[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I'm surprised to see Net54 members actually thought this one might be real. Part of the case missing. The back side of the flip. The fact that a 25k card was listed for a BIN of 2k (I didn't look up the actual value, could be more or less).

I guess this explains how people fall for those ebay fakes. If members of the most knowledgeable baseball card forum consider purchasing something like this what chance does the casual collector have?

I'm surprised, as well.

Whenever I look at an auction, I look for a reason not to believe the card is real. I consider the seller first, then the auction description..trying to find something that doesn't sound, or feel right. It's terrible I have to be this way, but my free money is in short supply these days, and until I get some things squared away, I have to be extra vigilant.

Once I've looked at those things, I then examine the flip and slab (if there is one), and then finally, the card itself. I'm very quick to start up a dialogue with the seller, asking for an extra picture with his user name if it's more than a $100 card. The sellers I've spoken with have been more than happy to do this, and the few times I've done it, I tell them they've earned my business, and I will keep my eyes out for their upcoming auctions.

It amazes me how bad some of these Ebayers are. They're selling junk, and anybody with eyes, and a semblance of common sense, should be able to smell them a mile away. And when you add in our hobby knowledge, we should catch (and report) a good 90% of the non-legit auctions.

I love a good deal as much as anybody else. But due diligence is always prudent.