Things are good but busy.
I've been selling a lot on ebay recently with an eye towards making one big purchase, a "purchase of the summer" if you will. I even had a target on this card, a 2001 Fleer Stitches in Time Willie Mays auto. Yep, auction is over, but don't congratulate me.
I was looking at making this card a new cornerstone of my collection and eventually completing a Stitches in Time master set. Naturally, I looked up a checklist online. Then I saw this post over at Sports Card Info. Yep, apparently Mays DIDN'T sign for that set even though Fleer printed up the cards. Some, however, made it out the back door as evidenced from this auction.
In short, there are "Wille Mays certified auto cards" circulating that have no auto on them. This is a DISASTER and, if I can believe my eyes, a big moneymaker for someone. As far as I can tell these don't pop up too often but the seller who sold the Mays card I was going to buy also sold one in December, listed here. Anyone could get duped and sell a fake auto this legit. "A" fake auto, not two or more of them.
Major props to SCI for saving me a lot of cash and grief. I'd have been bummed if I'd fallen into this.
Stay safe out there, everybody!
I'll be at the Rays games in Baltimore this week, if you're watching that'll be my cowbell.
My only suggestion would be to purchase one of the blank cards and have Mays sign it at a show. That one you linked to is such a terrible looking fake, I cannot even begin. Mays' auto is so distinctive, you can see a forgery from a mile away even if you aren't an expert. This is at least a decent looking fake: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2001-Fleer-Tradition-Willie-Mays-Auto-Stitches-Time-Sweet-Card-/280927963776?_trksid=p4340.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D838894199854065210%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1016%26rk%3D1%26
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