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Posted By: Hankron

The most substantial way to authenticate old baseball cards and other prints (programs, premiums, posters, etc), is by microscopic examination of the printing. The types of printing used 80 or 100 years ago was different than in modern times, and the difference is identified under a microscope. This type of examination is essential when one has never handled or even seen the item before. One may have handled a thousand T206s and M116s and know an fake T206 or M116 on site. But if you rely on your personal hands on experience alone you will neccesarily come across items that you not handled before and who's authenticity and even age will stump you-- unless you only buy the same issues over and over.

Alas, almost no one in the baseball card hobby is willing to buy a $10 microscope and learn how to use it. A fatal flaw of this and other hobbies, I think, and one that extends to many of the big auction houses and even graders.

A substantial recourse on authentication of prints is:
http://www.cycleback.com/printsexamination/index.html

The site deals with fine art and collectable prints as a whole and does not focus on trading cards. As such, I'm certain that there is more information that anyone here is willing to digest. However, it does show, though not by name, how to identify authentic and fake baseball cards.