Counterfeit Detector

One of the most common counterfeit cards that we see, the Gretzky RC has many distinguishing features on the reprint.  The first thing you want to look for is to make sure that the yellow print  mark is present on Gretzky's left shoulder.  From there, other signs of a phony card is the lettering and border lines on the front of the card will not be solid and the colours will bleed together.  By looking at the card under magnification, you should be able to see solid black lines and good colour seperation.  If you don't see this, red flags should go up.

The Bobby Orr RC is definitely the hardest counterfeit to spot, as there are many different variations and very minor imperfections compared to the authentic RC.  On one batch of reprints there is a circle interupting the grid lines on the back of the card, underneath the 1965-66 text.  Other reprints will show the traditional dotted black lines, although it is not as blatant as other reprint cards.  Another area of the card you can look at for counterfeit detection is the "Bobby Orr" on the front of the card.  If the yellow text is not solid, but shows some red dots in the background, I would question the authenticity.  Overall be very careful when buying this card, it is very easy to overlook authenticity issues.

The biggest thing to watch for on the Lemieux RC is the Penguins logo in the top right corner.  Under magnification, the logo should have solid black shading and good colour seperation.  If the black shading or colour borders are dotted or bleed together you are probably looking at a counterfeit.  Another thing to look at on the Lemieux RC are the edges on the front of the card.  If you notice the maroon colour from the back of the card showing some blend into the white edges on the front of the card, again red flags should go up.  Be careful when buying or trading for a Lemieux RC as there are many variations of reprints out there.

One of the trickiest counterfeits to spot, the Roy RC still has traits that the other counterfeit cards have.  Look closely at the O-Pee-Chee logo in the top left corner, if you notice that the black lines in the oval and the text are dotted, you probably have a reprint.  One other area of flaw, but not as reliable is the "Patrick Roy" on the front of the card.  On all of the reprints the blue and white bleed together.  Be careful though, because of poor printing equipment in the earlier years, some of the authentic Roy cards also have a bit of colour overlap, but with a different consistency.

Well over half of the 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey's that are in circulation are counterfeit.  Not being aware of the variations on the reprints can prove to be a very costly mistake.  In our experience the cards that are reprints have always exhibited a glossy finish on the front surface.  The green text on the back of the card should be solid.  If under magnification, the text looks pixelized, you are probably looking at a reprint.  Be very careful when buying or trading for these cards as they have been artificially aged  to look real.  I would not recommend buying these cards unless graded by a repuatable grading service.