Questions about fake slabs

[pbspelly]

I was following the Buyer Beware thread and had a few newbie-type questions:

Are there a lot of fake slabs out there?

If the slab is fake, what does it usually mean about the card itself? Completely fake? Or more likely trimmed or rebacked?

Is it primarily high value cards (such as the Rose rookie) that will be fake slabbed, or do a lot of lower value cards get fake slabbed?

Is there a way to check with the grading companies about a slab's authenticity before buying something?

I've seen comments about people cracking open a slab. Why would someone do that?

(BTW, before someone recommends that I search the board, I've done a lot of looking but didn't see the answer to these questions)

[pawpawdiv9]

usually high-end cards get faked..from what i read, PSA and SGC are more common to be cracked open and if done right they insert a fake or lesser grade version of the card and re-seal it...some say using super glue or something. But as a novice you can see the frosting on the slabs on the edges where they take a screwdriver or other tool. They also can re-do the labels too. They can put the real serial number on it to match the card, maybe looking at others pics on Ebay and copying since they are in the registry. Just becasue you check the registry, doesnt always mean its good.
People crack slabs, well thinking they can cross-over to a different grader like from sgc to psa. Other do it, because they collect raw.
Other here, may add more details, but i covered the basic i think

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Bottom line is that some people are shady. You need to look closely at the card and not just the holder.

[vintagecpa]

It is my belief that fake slabs are far more prevalent in the hobby than most people want to believe. I have no real evidence to back this up other than my belief that the watchdogs from various message boards such as this one and PSA are only catching a fraction of the problems, especially considering there are thousands of cards sold each day. When you think about it, it really doesn't take that much skill to fake a label with a good laser printer. I suspect we are really only catching the sloppy listings.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by vintagecpa

It is my belief that fake slabs are far more prevalent in the hobby than most people want to believe. I have no real evidence to back this up other than my belief that the watchdogs from various message boards such as this one and PSA are only catching a fraction of the problems, especially considering there are thousands of cards sold each day. When you think about it, it really doesn't take that much skill to fake a label with a good laser printer. I suspect we are really only catching the sloppy listings.

Maybe...then the real question is...who is behind this? Organized crime? A bunch of little guys? Mexican cartels? Putin?

Who???

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Maybe...then the real question is...who is behind this? Organized crime? A bunch of little guys? Mexican cartels? Putin?

Who???

I do not think there is a one person /group behind it. Seams like an equal opportunity crime. They do not stay up long but I have seen more than 1 youtube video on how to crack and reseal PSA slabs. Raw high quality counterfeit cards are also everywhere.

[t206trader]

Originally Posted by vintagecpa

It is my belief that fake slabs are far more prevalent in the hobby than most people want to believe. I have no real evidence to back this up other than my belief that the watchdogs from various message boards such as this one and PSA are only catching a fraction of the problems, especially considering there are thousands of cards sold each day. When you think about it, it really doesn't take that much skill to fake a label with a good laser printer. I suspect we are really only catching the sloppy listings.

I'm not convinced it's all that prevalent, at least in low to mid grade cards. It doesn't really make sense from a scammers stand point to waste time or resources on something that's small potatoes. Craigslist postings are usually the notorious place these fake slabs are spotted. Of course when dealing with high grade valuable cards, research must always be done and the provenance of the slab/card should be questioned.

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by t206trader

I'm not convinced it's all that prevalent, at least in low to mid grade cards. It doesn't really make sense from a scammers stand point to waste time or resources on something that's small potatoes. Craigslist postings are usually the notorious place these fake slabs are spotted. Of course when dealing with high grade valuable cards, research must always be done and the provenance of the slab/card should be questioned.

+1...
I have not seen many "fakes" in lesser conditions (with the exception of 52 T Mantles, etc) or lower dollar amount cards. Most all of the fakes I have seen have a price point starting north of 4 figures. As mentioned, if considering the purchase of higher $ card, research, research, research, as the sellers of the fakes prey on the uninformed.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Maybe...then the real question is...who is behind this? Organized crime? A bunch of little guys? Mexican cartels? Putin?



Who???

We just had a thread about this. I hear they even try to assassinate people.

[vintagecpa]

To play devils advocate, the card community might only catch the problems with the 52 Mantles and other high-end cards because people are far more likely to research these transactions because of the dollar value involved. If a collector is going to purchase a $250 card, they are far less likely to spend hours researching the history of the card (if even possible). I realize most criminals are looking for a quick big score with a high-priced card. However, there is still plenty of profit available for those that are less greedy.

I fully admit that I might be wrong. But when you are simply dealing with cardboard and plastic slabs, having a healthy skepticism isn't a bad idea.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by vintagecpa

To play devils advocate, the card community might only catch the problems with the 52 Mantles and other high-end cards because people are far more likely to research these transactions because of the dollar value involved. If a collector is going to purchase a $250 card, they are far less likely to spend hours researching the history of the card (if even possible). I realize most criminals are looking for a quick big score with a high-priced card. However, there is still plenty of profit available for those that are less greedy.

I fully admit that I might be wrong. But when you are simply dealing with cardboard and plastic slabs, having a healthy skepticism isn't a bad idea.

I believe you are 100% right. I met a guy back in the late 80's that counterfeited a ton of $20-$150 cards to sell at shows all over the country. Said he used lower end cards because nobody looked at them like they do the high end stuff.

I can not afford the super high end stuff so I rarely look at it but see ton of under $200 PSA slabs that have been cracked and resealed. They tend to not stay up long but I have seen a few how to videos on youtube on cracking and resealing PSA slabs.

Look at it this way, if you screw someone out of a several thousand there is a good chance they will report you to the police. If you screw someone out of a few hundred most think it is not worth there effort to try to get it back. Like someone posted in another thread he could make another $200 in less time than it takes to get the $100 back he was screwed out of. That attitude is what keeps scammers going.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Maybe...then the real question is...who is behind this? Organized crime? A bunch of little guys? Mexican cartels? Putin?

Who???

Fake slabs don't seem like something Putin is interested in; he is more of a Super Bowl ring collector.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

Fake slabs don't seem like something Putin is interested in; he is more of a Super Bowl ring collector.

I heard that he lost it somewhere in the Ukraine and is having a hard time finding it.