When it comes to fakes in general, I have taken a hard stance of educating as many people as I possibly can. I have always relied on education and information to combat all of the douchebags that seem to infect this hobby like a virus, and that is why I recruit others to spread the word. Fakes have reached a point of parody now, even to the point that the feds are starting to get involved. Asshats like Ufjumper7/corbinxz and Kevin Burge are small potatoes compared to what is really out there, but that is where my wheelhouse is. If law enforcement and card manufacturers only target the big fish, there is going to be a small fish feeding frenzy that starts up, similar to what is going on now.

One of the worst things about fakes, is that the people who faciliate the fraud are getting smarter. These dumb fucks used to be some of the stupidest people in the hobby, rarely getting anything right on the cards they try to pass off as real. Although they are still among the dumbest of the dumb, they are starting to pick up on tricks that many of the sites like mine use to prove that cards arent real. Here are some examples to check out, as I think many of us fall for them without even noticing. Here is my list of things to look out for.

1. Buying Low Numbered or 1/1 Cards to Fake

It used to be easy to tell a fake patch because the scammers would never want to spend more money than they had to in order to secure a card worth faking. They would go out and get jersey cards that were numbered to 500 and expect people to believe that they just got lucky with the one logo patch in the entire set. Now, not so much. These people are now buying low numbered cards to fake, knowing that even the most clueless consumer knows to avoid logo patches numbered higher than 10. Because patch cards and jersey cards are pretty much worthless these days, its easy to purchase cards at a ridiculously low price, something that has led to a lot of fakes. The scammers also have realized that spending a few hundred on a 1/1 auto patch to fake can net MUCH more money for them in the long run, and that has caused more problems as well. So, to make sure you avoid getting caught in their net, realize that logo patch auto cards can still be fake, even if they are numbered below 5.

Here are some examples:

Brett Favre 1/1 SPX Logo Patch Auto – Looks real doesnt it?

Michael Vick Triple Threads 1/1 Logo Patch

Ladanian Tomlinson/Joseph Addai/Laurnence Maroney Quad Logo 1/1

2. BGS Authentic Slabbed Patch Cards

Although standards may have changed, BGS was once notorious for slabbing fake patch cards in their “authentic” cases without regard for the obvious problems. Because they never “graded” or “authenticated” the patch in the card, but rather just the card itself, fakes got through their QC and people starting to put stock into their authenticity because of the case. In all reality, just because a card is slabbed, doesn’t mean its real, and if you have been reading this blog for a while, you have seen some of what I mean. Don’t fall for the “Authentic” fake patch.

3. The Certificate of Authenticity

Let be real, I can create a COA on my computer and make it look legit. COAs have become so common that now EVERY autograph comes with one. You could easily find 8000 fake autographs on eBay just by searching, and I guarantee you every one of them comes with a COA from some place. You are also going to have sellers guarantees that they will pass PSA or JSA standards, but don’t take that as gospel, obviously. Basically, unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure that the auto is real, don’t buy it without getting an expert opinion first. It literally takes a matter of a few minutes to post on a message board and have the users weigh in. Even with the seller’s guarantee, authentication takes time, and with that time, they can win a claim even without it coming back legit. In all seriousness, buying autographs on eBay has become close to impossible, and that is one of the main reasons why the auctions should be a focus for any federal investigation.

Here are some examples:

Adrian Peterson 8×10 Signed w/ COA

Tom Brady 8×10 Signed w/ COA and Seller Guarantee

4. The Non-logo patch fake

It used to be that almost 100% of fake patches were logo or sleeve patches. Not anymore. With guys like Ufjumper7/corbinxz faking cards regularly, fake 3 color patches have become quite common. Although he still sells Titans Sleeve and Sword Logo and Ravens’ sleeve patches all day long, he also sells fake 3 and 4 color patches too. The scary thing is, if I didn’t know what to look for, I would not think twice before bidding. The easiest way to tell is to check out the quality of the jersey in the window, because 9 times out of 10, many of these idiots use the hong kong-thentic jerseys to cut up for their fakes. These jerseys are off the back of a truck from Asia, and the colors/stitching are usually just a little off from a real authentic jersey. This makes it very easy to tell, especially with the card in hand and being able to feel the different materials in the swatches.

Here are some examples:

Calvin Johnson 4 Color Hong Kong-Thentic SPA auto

Sam Bradford 3 Color Hong Kong-Thentic Finest Auto

Tom Brady 3 Color Hong Kong-Thentic Patch

5. The Shitty Player Fake

Again, back in the day, fakers had an MO. They would always choose the best players, take a shitty jumbo jersey card, and fake the shit out of it. Now, these idiots just choose whatever they can and it may even be a shitty player that gets the scam treatment. Because every player on a given checklist is collected by SOMEONE, paying .50 for a card and selling it for 15 bucks is a huge gain. Do it enough times and they can easily make a bunch of money. Just because a player isnt widely collected, doesn’t mean they wont be the target of a scam.

Here are some examples:

DeAndre Jordan Exquisite Patch Auto

Sebastian Telfair/Shaun Livingston Logo Patch

Laurence Maroney Exquisite Logo Patch Auto

Overall, fakes will NEVER go away, but that doesn’t mean we cant try to give people the tools to combat them on their own. If you see a fake, do your part to educate instead of laughing at the clueless people who bid on the cards. I get emails all the time from people who want to know more, and I hope that eventually, more resources will spring up.