Fake 52 Mantle- Maybe you can educate me.

[a761506]

$200 is small potatoes, back when I wrote the guide originally, people were being taken for thousands a crack left and right and eBay didn't do anything about it. It was a scammers paradise. Subsequently, they have cleaned most of it up.

That's not even a good attempt at a fake. The newest fakes are so good that you could only tell them apart when you have them in your presence to examine them. And a lot of them are finding their way into phony slabs too that have been cracked and resealed with a fake flip (but real cert. numbers) as well. The card is now virtually untouchable except from trusted legitimate sellers. Buying a raw one online is never going to happen, 100% of those listings are frauds.

[fkw]

I always find that on cards like the 1952 Mantle, I usually look for proof that the card is NOT authentic, ...not proof that the card IS authentic.

Even if the color or the "R" and the border line is the same, it doesnt mean it is authentic. There are many other types of fakes out there that are tougher to spot, that dont have the washed out look and recolored black line.

Like Josh said, its highly recommended to buy graded examples of this card ONLY, and from well known sellers who stand behind their cards with a guarantee of some kind.... or at least see the card in person.

[toledo_mudhen]

2 Hours to go and the card is above $600. Notice that all bidders (save one) have really low feedback scores (newbs). I agree that all raw micks are fake and someones gettin bent over on this one.