Mike Baker Authenticated Is A Pointless Service The Hobby Does NOT Need

In 2020 and 2021 we saw card prices shoot to the moon. And in 2022 we have seen them completely tank.

During that fun time when everything was going up in price lots of new businesses arrived on the hobby scene attempting to convince collectors that they needed them. A lot of new and naive people bought right into it too. In this hobby it is very easy to convince people you are something that you really aren’t.

One of these joke business ventures that popped up is Mike Baker Authenticated. I’ve talked about them before, but it can’t hurt to bring them up again.

Mike Baker Authenticated would love to grade your graded cards. They’re trying to create another level of scarcity for you to chase. DON’T FALL FOR IT!

For example, lets say you have two of the same cards both graded by PSA a GEM MT 10. Mike Baker Authenticated wants you to believe that if they place one of their Silver, Gold, or Black Diamond labels on one of them its going to be worth more than the card without it. This has to be one of the most pointless services ever offered to collectors. What’s next? Grading the graded, graded, graded card?

Who is Mike Baker? Mike Baker was the first grader to work for PSA. In fact, he was their first employee. He was right there when the world famous 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner was graded a PSA NM-MT 8. It was altered/trimmed, and slabbed in a PSA holder. That card shouldn’t have been graded. Knowing the publicity and money that card would bring is what didn’t stop them. On the Mike Baker Authenticated website it states “He has been a developer in the field of identifying counterfeit and altered trading cards.” What a joke!

Probstein123’s auctions was the first place I remember seeing Mike Baker Authenticated labeled slabs. Early on the COA Mike Baker Authenticated supplied with the card was down right sloppy. SGC graded cards came with PSA labeled COAs. Numerous misspellings could also be found. You could tell they were in a rush.

With card prices in free fall, grading companies are beginning to lower their fees. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of the big three BGS, PSA, or SGC go under. BGS or SGC more likely. PSA has some other sources of income. HGA and CSG could also be on the chopping block.

If the grading companies are hurting right now, so is Mike Baker Authenticated. This downturn could easily put them out of business. A good thing about a tanking market is purging the hobby of bogus and unnecessary services such as Mike Baker Authenticated. If you’re attending a card show and see their little tent, just ignore it.

Mike Baker Authenticated Is An Unnecessary, Sloppy, Lazy Service

Severe amounts of conflicts of interests plague the entire grading side of the hobby. Its been that way since PSA graded their first card, and it probably isn’t going to change any time soon. Special grades for those submitting a certain volume of cards, specific grades for friends, and looking the other way allowing altered cards to make their way through the grading process happens all of the time. So many people turn a blind eye to these facts because the money and publicity that comes with these highly graded cards can be immense. In short, as long as the merry-go-round keeps spinning its extremely difficult to convince someone to get off the ride. You can blog, record YouTube videos, and Tweet all you want about how corrupt grading is and it won’t change a thing. In fact, grading companies like PSA have seen a record increase in sales even after stories exposing their corruption have come out.

Just when you thought card grading couldn’t get more ridiculous, let me introduce you to Mike Baker Authenticated. Mike Baker once worked for PSA. For a fee, his newly formed company will (get ready for this) grade your already graded cards. These graded graded cards come with a COA and a corresponding sticker attached to the card’s holder. I guess the holder is receiving the grade. This is total !@#$%.

The example I’m showing is of a LeBron James 2003-04 Upper Deck MVP #201 rookie card graded by SGC a GM 10.

Everything about this COA screams lazy. This is an SGC graded card, but the COA only mentions PSA. In addition to that, there are numerous misspellings:

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Probstein123 has been selling these on eBay. The two are probably working together. Probstein123 is notorious for shill bidding his own auctions, and a top place for card doctors to move their altered creations. All the investigations in the world haven’t been able to put a dent into his business. Very sad.

2020 has seen a massive wave of new money enter the hobby. Cards selling for record amounts have received national coverage. Services such as Mike Baker Authenticated prey on those who don’t know any better. You don’t need his stickers plastered all over your cards just to feel superior.

Unnecessary, sloppy, and lazy easily sums-up this service. The worst part about the whole thing is that people are buying into this garbage.

Preview: 2020 Onyx Vintage Baseball

Scheduled for a late March release, Onyx Authenticated plans to bring back it’s Onyx Vintage Baseball product that debuted last year.  From my 2019 box I pulled autographs of Nolan Gorman and Ronny Mauricio.  Jo Adell and Noelvi Marte were my base.

Its a fun, quick-thrill product with an old school look.

