A very hot button issue has come up lately on a number of different message boards around the net and I wanted to post about it here. Apparently, a douchebag from Southern California or Mexico has found a way to counterfeit the PSA holders and labels. He has a bunch of fake 1952 Mantle Bowman cards, and is using his “talent” for making the fake holders to sell them on eBay and Craigslist. It may not be easy to spot for the untrained eye, but many people have the cards in hand and know they are fake. Someone even compared bar codes and they all looked eerily similar.

The first time this was put up for auction, eBay removed it after a bunch of complaints came in. There were also four or five collectors from around the net who purchased similar cards from the guy but immediately realized they were fake. I mentioned a few days ago that its becoming very hard to trust any of these people any more, mainly because the scam level is so fucking high. I also mentioned that no matter what the technology is, someone will find a way to take advantage of it. The fucking idiots who throw ethics and the law out the window are the people that have made this hobby one of the least trustworthy pastimes there is.

According to the boards, PSA has been contacted a number of times, but has yet to do anything about it. Typical.

Guys, it comes down to the golden rule of collecting: IF IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS.