Authenticity of GU/GW cards

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by Pickles

perhaps not with full intent, but with lack of diligence and poor quality control

I think this is the main issue. I don't think card companies making GU/GW cards have enough of an incentive to pay the costs of what it would take in time and personnel to appropriately investigate the authenticity of the GW/GU items they use. When a GW/GU collector is looking into purchasing a single item, they can do research to determine whether an item is likely legit -- or at least to determine whether there are issues that rule out its legitimacy. And when a purchase is made, they can further research it or even use a TPA. There's no way, except perhaps for a small number of high-profile items, a card company can or will conduct such research on these items. They likely take the word of the person (some honest, some not) selling the item, cut it up, and put it into the cards. At that point, it's extremely hard to detect whether the item was legit. The evidence is pretty much destroyed. (Although there have been instances in which folks have been able to tell from certain portions of jerseys that the jersey was not what it was represented to be.) I'm not in favor of cutting up jerseys or other items for these purposes, but beyond that I don't trust them either.

[Leon]

If I were to collect autographs (I have gotten a few by happenstance) they would only be on legal documents, checks (verified) or with definitive provenance. It's bad enough thinking about altered cards but at least if altered they are still worth something. A fake autograph not so much.

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by icollectDCsports

I think this is the main issue. I don't think card companies making GU/GW cards have enough of an incentive to pay the costs of what it would take in time and personnel to appropriately investigate the authenticity of the GW/GU items they use. When a GW/GU collector is looking into purchasing a single item, they can do research to determine whether an item is likely legit -- or at least to determine whether there are issues that rule out its legitimacy. And when a purchase is made, they can further research it or even use a TPA. There's no way, except perhaps for a small number of high-profile items, a card company can or will conduct such research on these items. They likely take the word of the person (some honest, some not) selling the item, cut it up, and put it into the cards. At that point, it's extremely hard to detect whether the item was legit. The evidence is pretty much destroyed. (Although there have been instances in which folks have been able to tell from certain portions of jerseys that the jersey was not what it was represented to be.) I'm not in favor of cutting up jerseys or other items for these purposes, but beyond that I don't trust them either.

Very sound assessment. I do have one area of skepticism. What would a TPA do? They might tell me thzt thecardis a legitimate issue, but I just do not see how they could determi e the GU/GW factora other than to contact the manufacturer. Might have a better shot with an on card auto/sticker auto (iea guaranteed signed by player on card) but a rejection of one of these modern signs would amount to a declaration of war between the TPA and the carx manufacturer, with economic consequences for both sides. I recall (vaguely, not up to speed on facts) a legal issue between a card co, TPA and end item owner on a Lindberg (Charles) auto. Got ugly, do not know the final outcome, last I heard, the end item owner stil had no resolution