Product Highlights:

• All on-card autographs
• (2) autographs per pack/box ((4) cards total – (2) base and (2) autographs)
• (31) different players – a mix of both active players and legends
• Blue, Green, and Red signature versions
• Rare photo variations for certain players
• (24) boxes/packs per case
• (135) total cases

2019 Onyx/Futera Unique Prospects & Legends Baseball Preview

Two card manufacturers working together on a single product is certainly not something that happens very often.  Especially during a time when exclusives are all the rage, and everyone is out for themselves.  Onyx Authenticated and Futera have done what seems to be the impossible.  Working simultaneously, both companies are happy to introduce 2019 Onyx/Futera Unique Prospects & Legends Baseball.

No.  There aren’t any team names and/or logos.  But given the quality of these cards, I truly believe that doesn’t matter one bit.  Futera mainly focuses on European soccer now, but I’ve always thought their cards looked extremely well done.  I didn’t think seeing a baseball product come from them was a possibility until now.  Onyx’s baseball products aren’t too shabby either.  Their Vintage Collection is a blast to open.

2019 Onyx/Futera Unique Prospects & Legends Baseball is a limited, high-end release.  Only (75) cases will be produced.  Each pack contains an autograph or autograph/relic.  Baseball fans will get to take advantage of Futera’s Colour Grading and Code For Collectors features.  These are two services which allow you to see how rare that relic card might be, and the process that went into making that specific card.  Its a level of documentation that every card manufacturer should adhere to.  Services such as these really helps to cut down on counterfeits.

Be sure to checkout the official sales sheet and checklist.  You’ll find its filled with prospects and Hall of Famers.  I wouldn’t mind pulling that Babe Ruth cut signature.  My favorite cards are the 24ct Gold-Plated Framed cards.

(4) packs come in a single box.  Each pack will cost around $97.  That’s about $400 for the entire box.  As of this writing, August 23rd is the launch date.

Baseball Authenticated Masterpieces Babe Ruth Ball Unveiled

During the 2018 National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland, collectors were introduced to Piece of the Game’s Baseball Authenticated Masterpieces.  Scheduled to be released to the world on July 9, 2019, this is truly a unique product.

Inside every case you will find (10) game-used, autographed, and hand-painted baseballs.  The baseballs were actually used by the player depicted on the ball.  Those baseballs were used for singles, doubles, triples, home runs, strike outs, you name it.  (15) cases have been produced.  That’s a total of (150) baseballs.

Sports artist Monty Sheldon is responsible for the artwork.  He’s been painting on baseballs for over 20 years, and his stuff looks amazing.

At a cost of $36,000 per case, this product is for the ultimate high-end breaker.  With an awesome checklist of players, there really isn’t a bad case.  If I had to pick the luckiest case to open, it would be the one housing the Babe Ruth ball.  Its considered the chase ball to find.

A lot of time and effort went into making this product happen.  It certainly isn’t something that could be quickly pumped out over night.  Good luck.  I hope its a success.

Mets ’19 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection Auto Contest Winner Announced

Congrats to Alex Markle on being the lucky winner of the Ronny Mauricio 2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection Blue Ink Auto #’ed/200.  Once Alex Markle sends me their mailing address, I will ship this card ASAP.  Thanks!

Onyx & Futera Team-Up For New High-End Baseball Set

What’s this?  Two card companies coming together to bring collectors a single product?  What year is it?  How long have I been asleep?  Is left now right?  Is up now down?  Is McDonald’s now serving Whoppers?  What parallel dimension have we stepped into?

Its unheard of to see two manufacturers collaborating on one product.  In an age where exclusive licenses are a regular thing, team-ups like this just don’t happen.

Onyx Authenticated and Futera plan to break that mold this summer with Onyx/Futera Unique 2019 Baseball Prospects & Legends.  While the details are still scarce, here’s what we know about it so far.

Judging by the picture, its going to be a very limited release and quite high-end.  Unlike most other manufacturers, Onyx Authenticated and Futera don’t issue one product after another all year long.  That especially goes for Futera.  I’ve talked about Futera on here a number of times, and have compared them to the Lamborghini or Ferrari manufacturer of the sports card industry.  On numerous occasions, I’ve mentioned their Code For Collectors and Memorabilia Colour Grading services are something U.S. collectors would enjoy taking advantage of.  It looks like that might be coming true.

While the checklist has yet to be announced, both prospects and veterans seem to be in the mix.  I reached out to my contact at Futera to see if I could squeeze out some more info.  I was told “What I can share at this stage is that the collection under discussion would have a format of similarity to our Futera UNIQUE 2018 release including on-card Autographs, Game-used Memorabilia, ‘1 of 1’s, and some sets featuring 24ct gold-plated elements.”  Futera UNIQUE 2018 came with (4) packs per box, with each pack containing a hit.  A box cost $300.

I’m really excited to see how these cards turn out.  Futera and Onyx Authenticated each have created some insanely cool looking cards.  I was lucky enough to open a pack of 2016 Futera Liverpool Unique Collection and pulled a Gerry Byrne Mythicals Matchday Program #’ed/7 – contains a piece of program from the 1965 FA Cup Final between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Wembley Stadium; 24ct gold-plated frame relic.  Recently, I opened a box of 2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection Baseball which yielded some fun stuff.

