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

[ullmandds]

Once we start talking about an invasion of Chinese slabs, I feel the discussion is on a slippery logic slope, the kind of sky-is-falling, tin hat hyperbole for which the Internet has become so famous, LOL.[/QUOTE]

Oh really?!?!?! What more is it going to take for you to see the light? We've already had a case of the mexican drug cartels presence in the phony vintage bb card sect...we've had purported reports of significant mafia intervention regarding price manipulation within the hobby...although this particular source is MIA. Is it so farfetched that China could be involved too??????

[Jobu]

So, does anyone have any solutions for features that TPGs could use in their holders that scam artists wouldn't be able to fake?

[Peter_Spaeth]

PSA used to have a fairly large watermarked (if that's the right word) hologram. The new one is a tiny little strip. Not sure if the larger one would be harder to replicate?

[ullmandds]

I would think employing techniques used in moneymaking and passports would be a good place to look.

[Stonepony]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

I would think employing techniques used in moneymaking and passports would be a good place to look.

Higher security measures means higher costs. I'm sure they want a balance of confidence/ security without making the cost to the consumer too high

[Jobu]

I wonder if a scannable microchip will end up being the answer. They would have to sell relatively inexpensive chip scanners (at the least something that auction houses could easily justify) and/or offer chip scanning services at shows or through the mail.

[CW]

Originally Posted by Jobu

So, does anyone have any solutions for features that TPGs could use in their holders that scam artists wouldn't be able to fake?

I'm not the first person to suggest this, but it would be nice if PSA scanned each card and kept them in either a public or private database for access when authenticity needs to be verified (and maybe it only really needs to be done on cards with a value over $100 or something like that).

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by CW

I'm not the first person to suggest this, but it would be nice if PSA scanned each card and kept them in either a public or private database for access when authenticity needs to be verified (and maybe it only really needs to be done on cards with a value over $100 or something like that).

To me, it seems absolutely ridiculous that they are not doing this now.

My only guess is that they have already dug a hole by not doing it for so long that it would be hard to push publicly. They would have to make the tough call that only photos for cards newly graded or sent for re-holder could be placed in the database. If you let people submit their own photos it would devalue the entire idea. What would be the point of letting people send in doctored photos?

Likely the storage for those photos in the past would have been expensive, however the business plan should have changed many years ago with the advent of cheaper storage.

[1952boyntoncollector]

I would think that think that PSA for the big cards can have email addresses associated with the real owners on CERT numbers so if you see a card for sael you can email the 'owner' to see if its for sale really

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

I would think that think that PSA for the big cards can have email addresses associated with the real owners on CERT numbers so if you see a card for sael you can email the 'owner' to see if its for sale really

Not a chance in hell PSA is going to give that information out.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Not a chance in hell PSA is going to give that information out.

its not information..its an email address link ..so you don't even know the email...and its up to the seller to respond....like when you contact someone on the registry who has a envelope icon..that you just click and an email goes to the user........

[Peter_Spaeth]

People want all these additional steps, yet how many here would complain if they increased their fees to pay for them?

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

People want all these additional steps, yet how many here would complain if they increased their fees to pay for them?

I don't think its hard to link an email address to a cert number if its on the registry that info is already there. I would pay 5 dollars more to grade $1000+ dollars cards. Wouldn't it be nice on that recent Goodwin mantle PSA 8 auction to know who last had the cert number associated with the card and if they claim they aren't selling it..

[packs]

Originally Posted by Jobu

So, does anyone have any solutions for features that TPGs could use in their holders that scam artists wouldn't be able to fake?

Wouldn't it be pretty simple to put some type of barely there invisible seal on the corners of a slab? That way if the slab were opened, the invisible seal would be broken? Seems like you could accomplish this with a UV seal you put on a corner. If the slab is ever opened, the UV seal would be compromised.