[dimarco73]

Has anyone noticed a very large group of maybe, maybe not reprint vintage cards on Ebay the last week or so?
You know the described looks, feels and smells old but I'm no pro at baseball cards so I'll list it as a reprint description. Come from dead granpa's old boxes or bought at flea market years ago and of course found with estate purchase descriptions.

There are so many of these 50's & 60's Mantle's, Reggie's, Nolan's, Robinson's, etc being listed. More then I recall ever seeing and they seem to be becoming more common.

[DrMitchJ]

Who knows, except buying expensive vintage, BGS, BVS, PSA graded hopefully rule out fake cards. I just picked up a BVG graded Mantle ... Hopefully it's legit .... I'll post a pic once I get it!

[snappyjoe75]

Yup. Couple months back picked up a 55 bowman mantle. Traded it for a Trout auto. Guy contacted me last week saying that PSA marked the card as recolored. Didnt state if it was fake though.

[Hofcollector]

Yes sir. Counterfeits and trimmed cards.

[djohn]

Earlier this year I noticed a huge uptick in fakes on eBay. The crazy thing is they weren't faking just ultra expensive cards, but more cards in the $50-$100 range and then trying to get high bids by quoting prices from graded cards and how the cards for sale would be easily high grade. I usually check all of a sellers listings when I buy vintage, simply because if a person has a ton of high grade vintage cards that aren't graded then the odds are high that they may be fake, especially if the seller references graded card prices, but has some excuse about not wanting to send the cards in to get graded.

[dimarco73]

Earlier this year I noticed a huge uptick in fakes on eBay. The crazy thing is they weren't faking just ultra expensive cards, but more cards in the $50-$100 range and then trying to get high bids by quoting prices from graded cards and how the cards for sale would be easily high grade. I usually check all of a sellers listings when I buy vintage, simply because if a person has a ton of high grade vintage cards that aren't graded then the odds are high that they may be fake, especially if the seller references graded card prices, but has some excuse about not wanting to send the cards in to get graded.

Exactly what I have noticed, cards from the early 70's, heck even Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders rookies from the late 80's.
But I see a bigger issue then just these shady maybe maybe not sellers as well. Just the sheer amount of reprints being sold. Although the seller may say they are reprints, who is to stop the buyer from reselling as authentic. The cards have no markings and look exactly the same.

I think anyone that even thinks of buying vintage cards these days really needs to make themselves comfortable with a jewelers loupe and learn how to identify the dot matrix of authentic printing and modern printing.
I know it has saved me a few times. There is just to much fake stuff being moved these days and it looks really good.

Check this reply I got back from a Ebay seller the other day. His guy is a local printing shop

"All I do is pick the cards out I want from my guy and I get what I order and I order what the customers want also...
I don't know what to say for your answer really don't know what your looking to hear..I sold all my Jeter cards I had collected thorough out the year then he fizzled out but I sold over 300 Jeter's - Then I got into the reprints and they taken off so I'm staying with them.. Have a nice day I'm packing orders busy-"

[crossada]

Do you think it will drive the graded card prices up with so many fake raw cards out there?

[jonathani]

I usually check all of a sellers listings when I buy vintage, simply because if a person has a ton of high grade vintage cards that aren't graded then the odds are high that they may be fake, especially if the seller references graded card prices, but has some excuse about not wanting to send the cards in to get graded.

A very good practice.

[djohn]

Exactly what I have noticed, cards from the early 70's, heck even Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders rookies from the late 80's.
But I see a bigger issue then just these shady maybe maybe not sellers as well. Just the sheer amount of reprints being sold. Although the seller may say they are reprints, who is to stop the buyer from reselling as authentic. The cards have no markings and look exactly the same.

Yea, I have seen those "reprint" sellers as well. However if someone buys one and then trades it to an unsuspecting collector it could pass through several hands before being discovered as fake. I wish eBay would shutdown sellers like this, as they are breaking the law by copying "copyrighted" items and selling them. Maybe someone should contact Topps, but I doubt they will do anything about it. If the seller is big enough you could get the FBI to bust them.