* Check out the seller's feedback rating to see what their past customers have thought of their items
* Never bid on an auction where the current high bidder's ID is kept private. Most likely they will be shills. In other words, the seller will create multiple accounts where he/she will bid on their own items to raise the price.
* If you see a card up for sale that you are interested in buying do a little research and make sure that the company really did make that type of card
* If the card you are planning to buy has a piece of material in it (jersey, patch, pants, etc) see if the colors match up with the colors of the team(s) the player has played with
* There are some companies that have specific cards for jerseys and specific cards for patches. The jersey cards will say jersey and the patch cards will say jersey - prime or patch.
* If you see a high #'ed card or a card that is not #'ed at all that contains a patch that is too good to be true, most likely it will be fake
* When looking at a material card see if the window that holds the piece of material is clean. By clean I mean there are no fringe cut marks from where the seller could have cut into the card to insert a piece of fake material. People can buy patches and other types of material and insert them into a card.
* Properly read the item description. Some people will tell you in the decription that the card that is up for sale is custom made and was not made by the company.
* If someone is selling an autographed card look and see if it has a hologram sticker on the back with a number. If you can't see the back of the card ask the seller to send you a picture of the back. Some card companies also may use a stamp or seal that overlaps the foil the autograph is on and the card. The stamp or seal is usually the logo of the company.
* If you are planning to buy a card that the seller says that they got it signed in person I would ask for a COA. Or you could look for an autographed card that is certified by Global, PSA, or any other certification company.
* If you are interested in buying a card see if you can find that exact same card up for sale by another seller and compare the two. Fake card makers can be good but sometimes they can make and error that sticks out when you compare it to the real thing.
* Some companies hand number their cards instead of machine stamp. Make sure the card you want to buy was hand numbered by the company. You can do this by checking to see if that company did hand number those particular cards.
* Believe it or not some people have found a way to stamp cards to look like a machine did it. Take a look at the size and shape of the stamped number and try and compare it to another card like it.
* People have found ways to counterfeit vintage cards too. A way to spot these fakes is to look at the condition of the card. If the card seems to good to be true it probably is. Take a look at the card and see if the color is rich and dark. Having rich dark color usually means its a fake. The best way to avoid buying a fake vintage card is to buy one that is graded/authenticated by PSA, Global, or any other certification company. By doing this you will decrease the chances of buying a fake vintage card.
* When buying a box of cards make sure it is factory sealed. You don't want to buy a box of cards that has been tampered with. A good sign that the box of cards is factory sealed is the plastic seal over the box has the company logo all over it.
* Don't buy Fleer redemption cards that you will have to mail in. Fleer is no longer in business and they are still getting rid of their assets. It could be awhile before you see the card it is for.
Oh and ASK for a shipping quote if they don't have one!
* Never bid on an auction where the current high bidder's ID is kept private. Most likely they will be shills. In other words, the seller will create multiple accounts where he/she will bid on their own items to raise the price.
* If you see a card up for sale that you are interested in buying do a little research and make sure that the company really did make that type of card
* If the card you are planning to buy has a piece of material in it (jersey, patch, pants, etc) see if the colors match up with the colors of the team(s) the player has played with
* There are some companies that have specific cards for jerseys and specific cards for patches. The jersey cards will say jersey and the patch cards will say jersey - prime or patch.
* If you see a high #'ed card or a card that is not #'ed at all that contains a patch that is too good to be true, most likely it will be fake
* When looking at a material card see if the window that holds the piece of material is clean. By clean I mean there are no fringe cut marks from where the seller could have cut into the card to insert a piece of fake material. People can buy patches and other types of material and insert them into a card.
* Properly read the item description. Some people will tell you in the decription that the card that is up for sale is custom made and was not made by the company.
* If someone is selling an autographed card look and see if it has a hologram sticker on the back with a number. If you can't see the back of the card ask the seller to send you a picture of the back. Some card companies also may use a stamp or seal that overlaps the foil the autograph is on and the card. The stamp or seal is usually the logo of the company.
* If you are planning to buy a card that the seller says that they got it signed in person I would ask for a COA. Or you could look for an autographed card that is certified by Global, PSA, or any other certification company.
* If you are interested in buying a card see if you can find that exact same card up for sale by another seller and compare the two. Fake card makers can be good but sometimes they can make and error that sticks out when you compare it to the real thing.
* Some companies hand number their cards instead of machine stamp. Make sure the card you want to buy was hand numbered by the company. You can do this by checking to see if that company did hand number those particular cards.
* Believe it or not some people have found a way to stamp cards to look like a machine did it. Take a look at the size and shape of the stamped number and try and compare it to another card like it.
* People have found ways to counterfeit vintage cards too. A way to spot these fakes is to look at the condition of the card. If the card seems to good to be true it probably is. Take a look at the card and see if the color is rich and dark. Having rich dark color usually means its a fake. The best way to avoid buying a fake vintage card is to buy one that is graded/authenticated by PSA, Global, or any other certification company. By doing this you will decrease the chances of buying a fake vintage card.
* When buying a box of cards make sure it is factory sealed. You don't want to buy a box of cards that has been tampered with. A good sign that the box of cards is factory sealed is the plastic seal over the box has the company logo all over it.
* Don't buy Fleer redemption cards that you will have to mail in. Fleer is no longer in business and they are still getting rid of their assets. It could be awhile before you see the card it is for.
Oh and ASK for a shipping quote if they don't have one!
