Reproduction World Series Press Pins

[icollectDCsports]

It seems that there has been a surge over the past few years or so in eBay listings of repro press pins of series going back as far as the 1920s. Most of the sellers are from Europe. These repros have mostly either been represented as real or with no representation as to authenticity. From what I’ve seen, the repros have gotten better over the years and I would think many buyers are unsuspecting, leading to repros being introduced into the collecting community and then later resold. For the press pin collectors here, what are your thoughts on how to spot the fakes and how much of a threat this is to this niche of the hobby?

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by icollectDCsports

It seems that there has been a surge over the past few years or so in eBay listings of repro press pins of series going back as far as the 1920s. Most of the sellers are from Europe. These repros have mostly either been represented as real or with no representation as to authenticity. From what I’ve seen, the repros have gotten better over the years and I would think many buyers are unsuspecting, leading to repros being introduced into the collecting community and then later resold. For the press pin collectors here, what are your thoughts on how to spot the fakes and how much of a threat this is to this niche of the hobby?

I think it's become a deal-killer for many knowledgeable collectors, with even the Dieges and Clust stamping on a lot of the fakes. I wouldn't touch any of them with a ten-foot pole without airtight provenance, but the fakes are nice if you wanted to mount a collection for a fraction of the cost.

[perezfan]

I would avoid eBay completely and go the auction house route. Any reputable AH will know if it's authentic or a repro. Stick with the major/established ones like Leland's, Hunts, REA, LOTG, SCP, Heritage, etc.

Buying them in multiples is a great way to mitigate the cost. You used to see a lot of press pins offered in group lots, but they're getting tougher to find.

Best of luck.

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by perezfan

I would avoid eBay completely and go the auction house route. Any reputable AH will know if it's authentic or a repro. Stick with the major/established ones like Leland's, Hunts, REA, LOTG, SCP, Heritage, etc.

Buying them in multiples is a great way to mitigate the cost. You used to see a lot of press pins offered in group lots, but they're getting tougher to find.

Best of luck.

That’s great advice for collectors. My post isn’t so much motivated by a desire to acquire them, but rather general concern about a threat to this niche of the hobby. I would think you’re correct that the major auction houses have experts who can spot the fakes. However, I was wondering whether there are some expert collectors here who can confidently sift out the bad ones just by looking at photos, no matter who is offering them. It just seems to me that once somewhat crude repros have evolved to the point of possibly fooling knowledgeable collectors. I guess I could see where such collectors might be reluctant to specify the obvious defects in the fakes, so as not to help the forgers further improve, but I’d still like to hear from collectors in general terms about their ability to do so.

[Hankphenom]

[QUOTE=icollectDCsports;2522454 I guess I could see where such collectors might be reluctant to specify the obvious defects in the fakes, so as not to help the forgers further improve, but I’d still like to hear from collectors in general terms about their ability to do so.[/QUOTE] +1. I would like to see Net54ers weigh in on the characteristics distinguishing the real ones from fakes.