Buying Slabbed cards...security...or the contrary?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

i mean if there are people out there falsifying passports and currency...how hard could it be to fake slabs and plastic cases?

Not a question of difficulty perhaps, but expense.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Not a question of difficulty perhaps, but expense.

Sending a slab to china to be replicated can likely be done for a few thousand...if not significantly less...the upside is limitless.

I mean they knock off cars...ie land wind vs land rover evoque...and whole apple stores...how hard is it to knock off 2 very simple pieces of plastic?

[Snapolit1]

Grading companies make mistakes, like human beings involved in any other endeavor you can think of, but I don't know how you can seriously argue that buying graded cards doesn't give you some layer of added security. Any kid with a good color copies can try to fake a 54 Mantle and pass it off. A hell of lot harder to also getmin a case with a fake PSA tag.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Sending a slab to china to be replicated can likely be done for a few thousand...if not significantly less...the upside is limitless.

I mean they knock off cars...ie land wind vs land rover evoque...and whole apple stores...how hard is it to knock off 2 very simple pieces of plastic?

What's the basis for your cost estimate?

[ullmandds]

My estimate is based on the fact I have a friend who is an inventor of sorts and he makes proto types occasionally so I know what it costs to make. I also have a friend of the family whose business is knocking off products having them made in China and selling them here and around the world ... And he has told me a lot about dealing and costs in China .

Additionally to digitally scan a slab would be very simple and inexpensive and once you have this information finding someone to fabricate it cannot be difficult or expensive. Probably can easily be done via email .

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

My estimate is based on the fact I have a few friends who are inventors of sorts and are making Proto types occasionally so I know what it cost to make a Proto type. Additionally to take a digital image of a slab would be very simple and inexpensive once you have this information finding someone to fabricated cannot be difficult or expensive.

If you're right we're in even more trouble than I thought.

[bxb]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If you're right we're in even more trouble than I thought.

Considering there is now a $400,000 profit in changing a PSA 6 flip to a PSA 8, and the Chinese can duplicate almost anything, heap o' trouble on the horizon.

[botn]

A card having been graded is not an excuse for the buyer to not know if what they are buying is in fact graded correctly. If you are relying solely on the flip to tell you the condition of the card then you are in trouble. Just like 30 years ago if you were relying solely on the dealer telling you what the grade of the card is instead or using your own judgement then you were in trouble back then.

Holders will be compromised but as has been pointed out and what I was alluding to in my first post--altered cards managing to find their way into holders has always been far more of a threat to the hobby. I have virgin 60s commons come back as trimmed yet not a day goes by where I do not come across an obviously trimmed 4 figure star card that is obviously altered.

It is my understanding the 52 Mantle in question was an actual PSA holder. Apparently the person doing this does not need to go to the expense of fabricating holders in China as he is able to use original holders.