[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

Wow...no where near the situation, you clearly don't know me. 99.999% of my collection is proudly raw, with only ONE card post-57 graded, my 63 Pete Rose rookie as that's the only way I trust buying such a reprinted card. It wasn't the process that initially made me feel this card is a fake, it was the CARD itself. Looking back now I realize this entire time I have bought cards sent directly to me due to a PO, I just didn't understand the process. Last week I had a graded 1955 Koufax sent, I assumed since it was graded it didn't need it. I know now why.

I didn't need to go straight to ebay, buyer agreed to a return...there was no need. I only went to ebay after reading here to see why it was sent directly to me. If you are ok with keeping a card you feel is fake, good for you man.



I have a rather large Mantle collection...all raw except my 53 T, 54 B, 53 Dormands, 55 B...Mantle cards are the most trimmed, soaked, altered, and faked cards out there...and this one proves that. I buy pre-57 cards graded so I can sleep at night...

When I say I don't care if my cards are fake, I mean it. Could there be fakes in my collection? Perhaps. If there are, I will never know about it. However, that said, I seriously don't believe there are any. They feel right, loupe right, blacklight right, smell right, card stocks block lamp light right, fibers look right, the works. I don't need any grader to offer up an opinion that, quite frankly, I don't want or need or care about. I'm very content with them, I don't lose any sleep at night worrying about them, I'm not building some sort of investment legacy to pass on. I just enjoy them for what they are to me, a link to my youth and a glorious era of baseball.

I'm not condescending your situation in any way, and if taken that way, I formally apologize.

I have bought MANY cards from sellers on eBay. None of them overly expensive. All my really big money cards were either given to me years ago by friends and relatives or bought at card shows or events years ago (90%) or were obtained via trades, in person (10%).

Like you, I feel that after 55+ years in and out of this hobby that I am knowledgeable enough at this point to differentiate between authentic and fake real fast. Much like buying a car, I wouldn't buy from photos any big ticket card.

I guess, since I collect only raw cards, that my "Mason-Dixon Line" for a single card big purchase on line would be perhaps $250. If something went awry, I could live with that. Any higher, I would seek an in person deal or trade.