Buying Certified Autos Stinks: Finding the Fakes

Money is tight at the moment, but with the compa's permission I've dumped a lot of cards on ebay. I have a strange fantasy that I am going to purchase a Willie Mays or Hank Aaron auto to mark the passing of this particular semester. So with a good deal of trepidation I'm dipping my toe into the category of "people who pay too much for cards." And that's fine, it's a one-shot deal.

I enjoys autos and send out my share of ttms. I like hearing back from players but let's face it: taking the auto in the envelop at face value is based on the same leap of faith most of us take in assuming our parents are indeed our biological parents. You have no empirical proof of the fact, no photos, no video, and even if you did you take on faith that the baby in the picture is you. It's complicated, but it doesn't bother you too much if at all. TTM autos are like that: I have no proof Bobby Doerr signed my 1938 Goudey, but I sent it to his address and it came back signed. So yeah, I'll take that on good faith.

But certified autos? Blech. For example, you have certified Mays fakes. It's a long story I've posted about before. Then this Mays auto, which has been sold several times by the same seller. And if you think that's nuts, this low-numbered seller has flipped that same Mays 14 times! I read somewhere that card has a print run of 150. At best it's shill bidding. At worst...? What the heck happened at Fleer?

Then you have what appear to be sticker fakes. Gellman used to go off about these. But here's a Hank Aaron ending today, and the price as of 11 AM is definitely right. But wait: the auto is surprisingly clean for a 2008 Hank, it's completely on the sticker, AND a letter or two looks a little suspicious. After some sleauthing (looking up the checklist did NOTHING), I found this card. The auto is classic Hank Aaron from the last five or so years: labored, falling off the sticker. Then you check the back: yup, Donruss did the solid of printing the certificate of authenticity on there. You look again at the first card and oh, wait.....It's a fake.

Frustrating if nothing else, but it always sucks to see collectors screwing each other. It's why a) I love the blogosphere and b) I generally stick to my own ttms.

Have a good one and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!

More Bargain Box Lovin': Late 60s Willie Mays Insert

I'm in Iowa now, back to the scene of my best bargain box crimes hoping to stock up for trades.

I can't remember who recently posted on these, but if I remember correctly Matt over at the #5 Baseball Card Type Collection had left a comment saying he had the complete set, and now and again would throw down nine innings with other folks at local shows. That, people, is pretty awesome.

Well, I got this over Thanksgiving down here in Iowa, at another shop down there, the same one where I scored the '64 Oliva for compa. I'm going back today and plan on RAIDING that place for some serious trade bait.

This is my first card of one of the guys in the greatest player ever debate, Willie Mays. Can't even afford the off-grade stuff, so when I saw this in the Bargain Box it went in the pile. It drives me nuts that the closest shop where I can get decently prices relics is 1 hour away, and that the shop where I got this beaut is 10 hours away, but I digress. How much was it? In a 2/$1 box that offers a steeper discount of 5/$2, so this late-60s Willie Mays cost me 40 cents. Sure, it ain't mint, but I'l take it.

As for the card, my first question is, if Mays was a HR, what was Aaron? Overall, and has been noted elsewhere, this insert set might be the first "Heritage set" insofar as it resembles the '51 Topps game cards. Both this card and the '51s are about 1/2 the size of the over-sized early 50s Topps cards, and 3/4 or so size of the current standard BB card size. I know, the '51 is generally considered dogmeat next to the '52 and anything else from the '50s, but it's still a nice set and generally A LOT more affordable. Ditto for this game card. I know the others from the late-60s are more desirable, but this fits in my budget, especially at 40 cents.

So here we've got a portrait of Mays, we've got the signature, the HR in bold block letters. It's not the 52 Topps or '52 Bowman, but I'll take it.

I also need to shout out to Daddy D for having footed the bill for my cards at that shop as an early Christmas present. If I had known that was the plan you bet your a@@ I would have pulled the trigger on the '60 Bob Gibson I was eyeing. Thanks again, Daddy D, have a good one everybody and a good night Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!