How To Spot A Fake Emmitt Smith 1990 Score Supplemental Rookie Card

Legendary running back Emmitt Smith’s most popular rookie card comes from the 110-card 1990 Score Supplemental Football set.

The 1990 Score Supplemental Football set was issued in factory set form only to Score’s dealers. No hobby boxes with packs.

Cards are designed to look like the regular 1990 Score Football set, except they have blue and purple borders.

Included within this set are rookies and players that switched teams during the off season. Its like an Update or Traded set you see from Topps.

Despite being released during the height of the junk wax era this card continues to hold quite a bit of value. Especially those examples that are in nice condition. Having colored borders makes it easy for chipping to occur.

A few counterfeit/unauthorized reprints of this card recently popped up.

You can clearly see the differences between an authentic card and a fake. Fakes have a blurry and grainy look to them. The color is off. In some cases the font isn’t quite correct and difficult to read.

People use the word “reprint” or the letters “RP” on their listings in an attempt to fool you into thinking that card came from a specific manufacturer. Places like eBay don’t know how or just don’t care enough to learn how to distinguish between the two. The people making these homemade cards are fully aware that passing them off as the real thing could come back to haunt them. Calling them reprints might not bring in the same amount of money, but it still allows them to move their hoard of counterfeits. Its a horribly abused wording loophole.

One of the best ways to tell if your card is authentic is by comparing it to another card from the 1990 Score Supplemental Football set. Specifically one that doesn’t have much value and wouldn’t have a reason to be faked. Score used the same printing method for all of the cards. The print pattern of an Emmitt Smith #101T should look the same as the other cards from this set under a magnifying glass.

Authentic Front

Authentic Back

Magnified print pattern of an authentic card

Fake Front

Fake Back

Fake Front

Fake Back

Probstein123 Sells Fake Willie Mays eTopps Autograph

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.

Fake Autograph Front

Fake Autograph Back

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.

Authentic Autograph Front

Authentic Autograph Back

COA

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.

Authentic Non-autographed Front

Authentic Non-autographed Back

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.

Fake “Not Guilty” Inscription Added To O.J. Simpson Autographed Card

Collectors opening the new 2022 Onyx Nimbus Collection Multi-Sport have the opportunity to pull an autograph of a controversial individual. That person would be O.J. Simpson.

One of these O.J. Simpson autographed cards recently popped up on Twitter showing a “Not Guilty” inscription.

According to Onyx Authenticated the inscription is a fake.

Someone broke the seal on the Nimbus holder and added the inscription. Of course that can’t be seen in the picture. That type of inscription if thought to be authentic would bring a premium on the secondary market. This is a perfect example of someone altering an authentic item to either get attention for themselves and/or attempting to make that item more valuable.

O.J. Simpson’s autographed cards serial #’ed/70 found within 2022 Onyx Nimbus Collection Multi-Sport all look very similar.

O.J. Simpson’s autographed card serial #’ed 1/1 found within 2022 Onyx Nimbus Collection Multi-Sport has his full name.

PSA Is Grading Fake 1983 Topps ’52 Mantle Reprints

PSA couldn’t tell the difference between a rookie and a cookie if their life depended on it.

Blowout Forums user superdan49 recently discovered that PSA has graded numerous counterfeit examples of the 1983 Topps ’52 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 Reprint card.

According to superdan49 some of the red flags to look for in a counterfeit example include perfect centering, bright white card stock, and the #311 appearing in the lower left corner on the back.

I highly suggest that you check out the link above to read the full breakdown of superdan49’s report. The origin of these counterfeits is unknown. Whoever made them realized their mistakes, and began to make better looking counterfeits. Some have been found with the #311 in the correct location.

The 1983 Topps ’52 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 Reprint card is one of Mantle’s most desirable reprint cards a collector can own. This specific set has a slightly glossy finish with a print run of around 10,000 copies per card. Cards came packaged in fancy blue boxes just like Topps Tiffany sets.

