I know a 52 Topps Mantle is not tobacco but HELP PLEASE

[forazzurri2axz]

i DID POST ON THE 50'S FORUM asking if this was real or fake--have 6 responses so far that tally 4 fakes and privately I have 1 looks ok and 1 that could go either way....Since it's a private transaction which is SUPPOSED to take place in about 6 hours, would appreciate any 52 experts please!!! thanks Bill

[barrysloate]

Can't tell for sure Bill, but it's very faded and I'm not encouraged. Proceed with caution.

[terjung]

Doesn't look legit to me. With the "bumpy stars version", I'd first look for the print dot of missing ink on the left side. With that not there, there is no reason to look any further.

Interesting that the front and back scans are shown differently (holder / background, etc).

If you want a 52 Mantle, go for one that has been graded by PSA or SGC.

[e107collector]

Bill,

Don't take the chance. Private transactions are usually a red flag. It looks like a counterfeit. The colors look washed out, and the centering is dead on -which is usually the case on reprint mantles.

Why would the seller leave thousands on the table, by not spending a few bucks to get it authenticated.

Like the previous posted indicated, look for one graded by PSA, SGC, or BVG.

Tony

[Tao_Moko]

Hard to tell from that scan but my gutt says "no". I would imagine that this transaction should offer a return or be contingent upon some sort of authentication. If the seller cannot agree to that then I'd be skeptical.

[Leon]

My gut says no good also. It has that fake, washed out look to me. Most real cards are more crisp (understanding anomalies and altered cards might be different....) ....Can't be positive from the scan but I would probably not bid unless I had a great refund policy and it was a really good seller whom I spoke with on the phone. It's an expensive card and you can't be too safe. Let us know how it goes....(and thanks for posting in the correct place first, it's appreciated and shows observance of forum policies) best regards

[forazzurri2axz]

well I guess that means I cancel my 2 hr drive for later this evening!!!!

[drc]

Perhaps it's poor photography, but it doesn't look good to me.

P.s., I don't know what other photos you have, but if the only photo of the front the seller sent you crops the card, that's not good. Baseball cards are small and there's no good reason for a seller to not show you the entire card. And rarely to almost never is the cropping unintentional. It's comparable to an online autograph seller who doesn't give you a photo of the entire signature.

[Ronnie73]

100% fake. Sorry. You can usually tell by how much red there is on the left of the card number. Real ones have a little bit of red but fake ones usually have a thicker red border. Search ebay for a real one and compare the area around the card number with the card in question.

[atx840]

same as the rest, definitely fake.