Jonathan

Just don't buy anything from Ohio and you'll be fine...

[curch]

I myself am in the market for a PSA 1 52 Mantle and I do worry as well. I am 35 years old and grew up in an era of 80's cards. Totally different from the vintage stuff. Is it possible to have a graded fake?

Joe

[Leon]

Originally Posted by curch

Is it possible to have a graded fake?

Joe

Absolutely. I have seen them from PSA but haven't from SGC or Beckett...though they might have happened.

There are some reprints, labeled as such, and graded...which is always sort of odd to me .

[curch]

well thats just great! I like the PSA holders the best. So whats one to do? I don't really feel like spending 2 to 3 grand on a Mantle and not even know if its fake.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by curch

well thats just great! I like the PSA holders the best. So whats one to do? I don't really feel like spending 2 to 3 grand on a Mantle and not even know if its fake.

It would be an extreme rarity for any of the main 3, 3rd party graders, to grade a fake. A very remote, extreme one, at that. Now, do they miss other things more frequently? Most certainly. Perhaps you are worrying about the wrong thing? As you get to know cards better you will be able to tell, a fake from a real one, easier. best regards

[curch]

I really don't know if you are going to fake a card you would do it in that poor of condition, but I guess you never know.

[scottglevy]

I know a (very) little bit about commercial printing and lithography. I've seen machinery from the 1940s that look like they are a zillion years old (and that's a good 30 years after T206). To truly reproduce T206 cards, you'd need similar machinery, paper and inks.

While it is probably technically achievable to reproduce commercial lithography from the early 1900s, the fragility of 100 year old paper stock and the recreation of age-specific details should be detectable under magnification (and likely with the naked eye). It would also probably be very costly unless done in significant quantity.

[smtjoy]

I think another important factor in buying an expensive card is WHO you are buying it from. If you are new to the hobby then I would stick to the main auction houses, they sell a number of 52 topps mantles each year in them. There are a couple big dealers that can be trusted, like Levi/707. I would also guess there are a couple trusted collectors on this site that for a finders fee would be able to get you what you want, just get references.

On a card like the 52 mantle I would stay clear away from ebay (unless you fully understand how ebay works) and I would run away from any craigslist or back room type "special" deal.