PSA can deactivate the card’s certification number from their database if they feel its not authentic. But it won’t take the card out of circulation.

When PSA deactivates a certification number from their database it would be nice if a marketplace such as eBay could get notified. If that certification number gets deactivated and it shows up on eBay the seller and/or current high bidder should be alerted.

FAKE

FAKE

AUTHENTIC

AUTHENTIC

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

Did Pristine Auction Sell A Fake Willie Mays Autograph?

UPDATE – 12/17/2022

According to Pristine Auction “Looks like that is an auction from 2014. This may have fooled us and others back then but is more known now. We always guarantee authenticity so we would buy it back (if we didn’t already).”

An interesting card sold over at Pristine Auction that I believe is worth talking about.

The card that caught my eye is the Willie Mays 2001 Fleer Tradition Stitches In Time Autograph.

Link to the Pristine Auction listing. Screenshot for when their auction listing comes down.

Its a great looking card, unfortunately Willie Mays never signed them for Fleer.

Fleer inserted redemption cards for these Willie Mays autographs inside packs of 2001 Fleer Tradition Baseball. For some reason Willie Mays chose not to sign them. Possibly due to him not wanting to sign Negro League items.

After Fleer’s bankruptcy the non-autographed cards they had intended Willie Mays to sign surfaced. Because they were originally meant to be signed the cards come with Fleer’s autograph COA on the back.

If you come across a Willie Mays 2001 Fleer Tradition Stitches In Time card containing an autograph there are two possible outcomes.

The first outcome is that the autograph is fake. Many scammers have forged Willie Mays’s signature on these aftermarket cards, and passed them off as the real thing. Collectors who don’t know the true history behind this card will see Fleer’s COA and not think twice about it’s authenticity.

Second would be that an individual purchased the non-autographed card on the secondary market and was able to get Willie Mays to sign it in person. Difficult to do, but not completely out of the realm of possibility.

I would stay far away from any autographed versions of this card. Even the examples that come with PSA/DNA and JSA authentication. If you didn’t get Willie Mays to sign the card yourself assume that it is a fake signature.

Judging by that Pristine Auction listing Fleer’s COA is suppose to be good enough. BAD IDEA! Their description mentions nothing about this card’s history. Either they don’t know about it or just don’t care. You be the judge as to whether that autograph is real or not.

Willie Mays does have an insert and relic found in the 2001 Fleer Tradition Stitches In Time set. Both of these were pack-inserted by Fleer.

SGC Grades Fake Derek Jeter 1994 Signature Rookies Auto

Blowout Forums user superdan49 recently discovered that SGC graded a fake Derek Jeter 1994 Signature Rookies Auto.

According to the fake card’s SGC certification #7701181 it was graded in September 2022.

Comparing the fake card to an authentic example you can clearly see the major differences in the signature.

As of this writing the fake card is up for sale on eBay with bids.

This isn’t the first time one of the major grading companies has let a fake card slip past them. It has happened many times before. Not too long ago BGS graded a fake 1990 Topps Frank Thomas No Name On Front Error.

Fake

Authentic

How To Spot A Fake Ludwell Denny 1990 Pro Set #338 Promo

The odds of you finding this card out in the wild are about as good as the Phillies calling me up asking if I’d like to play first base. Its not likely to happen.

As I mentioned in my 2021 Leaf Pro Set College Football Blaster Box Break, Ludwell Denny founded Pro Set in 1988. Between 1988 and 1994 Pro Set issued card products for the NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and PGA Tour. Their parody “Flopps” promo set was about as close as they got to making MLB cards. Outside of sports they made a variety of entertainment products as well. Pro Set went bankrupt after 1994. In February 2021 it was announced that Leaf Trading Cards had acquired the Pro Set trademark, and quickly began using it on their products.

