PSA 9 MINT Gretzky '79 OPC RC on eBay doesn't look right...

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 8:09AM

Give me some feedback guys, this card doesn't look right.

- It appears to be a counterfeit.

- If real the edges are too sharp.

- Seller has a lot of feedback.

- Flip...is it an older version or could it be fake? (I don't know the different variations of the flip).

I am siding on (and I am pretty sure) this is a counterfeit sitting in a PSA holder. I don't see any sign that the holder has been tampered with.

Thanks!

Link

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 8:15AM

OK, I'm positive this is a counterfeit. In the image below you can see some stress at the top of the holder. The red circles are print spots on virtually every counterfeit.

EagleEyeKid · November 18, 2010 8:18AM

For once I'm gonna have to agree with you.
I don't like the card. The back is too white for starters.
The dot on the shoulder isn't where it's suppose to be and it's not yellow.....not even quite a dot.
There are samples/counterfeits where a small white dot is on the shoulder and in the same spot,
but this one just looks terrible. Edges way too clean. The cert # checks out, so I don't know. Can't tell if case has been tampered,
or did PSA just make a big boo boo.

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 8:20AM

<< For once I'm gonna have to agree with you.
I don't like the card. The back is too white for starters.
The dot on the shoulder isn't where it's suppose to be and it's not yellow.....not even quite a dot.
There are samples/counterfeits where a small white dot is on the shoulder and in the same spot,
but this one just looks terrible. Edges way too clean. The cert # checks out, so I don't know. Can't tell if case has been tampered,
or did PSA just make a big boo boo. >>

I don't know anything about the different variations of the flips...but that cert number looks like it is a different font.

shagrotn77 · November 18, 2010 8:27AM

I saw that card last night on eBay and made up my mind that it was not right as soon as I saw the frosting at the top of the holder.

Blacklabelsociety · November 18, 2010 9:59AM

<< 

I am siding on (and I am pretty sure) this is a counterfeit sitting in a PSA holder. I don't see any sign that the holder has been tampered with.

Like you were really going to bid anyway lol? The seller wants double what the card is worth. The card looks good. Not all OPC's are rough cut.

If you dont think its good, then dont bid. Its as simple as that.

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 11:59AM

<< 

<< 

I am siding on (and I am pretty sure) this is a counterfeit sitting in a PSA holder. I don't see any sign that the holder has been tampered with.

Like you were really going to bid anyway lol? The seller wants double what the card is worth. The card looks good. Not all OPC's are rough cut.

If you dont think its good, then dont bid. Its as simple as that. >>

I never said I was even thinking about bidding. Right now a PSA 9 is way out of my budget.

Card does not look good. This is a seller who has a lot of feedback and a tampered PSA holder with a counterfeit inside.

Blacklabelsociety · November 18, 2010 12:39PM

<< 

<< 

<< 

Card does not look good. This is a seller who has a lot of feedback and a tampered PSA holder with a counterfeit inside. >>

Proof?

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 12:45PM

<< 

Card does not look good. This is a seller who has a lot of feedback and a tampered PSA holder with a counterfeit inside. >>

Proof? >>

I think if anybody can spot a Gretzky OPC counterfeit, it is me.

I'm interested in this flip though -- can somebody comment on the different font for the cert number? Was this ever normal?

Blacklabelsociety · November 18, 2010 1:09PM

<< 

<< 

Card does not look good. This is a seller who has a lot of feedback and a tampered PSA holder with a counterfeit inside. >>

Proof? >>

I think if anybody can spot a Gretzky OPC counterfeit, it is me.

>>

And?

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 1:12PM

<< 

<< 

<< 

Card does not look good. This is a seller who has a lot of feedback and a tampered PSA holder with a counterfeit inside. >>

Proof? >>

I think if anybody can spot a Gretzky OPC counterfeit, it is me.

>>

And? >>

And what?

Blacklabelsociety · November 18, 2010 1:26PM

<< 

<< 

<< 

<< 

Card does not look good. This is a seller who has a lot of feedback and a tampered PSA holder with a counterfeit inside. >>

Proof? >>

I think if anybody can spot a Gretzky OPC counterfeit, it is me.

>>

And? >>

And what? >>

Ok so you answered my question that you have no proof the card is a counterfeit. Other then pointing out the card looks to have minor print dots.

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 1:53PM

Look, please tell me why you think this is not a counterfeit? I will, once again, tell you why it is.

Those spots are on 99.99% of counterfeits, no pun intended. It's a surface issue and shows up in the crowd behind Gretzky.

