1991 Topps Desert Shield

[UOFLfan7]

So I came across a COMPLETE set of 1991 Topps Desert Shield cards on Ebay and was wondering on whether you guys thought they looked real or not. I know how hard it is to find a complete set of real 1991 Desert Sheild cards, and the way these cards look and the condition they are in makes me wonder a bit...

Here it is, the current bid is 990.99$.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261046772424?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

[Gary Dunaier]

I wouldn't feel comfortable with it, especially considering this note added by the seller at the bottom of the listing (cut-and-pasted verbatim)...

Afew questions have come to me about possible counterfeit cards. I personally didnt put this together, I verified all cards were there and I had to purchase 2 cards to complete set. I can only assume they are real, and THIS SET IS SOLD AS IS.

We all know what happens when one assumes...

[T205]

Topps 1991 Desert Shield set is so rare to find in that type of condition and as the above post said the person selling it didn't put it together. I wouldn't touch that offering with a 20 ft pole. Danger! Danger!

[HOF Auto Rookies]

As Admiral Ackbar would say, "It's a trap!"

[brob28]

There is no way to tell if they are real based on those scans. You need to be able to see the DS Logo in detail to tell. Without better scans showing the logo's in detail I'd stay away.

[steve B]

I wouldn't chance that sort of money without better scans, but on the good side they're not the pointy shield fakes, and they do include some dark logo cards- (A+B sheets and desert shield only came with dark logos from A+B sheets)

So maybe....

Steve B

[doug.goodman]

I'm curious how to spot fakes from the real ones, can anybody fill me in? I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Doug

[steve B]

Good article here

http://www.psacard.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=4362&universeid=314

The first fake they mention is easy to spot, the others not so easy.

Steve B

[ALR-bishop]

If you type in an internet search for "Topps 1991 desert Shield Counterfeits" several good articles with illustrations will pop up. I would not buy without first rate scans of several players, such as Jones, Clemens, Ripken, Ryan, Griffey and Bonds, to compare with those in the articles, which also picture fakes

[UOFLfan7]

I decided not to bid on it haha...not only did it seem to be a bit fishy but also I have already matched my spending limit for this month and do not wish to go 1000 dollars past it haha. Instead I bought two unopened packs of 1991 Topps Desert Storm cards in hopes of pulling one of the rarer cards from the set!!!

[PhotoBiker]

So this was the thread I pulled up via Google that got me to join this site.

There are a handful of us still out here with complete sets (plus some additional cards) that we all put together back in '91 after returning from the Gulf War. The trick was those of us in a relationship with another military member received enough cards to trade out for a complete set.

My wife & I (girlfriend at the time) put together such a set and promptly put it in a safe.

Fast forward Twenty Some Odd Years (damn...) to the age of FaceBook. I am a member of a FB group for our old Air Base (Myrtle Beach AFB, closed in '92). We have a thread that started out as a "remember when" kind of thing regarding all the activity surrounding the quests for complete sets. Turns out none of us have any idea how much these things are worth.

Apparently, from what I read, there are counterfeits floating around, I can pretty much guarantee that our set as well as the others that I traded with are legit. Is there something we need to do to prove they are legit? Other than all the stuff we saved (we actually saved all the wrappers and the gum, though I think and hope the gum was discarded or chewed back in the early '90's).

Thanks in advance.

[ALR-bishop]

I am not a graded guy, but with my set I got the key cards graded

[onlychild]

Good article here

http://www.psacard.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=4362&universeid=314

The first fake they mention is easy to spot, the others not so easy.

Steve B


Are you kidding? That's a great article :D!

One of many that I wrote for PSA several years back. They were nice enough to remove my name from each and every one of them...just because they got a little ticked off. Needless to say I was also banned from everything PSA, to include submitting cards for grade.

For those rarity collectors, there are also legit silver foil stamps. I've only seen about a dozen or so and have two in my collection.

Kevin Saucier

[ALR-bishop]

Kevin---like Moses your name was removed from every obelisk and monument

[ls7plus]

There is no way to tell if they are real based on those scans. You need to be able to see the DS Logo in detail to tell. Without better scans showing the logo's in detail I'd stay away.

+1. You also have to compare the logo to known authentic examples under high power magnification to be really sure--I did that in the early '90's, and really nice examples were few and far between. Still have the Griffey, Jr., Frank Thomas, Juan Gonzalez, Bonds, and Travis Fryman, but unfortunately missed the Chipper Jones rookie!

Best to all,

Larry

[mcadams]

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss47/mcadams_01/chipperdesertshield2_zps06acaa03.jpg

[onlychild]

A (graded) silver logo DS. One of two that I own:

[ALR-bishop]

Cool Kevin

[savedfrommyspokes]

How rare are the silver logos?