Fake Autographs – How to Spot the Difference.

There’s nothing worse than receiving a present you didn’t want. Most people know that deflating feeling, whether it’s Christmas morning or a birthday being celebrated.

That disappointment that’s all too familiar can creep into a consumer’s head if they were to receive a fake autograph.

Big grins and fist pumps, these are the things we love to see when collectors, young and old, tear through their packs. That’s what the card industry is all about.

What does it say about the industry if there’s a fake autograph out there in circulation? This is something to consider for anyone who deals in this line of work.  It can cast a negative light on sports cards.

A bad taste can be left in a collector’s mouth if they have to learn from a third party that their autograph is a fake. If something like that is found, card collectors will lose confidence in distributors.

Such things could cause a person to stop collecting all together.  To keep this business thriving fake autographs need to be snuffed out.

With a hobby that is entertaining thousands of people, getting rid of fakes will only be beneficial for the future of sports cards.

Recently there were fake cards brought to our attention. From the standpoint of timeliness we figured it be a nice fit to show some ways that fakes can be identified.

In this particular case there are two examples. We came across a 1999 Upper Deck Retro Nolan Ryan autograph and a 2011 Upper Deck USA Baseball Bryce Harper autograph.

To really grasp how to lookout for forged cards here are visuals that could be of assistance.

To the naked eye it may seem like no big deal, however a closer look reveals that one card is quite glossier than the other.

The glossy one is the fake, as the card from the original series has more of a matte look to it.

Another way these can be differentiated is by the Upper Deck hologram that is used to authenticate the autograph on the card.

On the original version it’s more of a sticker.  Running your fingers over the hologram on the fake will uncover that it’s imprinted. One’s fingers will sense the indent.

Fake Nolan Ryan Front

Fake Nolan Ryan Back

Once again you would think this card has nothing wrong with it, just a perfectly good autograph. However a closer look will reveal this is also a fake. The thickness of the carsdstock wasn’t the same as the original card.

Forgers will have a tough time replicating that, hence why this one is much thinner. It would be worthwhile to mention that this card was also glossy.

Now that’s not to say that all glossy cards are fake. In fact there are some aesthetically pleasing cards that are glossy. Nonetheless it’s something to look out for.

It’s a tricky matter when trying to figure out if a card is a phony, so taking the necessary precautions before purchasing a card could help make or break if that card should go in a collection.