Collectors Universe releases fourth quarter and fiscal year end earnings today

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Who is going to crack out a card that expensive to have it reviewed and take the chance it isn't legit?

Lots of guys if a new TPG starts blowing PSA out of the water. Admittedly that's not happening tomorrow.

[drcy]

I tend to see it as a company, but publishing of standard methods to identify alterations that many people, groups could use.

For a simple example, many collectors use a black light.

Though, certainly, with the available techniques and technologies, company or companies could do the work.

Personally, I would love it if any auction house or serious/advanced collector or dealer had the ability to examine holdered cards for alterations. Considering a learned collector or dealer would spend more time on any given card, they may prove better than the assembly line grading company.

I imagine a scanning/imaging system that not only would identify alterations but give an image as evidence, including evidence that can be emailed, posted, etc. Anything you examine can be photographed, and there are UV/IR cameras and digital microscopes that take digital photos. There are such advanced forensic light/imaging systems already. Thus, it's no longer "someone far away looked at it and said so and so," but here are the forensic images that were made for all to see.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by drcy

I tend to see it as a company, but publishing of standard methods to identify alterations that many people, groups could use.

For a simple example, many collectors use a black light.

Though, certainly, with the available techniques and technologies, company or companies could do the work.

Personally, I would love it if any auction house or serious/advanced collector or dealer had the ability to examine holdered cards for alterations. Considering a learned collector or dealer would spend more time on any given card, they may prove better than the assembly line grading company.

I imagine a scanning/imaging system that not only would identify alterations but give an image as evidence, including evidence that can be emailed, posted, etc. Anything you examine can be photographed, and there are UV/IR cameras and digital microscopes that take digital photos. There are such advanced forensic light/imaging systems already. Thus, it's no longer "someone far away looked at it and said so and so," but here are the forensic images that were made for all to see.

The first step towards that would be making a database or even a list of what the card should be if unaltered. Not just the usual standard size, but thickness, specifically how it reacts to UV, etc.

[drcy]

Yes.

This is actually something that should be looked into, and would solve many of the problems that currently exist.

As noted, forensic light systems, which go through the whole range of frequencies, exist and are used in other areas. And there could be a company or service that just provides the scans.

I also thing microscopic, or very large, scans be simultaneously be done to authenticate of the card. I have people email microscopic images or huge scans, and I can identify real from fake from those.

There are also systems that mathematically calculate the gloss by shining slightly off from head-on light at the surface, and systems for measuring the opacity (how much light goes through the material) These could be parts of the scanning systems.

In the future, cards may be able to be identified, authenticated and checked for alterations just via scans. And the great thing about scans is many people all over the place can look at them.