Posted By:
davidcyclebackThe cardboard at the edges where the corn is worn (including upper rounded corners) is too dark. This is a common way to identify fakes, including Mantle Rookies: when the edge/thickness is not the correct color/darkness for the issue.
I think the fakers are better these day, but an old time rule was to never bid on a card with obviously clipped or handcut corners that the seller described as "natural rounding." ... More than likely, the card was a forgery. And on the rare chance the card wasn't, why would you choose to buy a trading card from an eBay seller who can't tell the difference between natural wear and a corner handcut at a 45 degree angle.
This also suggests that collectors shouldn't fixate just on the image, but observe the edges and the overall wear ... For example, how does this Mathewson have so much corner rounding but there appears to not be a single crease in the image? ... Some eBay Goudey Ruth homemade fakes had sharp realistic images in the scan, but were apparent because the card was on too think stock, slightly funky cut and the paper so thin enough there was a wave to the edge ... As noted on another thread, rebacked cards often have dark glue stains only at the edges ... Ever seen one of those fake T206 Honus Wagners where the front of the card looks as if it's been brewed with the morning coffee and worn in the bottom of a bum's shoe for the rest of the day, but the edges and corners are so sharp you could shave with it? ...