Unbelievable (?) Buy at Athens Flea Market

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by TAFKADixie

I told him a BUNCH were going to be fake, but would be able to tell him more once they're in hand. I think he said he paid $500.

Ouch, this may hurt quite a bit then. These are all Etsy cards, looking at the print, wear patterns and numerous other items I personally don’t think a single one is real, none. Even the Fleer Koufax is a 98 cent Etsy card.

I think he fell into dangerous waters and likely got scammed for the full lot which cost the seller about 80 bucks at most and a hours work selecting his order. I won’t beat on it, pass on my sympathies.

[ALBB]

nice, they look pretty good

[D. Bergin]

Pretty good day at the flea market…for the seller.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I don't see even one card that I feel comfortable with.

[jingram058]

I prefer and collect raw cards. But this, wow.

[rjackson44]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Pretty good day at the flea market…for the seller.

Dave lol

[rhettyeakley]

Hopefully he didn't spend too much on a bunch of pretty bad fakes.


Whenever you find a collection for sale always ask yourself the following question...

"Where have all the Carlton Willey's gone?"

by this I mean other than in a Major Auction House where would you ever find cards spanning 4 to 5 decades without a single common (like Carlton Willey) player in the bunch?

It just never happens in the wild and should immediately make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up that something isn't right.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

Hopefully he didn't spend too much on a bunch of pretty bad fakes.


Whenever you find a collection for sale always ask yourself the following question...

"Where have all the Carlton Willey's gone?"

by this I mean other than in a Major Auction House where would you ever find cards spanning 4 to 5 decades without a single common (like Carlton Willey) player in the bunch?

It just never happens in the wild and should immediately make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up that something isn't right.

Very true. But the swap meet seller did throw in a token 'Carlton Willey' with the E92 Bridwell (or perhaps the card has a T206 Piedmont back).

Brian

[ChiefBeef]

A little more information concerning the thought all are fakes. i do not feel one can know that for sure from a bunch of low res photos on a website, but what do i know. That is why I ask. Am willing to listen and learn.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by ChiefBeef

A little more information concerning the thought all are fakes. i do not feel one can know that for sure from a bunch of low res photos on a website, but what do i know. That is why I ask. Am willing to listen and learn.

#1 is that the stocks are almost all completely wrong at even a quick glance. These are not good fakes requiring detailed examination. The Wagner/Cobb is a card that does not even exist at all. There are numerous other indicators regarding the wear, aging patterns, color washout etc. Some of them, if you look them up on Etsy, are also clearly a copy of those fakes and that was the origin source.

Any time we have a thread like this, a number of folks will ID the fakes that are less egregiously bad or are at an angle that doesn't highlight the stock problem as real. The Fleer Koufax, the Look N See, they are also fakes just slightly better or at an angle that doesn't as clearly highlight the wrong stock problem.

These cards are fake, but the buyer can probably sell them for a considerable profit and pass it. A lot of these routinely hit $100 on eBay from people who don't do research.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by ChiefBeef

A little more information concerning the thought all are fakes. i do not feel one can know that for sure from a bunch of low res photos on a website, but what do i know. That is why I ask. Am willing to listen and learn.

In the words of Potter Stewart, “I know it when I see it.”

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by ChiefBeef

A little more information concerning the thought all are fakes. i do not feel one can know that for sure from a bunch of low res photos on a website, but what do i know. That is why I ask. Am willing to listen and learn.

When surrounded by rabid wolves, you don't hold out your hand to hope one is nice enough to let you pet him. 90% of the group should be obvious fakes to a moderately knowledgeable vintage collector. Do you stake your money on someone who obviously loaded the group with fake flash that they then somehow mistakenly provided a real card? I wouldn't take that bet in a lifetime.

I will not give away more methods than I am comfortable with on a public forum, however I am very comfortable saying the remainder are also fake. Obvious markers that are well known are the general fuzziness of reprints, the artificial aging is all poorly done, and not a one of these post war items is not perfectly centered by the counterfeiter. There are innumerable other signs, but it's unnecessary to add,

If you have any belief in one of these cards I would suggest an Etsy search for the card and you can find the reprinted card with the exact same printing fingerprints shown (registration, centering, coloring) in a couple minutes. Granted the seller added a little sandpapering and additional aging on many like on the Star Jordan here,

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1678253...search_click=1

...However, they can all be identified. It's kinda weak that the scammer likely ordered them all from the exact same source...that's very little effort.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by ChiefBeef

A little more information concerning the thought all are fakes. i do not feel one can know that for sure from a bunch of low res photos on a website, but what do i know. That is why I ask. Am willing to listen and learn.

Unfortunately feelings don't enter into it. I get fooled online occasionally, it happens to the best of us, which is why I only said I don't feel comfortable with any of them. I could literally go card by card and tell you what my concerns are though, as could any number of other members. Of course a lot of times when you make the effort to help someone out, the concerned party just gets mad and tells you "you don't know what you're talking about." To take a lot of time and effort (and describing the problems of each card would take a LOT of time) to help someone only to be lashed out at, isn't high on my list of priorities.

Also, when over half of them are obvious fakes why would the remainder be real? That would make no sense.

[darwinbulldog]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

Whenever you find a collection for sale always ask yourself the following question...

"Where have all the Carlton Willey's gone?"

I imagine most of our collections contain Cobb and Ruth and no Carlton Willeys.

[butchie_t]

I guess someone is happy, regrettably not gonna be the buyer though.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

I imagine most of our collections contain Cobb and Ruth and no Carlton Willeys.

I know I have the above hobby trifecta!


Brian (not my Willey, because I can't seem to keep mine in my pants when I am ready to scan it)