When it comes to fakes, for the normal person who has little experience in the hobby, it can be a nightmare trying to sort through the plethora of fakes that constantly make it impossible to buy with confidence. The biggest problems tend to come from the use of “COA included” auctions, where a person will sell a completely fake auto with no legitimacy other than a scrap of paper from that person saying its real. On top of this, you have companies like GAI who have had enough problems with cash flow that they have made a name for themselves certifiying fake autos as real to make money.
Lastly, you have people who take advantage of the fact that its easy to fake a sticker by rubbing off the original auto with alcohol. This was a major issue a year or two ago, when a few sellers found that it was pretty hard to tell a fake auto if it were on a sticker and it was affixed to a card that normally has no way of telling it wasn’t meant to be autographed. A great example is the 2007 Bowman Chrome Football set, where the rookie autographs had no easily identified difference other than a sticker on the front of the card. This Adrian Peterson is a great example of what happens when this is the case. First off, if you know Peterson’s autograph as well as I do, this fake is laughable. Secondly, if you study the 2007 Chrome Rookie autos, you can see that the chrome shading just above the sticker is different than on the base cards
. For someone that doesn’t have this level of understanding, its easy to see why its tough to tell a fake from a real one.
Bottom line is that just because a card has a “certified sticker” auto, doesn’t mean its real. If something looks off, make sure to compare against examples you know to be real. A good thing to check is pen thickness and signing swoops in the signature, because the Staedtler pens that most of the companies use are not easy to get. Most of the time, the fakers write this off as inconsequential, but it’s a great way to tell if a card is signed with a really thick sharpie instead of a thinner and less streaky Staedtler.
As I say in every one of these posts, there are always people willing to give insight into a purchase you are about to make. In them end, its your money, why waste on a questionable item?
I agree with everything you’re saying except one – how hard the pens are to find.
I did a quick search on Office Depot, and came across this:
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/831065/Staedtler-Mars-Lumocolor-Permanent-Markers-Fine/
I also ran into a no-name office supply place on my lunch for some stuff, and they had them there as well.
So, the pens are not really that hard to find at all.
I was just at Office Max and Staples trying to buy a few for autographs, and neither had them. The people there said they were really hard to find. Hmm. Interesting.
Maybe we should go to the stores, buy up every one we can find, and then sell them to the fakers at rediculous prices like they try to sell their fake shit for.
Sounds liek a good business plan to me…lol
WHAT MAKES YOU A PRO THAT THE PETERSON IS FAKE?WERE YOU THERE MAKING THEM?DO YOU WORK FOR TOPPS?YOU DONT HAVE ROCK SOLID EVIDENCE THAT THAT CARD IS NOT REAL……………….
I know its not real because the auto is terrible, first. Compare it side by side to any other Peterson signature, and the slant is different, the start and stop points are different, and the swoops dont match. Those things are consistent for every signature he signs. Secondly, on the real rookie autos there is a shading difference right above the sticker. It looks like a line on the card, because the bottom part is a different brightness than the top. That card doesnt have this present, so it is a base card that someone slapped a sticker on. Combine that with the fact that the pen used to sign the fake has a different thickness than every other Peterson auto used for this set and others, its not real. You want to think its real, go right ahead.
Well with 2007 Bowman Chrome, all the autos had some sort of shadow deal where the sticker would go on top on the card, setting it apart from the base rookies. And also…that Peterson auto on the fake is not close to his signature, AP’s signature is quite violent and sharp…not loopy and smooth
@THE ROCK
Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?
Hahaha, I didnt even get that. You are much better at being the mayor of sarcasm detection.
Though not a sticker, sorry Adam, it is still one of the WORST fakes I have seen!
http://cgi.ebay.com/2010-PANINI-GRIDIRON-GEAR-PEYTON-MANNING-AUTO-/220757657842?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item33662e88f2