[philc80]

Does this card have any counterfeit issues? Looking to purchase a raw one on the bay. Thanks!

[djohn]

Yes, there are counterfeits of this card (and most every other high dollar vintage card, as making fakes of them has gotten easier). I saw an eBay seller who had literally dozens of copies of high dollar vintage rookies, and he was selling them one after another. Usually they didn't sell for as much as legit copies, as most people realize that if something is too good to be true it probably is. However people were still buying them from him.

Unfortunately the easiest ways to tell are by holding the card in your hand and examining it closely. I am not sure if you will be able to tell from pictures on eBay. Just keep in mind, if the card looks to be in pristine condition and it is raw then there is a good reason to question the validity of the card. However just because it is damaged doesn't mean it isn't fake. I have purchased some of the Johnson and Bird cards from 80-81 Topps off eBay, but I usually buy them as part of lots that have other cards from the 80-81 Topps set (as the seller has less excuses to say he didn't know it was a fake, if he has other cards to compare it to).