How to Spot Counterfeit Baseball Cards – Part II Card Stock

t206 ty cobb

Great T206 Ty Cobb, but is it real?

Counterfeit baseball cards have existed almost as long as the hobby itself and the surge in scanners, high-end printers and the Internet have led to a tremendous amount of forged cards hitting the market. Smart collectors need to arm themselves with as many tools as possible to protect themselves when it comes time to buy and sell baseball cards. The best tool of all is knowledge. In Part I of this series, the focus was on fonts. This article will be devoted to card stock and learning what to look for to avoid fake baseball cards.

The use of high-tech scanners and digital cameras mean that crooks can make a picture perfect image, but just like those that try and counterfeit currency – it is the paper that gets them caught. Baseball cards are no different. Each era and company has a unique color, thickness, and matte that many scam artists don’t take the time to get right. In many cases, the error is obvious, but some fakes are near perfect and require more advanced tools. Below are some basic characteristics to examine to better protect yourself. Continue reading this post »

Sports Memorabilia Appraisal Services

For those collectors that are interested in selling baseball cards, it is usually a simple process. Even rare cards can be quickly graded by a third-party and will then be seen as more “trustworthy” on the open market. But what about sports memorabilia appraisal services? How much trust and value do they add? Who are the respected players in the field and what services are offered? Baseball memorabilia collecting has exploded in the last two decades and so has the number of fraudulent pieces sold to unsuspecting or inexperienced buyers. Fortunately, the rise of sports memorabilia appraisal services has helped level the playing field and helps keep the hobby fun and safe for everyone.

Sports Memorabilia Appraisal ServicesThe first question to ask when considering getting a prized piece authenticated is “What type of piece is it?” Game used bat or uniform? Signed baseball or card? Trophy or pennant? Rare store model item? Authentication takes many forms. It can be a matter of determining if an item is counterfeit, a fantasy item, or a forged collectible. Just as each of the three main baseball card grading companies is respected and considered to be an expert in certain areas and weaker in others, so are the sports appraisers. Continue reading this post »

John Kennedy – Phillies Pioneer

As a lifelong Phillies fan, my favorite baseball card would–if it existed–be a John Kennedy in the 1957 Topps set. Unfortunately, for all baseball historians including me, there never was such a card. Which makes Kennedy, along with the Reds’ Nino Escalara, the only ground-breaking black players never to appear in a major card set. On April 22, 1957, in a game against the Dodgers played in Jersey City’s Roosevelt Stadium, John Irvin Kennedy, a 30-year-old rookie shortstop, became the first

John Kennedy

John Kennedy - Phillies First African-American Player

African-American to appear in a game wearing a Phillies uniform. He pinch-ran for Solly Hemus in the 8th inning, relegated to a reserve role after winning the shortstop job in spring training, only to lose it when the Phils picked up Chico Fernandez from the Dodgers the day before the season began. Adding to the indignity, he would get in only four more games (going 0-for-2 at bat) before being shipped out to the Class B Carolina League on May 4, never to return to the big time. Continue reading this post »