Card of the Day: Scott Servais 1997 Topps Stadium Club #279

Card of the Day: Jackie Harris 1997 Fleer #304

Card of the Day: Terry Labonte 1997 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice #5

Card of the Day: Reggie White 1997 Playoff – Seasons Greetings – The New North Pole

Fake Willie Mays 1997 Topps Auto Card Gets PSA’s OK

One of the rarest cards you could pull from a pack of 1997 Topps Series One Baseball is a Willie Mays Commemorative Reprints Autograph.

These cards are notorious for being faked. Blowout forums user superdan49 spotted a fake example up for sale on eBay that has the PSA/DNA seal of approval.

Not only is the autograph fake, but the card is too.

An article written in 2019 goes into much of the details on what to look for when it comes to identifying fake examples of these cards.

Once you know what to look for the difference between a fake card and authentic one is quite easy to spot. That signature and “Certified Autograph Issue” stamp on the fake have some major issues. PSA should have caught this right away.

On the plus side upon hearing about this mistake PSA has deactivated this fake card (69287393) from their database. Unfortunately this doesn’t take the card out of circulation, but it should give you another reason to check the PSA serial number on any card before shelling out your cash.

When PSA deactivates a serial number from their database it would be nice if a marketplace such as eBay could get notified. If that serial number gets deactivated and it shows up on eBay the seller and/or current high bidder should be alerted. As of this writing the fake card below is still up for sale.

FAKE

AUTHENTIC

Card of the Day: Steve Bono 1997 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice #500

Card of the Day: John Elway 1997 Pinnacle #9

Hobby Oddities: 1997 Pinnacle Inside Can Opener

It slices. It dices. And all you have to do is “set it and forget it.”

Pinnacle was an innovative card manufacturer. You’ve got to give them credit for trying different ideas. Not every idea was a winner though.

In 1997 Pinnacle introduced collectors to the Pinnacle Inside brand. This time it wasn’t the cards that were innovative. Instead it was the delivery system.

Soup cans. That’s what the cards came packaged in. Between 1997 and 1998 Pinnacle released these soup can cards for MLB, NFL, NHL, WNBA, and NASCAR.

Some thought it was cool. Others found it annoying. Displays were bulky and took up a lot of space. Each can had a different player on it. Many collectors would pick out their favorite player(s) and keep the can(s) sealed. This made it even more difficult to locate some of the rarer cards in the set. Lots were sitting in sealed cans on collector’s shelves.

Pinnacle sent out a kit to shops and distributors in 1997 to promote this new line of cards. The kit consisted of a sample can (with Ryan Klesko on it), a trading card picturing the sample can, and a Pinnacle Inside branded can opener.

Its not everyday you see a card company’s name on a kitchen accessory.

Upper Deck gave the soup can idea a try with 1999 UD Choice Baseball.

Card of the Day: Sugar Ray Leonard 1997 Kenner Starting Lineup Timeless Legends

Card of the Day: Len Dawson 1997 Upper Deck Legends Auto