Mr. Denny had a card of himself printed in 1990. Don’t bother ripping through old packs hoping to find it. They were used as promotional handouts. Almost like a business card. Although an official print run was never released, supposedly one sheet amounting to (90) cards was made. How many were actually handed out is a number we will never know.

Pro Set was notorious for their errors, misprints, corrections, short prints, variations, etc… Sometimes I think they did this on purpose just to keep collectors on their toes.

The Ludwell Denny promo card is one die-hard Pro Set collectors would love to add to their collection. I’ve only seen one show up for sale, and it has been on eBay for years with an incredibly high asking price.

No authentic alternate versions of this card are known to exist. No errors, misprints, corrections, short prints, and/or variations. What you see is what you get. However, there are counterfeits floating around.

The differences drastically stick out when an authentic card is placed side-by-side with a counterfeit one.

Characteristics of a counterfeit card include dark coloring on both the front and back.

The font is completely different where it says “Ludwell Denny Head Coach Giants” on the front. Turning the card over you can see the font used for “Ludwell Denny Head Coach” is also quite different. The font used for the card number isn’t correct either.

Counterfeits use a dot instead of a dash to separate the words “Coach” and “Giants” on the front.

Numerous misspellings and grammatical errors totally pollute the description on the back of the counterfeit.

On the back of a counterfeit the words “National Football League Players Association” surround the football image near the bottom. Authentic examples do not have this wording.

Authentic front

Authentic back

Counterfeit front

Counterfeit back

I Lost $3,500,000 On Fake Pokémon Cards

Bad day for Meelypops and BBCE. BBCE will no longer be authenticating Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cases.

How To Spot A Fake 1985 Star Gatorade Slam Dunk Michael Jordan #7

Fans who attended the 1985 All-Star Weekend Banquet in Indianapolis received a 9-card set of Star basketball cards featuring the Gatorade logo on them. It’s official name is the 1985 Star Gatorade Slam Dunk set. The set includes Checklist #1, Larry Nance #2, Terence Stansbury #3, Clyde Drexler #4, Julius Erving #5, Darrell Griffith #6, Michael Jordan #7, Dominique Wilkins #8, and Orlando Woolridge #9.

Technically there are (10) cards in this set. Terence Stansbury was a late substitute for Charles Barkley. Both cards were produced, but the Barkley card wasn’t released along with the others. Eventually the Barkley card leaked out, and collectors saw it surface on the secondary market.

Star cards are notorious for being counterfeited. That especially goes for Star cards of Michael Jordan. I can’t stress how many counterfeit Michael Jordan Star cards there are floating around. You can easily find them on eBay.

Counterfeit examples of the Michael Jordan 1985 Star Gatorade Slam Dunk card are all over the place. Some people advertise them as authentic, while others do the whole “reprint” or “RP” thing. People use the word “reprint” or the letters “RP” on their listings in an attempt to fool you into thinking that specific card came from a manufacturer like Star. Places like eBay don’t know how or just don’t care enough to learn how to distinguish between the two. The people making these homemade cards are fully aware that passing them off as the real thing could come back to haunt them. Calling them reprints might not bring in the same amount of money, but it still allows them to move their hoard of counterfeits. Its a horribly abused wording loophole.

When placed side-by-side the difference between an authentic example and counterfeit can easily be seen. One of the biggest red flags of a counterfeit is the lack of a line going through the letter “N” in “JORDAN” on the front. I’ve never seen an authentic version without this printing defect. Most counterfeits forget to include this element. Overall photo blurriness, and incorrect coloring can be other signs of a counterfeit.

Flipping the card over you’ll see more red flags. Counterfeit backs tend to have thicker/bold font. In some cases the font is a completely different color especially in Jordan’s bio. Its not uncommon for the text in Jordan’s bio to be broken too on a counterfeit.

If capable, compare the Jordan with another (less expensive) card from the same set. The printing techniques should be similar. Star did not print Michael Jordan’s card any differently.

Counterfeit front

Authentic front

Counterfeit back

Counterfeit back

Authentic back