Popular eBay seller Probstein123 sold a questionable card recently. The card in question is a Willie Mays eTopps Classic Autograph. Screenshot. Probstein123 is a notable seller that scammers have used multiple times to move their homemade merchandise.
Topps sold non-autographed Willie Mays eTopps Classic cards in 2002 with a print run of (4,000) cards. In 2004, Topps had Willie Mays autograph (100) of those cards from 2002.
The card Probstein123 sold is authentic, but the autograph is not.
When issued by Topps, this specific eTopps autographed card (and many others) came with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). The COA has a serial number on it which matches the serial number found on the square hologram sticker on the back of the card.
Probstein123’s card does not come with a COA like it should.
I know what you’re thinking. Maybe the COA got lost. I highly doubt it. I don’t believe it exists.
The serial number on Probstein123’s card looks to be 5320815. When Topps sold these cards the serial numbers for the autographs were issued in a close sequence. A few other authentic Willie Mays eTopps Classic Autographs to surface recently have the serial numbers 1354477 and 1354499. No authentic Willie Mays eTopps Classic Autographs have a serial number anywhere near 5320815 like the one sold by Probstein123.
Here is what an authentic Willie Mays eTopps Classic Autograph should look like. This one has the 1354477 serial number, and the accompanying COA. Comparing it to the card Probstein123 sold, you can clearly see the autographs look nothing alike.
The non-autographed Willie Mays eTopps Classic cards come with a circular hologram on the back containing a serial number. Somehow a square hologram meant for an autographed card ended up on a non-autographed card such as the one Probstein123 sold. The Willie Mays autograph was then forged.
How did this happen? Good question. Scammers are very creative. The only way I would purchase a Willie Mays eTopps Classic Autograph is if it came with the accompanying COA, and had matching serial numbers. The square hologram on the back of the card alone isn’t enough. At least not for me.
I think the evidence is fairly clear that something isn’t right with the card Probstein123 sold. Especially when it comes to the Willie Mays signature which looks way too clean.
Filed under: Fake Card Info | Tagged: autograph, etopps, fake, mays, probstein123, sells, willie |
Sports Card Info 
Probenstien is a loser.
I would hope that Probstein123 reimbursed the buyer all fees and costs associated with the purchase and any fees and costs associated with authenticating the card and autograph. A seller such as Probstein123 has to be held to a higher standard of care. In fact, eBay needs to initiate a policy making it a mandatory requirement that any seller that sells a fake card or autograph is obligated to reimburse the buyer all fees and costs associated with the purchase and any fees and costs associated with authenticating the card and/or autograph.