Reprints on ebay - Call for concern?

bongobell

Hey Guys,
Just wanted some expert opinions on the proliferation of what seem to be good quality reprints on ebay. I realise this topic has been discussed before many times and that this may not be the correct board to post my concerns on - I do however feel it is relevant to the topic of buying raw cards on ebay which was discussed earlier in this forum.

I do buy quite a lot of raw cards on ebay, mostly T205's as I am attempting to collect this set in mid grade and the monetary risk isn't too great for lesser condition cards. There are many other vintage sports cards which I like though and will pick up the odd few from time to time with a view to having them graded.

Whilst browsing ebay I stumbled upon seller "child_style" who is offering reprints of some of the finest and most sought after cards in our hobby in one day auctions. He is stating that the cards are reprints and is gradually gathering a following of what seem to be very satisfied buyers (i.e +feedback). These cards do not state reprint on them and having not yet handled one cannot comment on their "quality". To my untrained eye when viewing scans of these cards, I cannot tell that they are "fake".

My concern is that once these cards have been purchased (and I would assume eventually resold) and relisted again on ebay by various unscrupulous sellers, how can anyone tell the difference between the genuine article and reprint without handling them? The only thing "child_style" is doing wrong according to ebay rules as far as I can see is to list the cards in the various vintage date categories available on ebay.

I wonder just how good these reprints are (they look top notch to me in the scans) and just how many of these are out there.

I would appreciate fellow collectors comments on this as I believe this kind of activity could affect many collectors over time. I realise that where there is money there will always be fakes but worry that maybe one day the fakes will become too real!

Apologies if this is long winded or appears non relevant.

Nick

MRyanF

Those fakes do look pretty good and if he wasnt stating they were reprints he would be making some serious cash off the suckers out there.

There is a legit market for reprints out there, many people will never own these high priced rarities, so its neat to get the reprint. And if you are getting a fake, I guess the more real looking the better.

Truth be told, there are probably people out there on ebay selling these same type cards as legit right now. And even if they just did it with commons, they could clean up and people probably would not catch on as quickly as they will with high dollar cards.

What is sad is when known reprint sets sell for $100+. I have seen 52 Topps sets listed for sale for over $150. Come on, give me a break, it cant cost more than $5 to print these things now.

MorrellMan

Reprints are the cucaraches of eBay.
Tips for buying raw:
Know your seller.
Check his feedback.
Thoroughly read his description; if anything is the slightest bit hinky, back away quickly.
Stay away from (1) no refunds, (2) no paypal, (3) no guarantees, (4) anything found in grandpa's garage.

fsjeter

Stay away from (1) no refunds, (2) no paypal, (3) no guarantees, (4) anything found in grandpa's garage.

As a general rule of thumb, I also steer clear of Private Auctions and sellers with Private feedback.

Scott

calleocho

A real reprint card will be authorize by the company who made them or in some cases whoever owns the rights.

so these high quaility copies are nothing less than counterfit cards and they should be ilegal.


in our hobby there are already many reprint sets and cards and those are accepted and people like to buy them cause they are cheap and look somehwat like the real thing. mind you most of these cards would have the current date as well as the word reprint on them.

counterfit cards that make no claims to be a reprint and that try to blend in will eventually cost some decent money to some poor sap somewhere.

helionaut

The 1983 Topps reprint of the 1952 set has always sold for $100-$300. Before the Topps Archives sets and various other reprints of the past decade, reprints by the original company were a rarity. It's a collector's item in its own right.

bongobell

I don't have any argument with officially reprinted cards or cards which state reprint on them.

I understand that these type of cards fill holes in collections which may not otherwise ever be filled. In fact, as stated some of these reprints can become collectible in their own right.

Also reprint cards can nearly always be replaced so you can carry them around with you, frame them or do what you like with them for the most part.

I just think that a lot of the fun of collecting cards is being able to pick up the odd bargain here and there. Finding a raw card and then having it slabbed can be very satisfying and ultimately rewarding. I personally feel like a kid again every time I send a submission into PSA for grading. The excitement and apprehension in waiting for the grades to be posted never seems to falter for me.

I realise it is all part and parcel of card collecting that there are highs and lows but when I have to question a card's authenticity from a largish and good quality scan then this bothers me.

I reckon that professional card grading and authentication is a true blessing and in the end many collectors will only buy slabbed cards.

I suppose if you buy right then there are many bargains to be had as prices for certain cards continue to rise steadily and in some cases dramatically.

Just wish ebay would do something about reprint cards being listed in vintage card categories.

Nick

WinPitcher

The 1983 Topps reprint of the 1952 set has always sold for $100-$300. Before the Topps Archives sets and various other reprints of the past decade, reprints by the original company were a rarity. It's a collector's item in its own right



i agree

Buccaneer

<< <i>I personally feel like a kid again every time I send a submission into PSA for grading. The excitement and apprehension in waiting for the grades to be posted never seems to falter for me.
>>



Nick, you certainly live in a different world than I and a few of us here. I personally dread the thought of sending $8+S/H/I to PSA for the privilege of putting a card in a plastic slab. But that's the joy of diversity that this hobby can bring, isn't it? That we all have our own way and methods for collecting.

NickM

Anyone can reprint T 205s. The copyright on those expired long ago, and none of the cigarette trademarks on the card backs are still active. Also, I believe all the team logos then used are no longer in use (i.e., trademarks expired) - and even if some were still being used, the unused ones could still be freely copied (Brooklyn, Washington, NY Giants, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia A's, Boston Braves are definitely out of use).

Nick