Is my Goudey Dimaggio a fake?

[1952boyntoncollector]

I wouldn't buy that for a dollar..

[buymycards]

The telltale sign is the Goudey logo on the back. The ink in the logo should be crisp and clean, not all run together like this one.

[CW]

3 bad signs that I see right away...

1. the glossy surface. Prewar Goudeys do not have a glossy front, although I could be wrong with this year.

2. the already mentioned writing directly over the portion that would have the "reprint" designation.

3. Notice how your card has a nice, brownish patina to it, which would indicate a rough life, but the corners are fairly sharp. For a card to get that dark and "dirty", the corners would show similar wear. Most authentic Goudeys from that era will have a much whiter stock on the reverse.

Does not look good to me, I'm afraid to say. If it is fake, don't take it too badly -- treat it as a learning experience. You also helped others to possibly spot a fake in the future by starting this thread.

[Eggoman]

Why does that card say "One of a Series of 312 Baseball Stars," instead of 288???

[CW]

Originally Posted by Eggoman

Why does that card say "One of a Series of 312 Baseball Stars," instead of 288???

The #274 DiMaggio will read series of 312, while the #250 DiMaggio will read series of 288.

Rick also has a great point about the logo on the reverse. Here's a legit version...

[Eggoman]

I didn't know that! THANKS for the schoolin' !

[BigLambowski]

Thanks for all the replies. I wanted to get some input before adding a story behind the card so the story didn't influence any opinions on the specific card.

I bought this card probably about two years ago. At the time I had a decent amount of money to spend and was doing well with cards in the 50's-60's area. This card was posted on craigslist and was asking for $500 met the guy younger college student type that said he got the card from his grandfather who passed away. Wanted it to go to a collector (which looking back is a red flag imo) and not a reseller type. I think I paid 450-400 not sure exactly.

About a year later money was tight so it was time to "cash-in" sent it to BGS to get graded came back "questionable authenticity". I wanted to send it to PCA but just seems like a waste of money at this point and just need to chalk it up as a loss.

I agree with many you learn from this and move on. I also would hope someone else learns from this as well and I'll be sticking to the era that I am comfortable with moving forward.

Again thanks to everyone with your input and I just about want to rip this card in half!

[con40]

Goudeys do not have a glossy surface. This card is printed digitally and it's easy to tell by the way the print areas glisten off the paper surface. If you look closely you'll actually see that the "toner" used is raised off the surface. Ink soaks into the paper and is imperceptible on the surface of the card since it permeates the paper stock.

This was probably printed on a digital Indigo press and cut down.

Sorry, but I'm 100% certain.

[buymycards]

When I go to card shows, both as a buyer and a seller, I bring along an "authentication kit", which includes a black light, a 100x microscope, and a loupe.

I also carry beat up commons for most of the common sets that I can use to compare to the cards I am considering purchasing. I have a beat up T206, T205, Cracker Jack, 1933 and 34 Goudey, 48 Leaf, one card from each of the Topps and Bowman sets from 1948 through 1975, and some other sports, such as a 1979/80 Topps and OPC hockey, 85/86 Fleer basketball, and others. The kit doesn't take up much room and it has saved me some money, especially when looking at Gretzky and Jordan rookies, and it seems like a lot of fake CJ's show up at card shows.

When I first started collecting pre war cards I got burned a couple of times on the old Yahoo auction site, so I am now very careful about what I purchase. I thought I was getting a great deal, and I got greedy and I ended up with some fakes.

Rick

[BigLambowski]

Originally Posted by buymycards

When I first started collecting pre war cards I got burned a couple of times on the old Yahoo auction site, so I am now very careful about what I purchase. I thought I was getting a great deal, and I got greedy and I ended up with some fakes.

Rick

I think this last part pretty much nails it down seriously. I was so quick to make a decision because I thought it wasn't going to last very much and I could see the 200%+ return on investment when I should have slowed down and made a sound decision because we all know he wasn't going anywhere.

Interesting break down on the back of the card, easy to get mesmerized by the front of a Goudey (first time).

You learn and move on thanks everyone!