Sharper edges tend to be on the first print run of these cards. If this were real, it is not a first print.

The top of the holder in this auction clearly has evidence that it has been stressed. With the above evidence it is easy to say that the holder was tampered with.

As stated by Bryan, the back is whiter than the original OPCs.

The dit on Gretzky's shoulder, or lack of, is another sign.

Frozencaribou · November 18, 2010 2:13PM

Fake. Fake from 100 miles away. Anyone who's handled Gretzky opc rc's knows the coloring is on that card gives it away as a fake.

And since Joe Orlando was just bragging this month about how "everyone knows Gretzky opc rookies don't have razor sharp edges" I doubt PSA has ever graded a Gretzky opc rc with edges like the one on that card.

In addition to buying a counterfeit, he wants a potential buyer to pay double the going rate for a PSA 9. Good luck with that.

-Nathaniel

Dpeck100 · November 18, 2010 2:16PM

Very nice that you caught this as a fake.

There are plenty of buyers that would have never known including me.

I am not by any means in the market for this card but it does look like legit card to the casual observer.

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 2:17PM

Here is the Gretzky in question (on the left) and the PSA 9 I used to own (on the right)

The red circles show the surface spots.

Yellow is the first print run fish eye.

Orange is the print dot on Gretzky's left shoulder (see the difference).

Purple (on the one on the right) shows very very very minor rough cut.

Dpeck100 · November 18, 2010 2:21PM

I am very impressed.

You nailed this one. With the information you provided it is very clear that the one on the left is very different and if it has the qualities of a fake then it is.

This is very interesting to say the least.

MULLINS5 · November 18, 2010 2:26PM

Here is the card in question...notice the frost on the top?

Dpeck100 · November 18, 2010 2:31PM

Yes it is very evident.

Man this blows you have to be a detective to buy one of these. If I followed these cards for any length of time and realized the high fraud rate I would look but trust me the average collector is geting hosed here for sure.

Blacklabelsociety · November 18, 2010 9:33PM

<< Here is the card in question...notice the frost on the top?

>>

I have plenty of worthless modern psa cards that have frost on the slabs. It is cheap plastic. Does that mean my cards were tampered? I'm not saying you are right or wrong about this Gretzky, but i didnt think the same card has the same print marks for every issue?

swartz1 · November 18, 2010 10:27PM

How many high dollar cards do you have with frost on the edges?

Frozencaribou · November 19, 2010 2:18AM

I know there aren't a lot of hockey collectors on this board, so maybe the print issues for this Gretzky would resonate better with a baseball example. The yellow dot on Gretzky's left shoulder is better described as a flaw in the image. No Gretzky OPC rookie has ever been found without it. Therefore it is not the same as a fish eye or other printing defects that occur on many but not all of a certain card.

The fakes don't have the yellow dot on the shoulder. They also have different coloration due to ink/printing methods.

I would say that determining a fake by frost on a PSA holder is next to impossible with a scanned image.

-FC

MULLINS5 · November 19, 2010 2:52AM

<< 
I have plenty of worthless modern psa cards that have frost on the slabs. It is cheap plastic. Does that mean my cards were tampered? I'm not saying you are right or wrong about this Gretzky, but i didnt think the same card has the same print marks for every issue? >>

The card is a fake and the frost is icing on the cake.

MULLINS5 · November 19, 2010 2:55AM

<< I know there aren't a lot of hockey collectors on this board, so maybe the print issues for this Gretzky would resonate better with a baseball example. The yellow dot on Gretzky's left shoulder is better described as a flaw in the image. No Gretzky OPC rookie has ever been found without it. Therefore it is not the same as a fish eye or other printing defects that occur on many but not all of a certain card.

The fakes don't have the yellow dot on the shoulder. They also have different coloration due to ink/printing methods.

I would say that determining a fake by frost on a PSA holder is next to impossible with a scanned image.

-FC >>

Very well put...

...are there any specific examples of baseball or football cards with similar image flaws?

nightcrawler · November 19, 2010 3:41AM

<< I think if anybody can spot a Gretzky OPC counterfeit, it is me. >>

Indeed.

5714Ks · November 19, 2010 4:00AM

<< Here is the Gretzky in question (on the left) and the PSA 9 I used to own (on the right)

The red circles show the surface spots.

Yellow is the first print run fish eye.

Orange is the print dot on Gretzky's left shoulder (see the difference).

Purple (on the one on the right) shows very very very minor rough cut. >>

thanks for the info/side-by-side

PSA 9 MINT Gretzky '79 OPC RC on eBay doesn't look right...

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