(609) cards make up the 1967 Topps Baseball set. Key rookies include Rod Carew and Tom Seaver. Counterfeit copies of those two rookies have been floating around the hobby for decades, and might even be the subject of a future blog post. But for now here are some tips on spotting counterfeit 1967 Topps Baseball cards that aren’t Rod Carew and Tom Seaver rookies.
- Print Pattern – Especially visible on Robinson’s black sleeve, you can see dot matrix printing dots. Authentic cards do not have this style of printing. The colors should be solid.
- Glossy Back – Many counterfeits will have a smooth and glossy back. Authentic examples will always have a back that has a rough texture.
- Thin White Sides – Counterfeits tend to be half the thickness of an authentic card. Their sides also can be white versus brown on an authentic example.
- Bright Coloring – Bright coloring is a dead giveaway on so many vintage counterfeits. The baseball bat on this card is almost the same color as the white border (which is too white to begin with). This bright coloring isn’t limited to the front. Its not uncommon for authentic 1967 Topps cards to have green backs that vary in color a little bit. Find some authentic commons from this set and see if the back of your card is close in color. Too bright means its a counterfeit.
- Black Bar – This is quite player specific. On the back at the bottom below where it says “T.C.G. Printed in U.S.A.” is a black bar. Some players have this while others do not. Make sure you know whether the player you’re looking to buy has this bar or not. If it does, learn if the bar extends all the way to the end. Some do and some don’t. Take this Brooks Robinson card. On an authentic card he has a black bar that extends all the way. The counterfeit stops short.
- Perfect Condition – I’m not saying that an authentic 1967 Topps card can’t be found in mint condition. The odds are just very unlikely that you will. A lot of the counterfeits will lack wear and age. Some counterfeiters will attempt to add these features artificially.
Counterfeit front
Counterfeit back
Reprint front
Reprint back
Authentic front
Authentic back
Filed under: Fake Card Info | Tagged: 1967, a, baseball, card, fake, how, spot, to, topps |
Sports Card Info 
how do you spot the difference on a tom seaver rookie card topps # 581- reprint i bought the rookie decades ago
I buy my older cards either graded or from GM Cards on eBay. Today I received Two Common 1967 Topps cards. The backs have very different coloring. One is a dull green. The other is a brights lime green. Since these are Commons I can’t imagine that one would go to the effort of counterfeiting a common card. Also, I’d be shocked if Greg Morris would knowingly sell a counterfeit card. Have to seen these two different colored backs? I’d like to email you pictures of these two cards.