Between the two, I think we should get ready for an awesome baseball product.  No.  There won’t be any team names or logos.  But given what each company has created in the past, I’ve got a good feeling we’re in for something special.

Right now they’re shooting for a late July release.  Just in time for the National Sports Collectors Convention.

Mets ’19 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection Auto Contest! – NOW CLOSED

This contest is for a Ronny Mauricio 2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection Blue Ink Auto #’ed/200.  Good luck!!!

Contest Details:

• This contest will end Friday, April 26, 2019 @ 8:00 p.m. EST.
• To enter, please leave a comment in this post.
• You can enter once per day.
• The winner will be selected at random.
• Please provide a valid e-mail address when entering.
• The winner will receive an e-mail when the contest is over.
• The winner has one week to send me their contact information or the contest will be held again.
• Once the contest is over, I will need the winner’s mailing address so I can ship them this card for FREE!!!

2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection Baseball Box Break & Review

Baseball collectors really need to check out 2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection.  Whether you’re into collecting prospects or not, these are some incredible looking cards.  Depending on where you shop, a box will cost around $40.  Quite affordable.

A single box comes with (1) pack.  (4) cards come per pack, and (2) of them will be autographed.  The base set consists of only (22) cards.  (4) players from the base set have photo variation parallels – Brent Honeywell, Taylor Trammell, Nolan Gorman, and Heliot Ramos.  These unsigned base photo variation parallels are limited to (30) copies each.  All cards have a painted-look, and are printed on vintage stock.

Now onto the autographs.  As I mentioned before, you’ll find (2) of them per box.  Everything is signed on-card, and the signatures look fantastic.  Base photo autographs come in the following forms – Blue Ink #’ed/200, Green Ink #’ed/50, Red Ink #’ed/25, and Black Ink #’ed/5.  Brent Honeywell, Taylor Trammell, Nolan Gorman, and Heliot Ramos photo variations also have autographed versions – Blue Ink #’ed/25, Green Ink #’ed/10, Red Ink #’ed/5, and Black Ink #’ed/1.

I made a guide that can help you with the variations and autograph print runs that go with them.  Serial numbers are not printed on any of the cards, and variations aren’t mentioned on the backs.  What is listed on all of the card backs are the print runs for the base photo autographs and parallels.  For some reason Black #’ed/5 isn’t listed.  Please consult this guide before buying or selling any of these cards on the secondary market.  You want to make sure you’re selling the correct card.  Also, you don’t want to get tricked by someone attempting to convince you that a card is a variation when its not.

As an added bonus, autographed cards from previous Onyx products have been randomly included.  Issued as redemption cards, you can also find graded rookie cards of Hall of Famers and All-Stars.

2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection is a quick-thrill and fun rip.  Small checklist, but packed with some potential stars.  Everything about them is so eye-catching.

Here is what I pulled:

Autos

• Nolan Gorman Base Blue Ink Auto #’ed/200
• Ronny Mauricio Base Blue Ink Auto #’ed/200

Base

• Noelvi Marte
• Jo Adell

2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection Baseball Variation Guide

For those collectors ripping into boxes of 2019 Onyx Authenticated Vintage Collection, here is a handy guide to the variations that you can pull.

Only (4) players from the 22-card checklist have photo variations – Brent Honeywell, Taylor Trammell, Nolan Gorman, and Heliot Ramos.  Unsigned versions of these photo variations are limited to (30) copies each.  Autographed cards featuring these images are limited to Blue Ink #’ed/25, Green Ink #’ed/10, Red Ink #’ed/5, and Black Ink #’ed/1.

Its very important that you consult this guide before listing any of your cards for sale or buying any of them on the secondary market.  I’ve seen people attempting to pass off a base photo autograph signed in Blue Ink #’ed/200 for a photo variation #’ed/25.  You need to know what you’re buying and selling, especially since the serial numbers aren’t printed on the cards.  The value of a card with a base photo versus a variation can be dramatically different.

Non-autograph #’ed/30.  Autographed – Blue Ink #’ed/25, Green Ink #’ed/10, Red Ink #’ed/5, and Black Ink #’ed/1.

Non-autograph #’ed/30.  Autographed – Blue Ink #’ed/25, Green Ink #’ed/10, Red Ink #’ed/5, and Black Ink #’ed/1.

Non-autograph #’ed/30.  Autographed – Blue Ink #’ed/25, Green Ink #’ed/10, Red Ink #’ed/5, and Black Ink #’ed/1.

Non-autograph #’ed/30.  Autographed – Blue Ink #’ed/25, Green Ink #’ed/10, Red Ink #’ed/5, and Black Ink #’ed/1.