1963 Topps Pete Rose
 

I have a chance at picking up a 1963 Pete Rose at a decent price. I know that a few years ago several counterfeit cards were circulating in the market. How do I tell if the one I am looking at is authentic?

One counterfeit has a black outline around Pete's white hat that isn't there on an original - see this 12 year old article http://www.psacard.com/articles/arti...tml?artid=1867 for additional info. Also, if you have the card in hand hold it up to a strong light and look at the reverse side - see the silhouettes of the 4 player circles? If so, the stock is too thin and you've got a fake... You'll also want to do a google search for "counterfeit 1963 rose" and read through the pages returned in the result.

for my two cents, which may be worth even less than that since I've only very recently gotten into starting to collect higher end vintage singles, I will ONLY buy vintage cards that are graded. I do this just for piece of mind. You pretty much know exactly what you're getting. It's virtually certain that the card is authentic and you don't have to carry around a magnifying glass and a bunch of other stuff with you to check for condition flaws because a 'professional' has already done it for you.

that's just me though :)

I believe that it is easier to counterfeit the holder than it is the card. How many bogus "graded" '52 Mantles pop up on this forum? Too easy to get cute with the slabs. Better to educate yourself (as described in prior responses to this thread). If the Rose checks out I would buy it.

Travis---you are a trusting soul :)

well its true, there's no such thing as a foolproof method but I guess I think that its easier to spot a fake slab than a fake card. especially if you're dealing with an online sale. fake slabs, or slabs that have been opened so the label can be switched or what not usually have that kinda foggy look around the edges. You can see that in a photo but obviously you can't hold the card up to a bright light to see if you can see the circles when you're talking about an online purchase. I guess I'm looking at it more from that standpoint.

I guess bottom line is, do your homework, and if in doubt, best to just move on.