Rolling Thread for Fake 1991 Topps Desert Shield Cards

[3124508 on COMC]

I figured a thread like this would be valuable judging by the large number of 1991 Desert Shield fakes that have been introduced to the market over the past 15 years.

I'll start with some of the better fakes. First is a photo array of 11 Chippers that are graded by PSA and BGS and as of posting are being sold on eBay by user jlscards (note that he purchased all these cards already graded). The first five, all graded by BGS, are fake. The latter six, graded by BGS and PSA, are all authentic. See below for the images, however in similar fashion to the 90s basketball inserts thread, I won't be getting into specifics on the indicators on why each are fake. I believe (and someone can correct me if I'm wrong) that these counterfeits are mostly of star players, however they are not limited to just Chipper. However, a quick look at VCP indicates that somewhere around 80% of the BGS 9.5 Chippers sold since 2010 do not have authentic stamps.




Next are a few of the move obvious fakes, shown below:



The first fake in the array above are most recent to come to the market. They are initially being sold in fake boxes and packs. There are some additional examples of these fakes below:





I'll update this post with additional counterfeit stamp examples as I locate them with high quality scans.

[superdan49]

Fake Ryne Sandberg PSA 10— Cert #21681107


Here's a fake of Ryne Sandberg which PSA has awarded a Gem Mint 10 grade. It is currently being offered on eBay by bbcemporium for $400. This is an older style of fake. Compare with a real Sandberg:

[smanzari]

Thanks for this, I really want to add a chipper to the collection- I thought I knew these but purchased some fakes last time I tried (didn't get burned, seller took them back who then took them back to the original seller)- would it be cool if I PM you prior to buying one for your opinion?

[salas1991]

Yes, thanks for this. I've always been very hesitant to buy any of these even after looking at some of the info that's been posted about spotting fakes in the past. Always good to have as much data as possible when it comes to the Desert Shields.

[3124508 on COMC]

Several fakes up on COMC:

[ken161]

It's scandalous that the grading companies let these fakes slide through. I don't know anything about Desert Storm cards, but I have to think an in-hand side-by-side comparison with legit cards would be telling. Reminds me of the Ripken WTF minor league fakes that have been slabbed. Knowledgeable collectors of that card have stated a side-by-side comparison with a real Ripken would scream counterfeit.

[Archangel1775]

There is someone in SoCal attempting to sell a Chipper Jones, he wont send me close up pictures of the stamp.

[3124508 on COMC]

Here's a fake Chipper SGC 9.5 from PWCC ending tomorrow night:

https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/2536213

[Cliffroach]

So what is one supposed to look for when identifying a fake stamp? Or did I miss that in the OP? What are the markers that scream fake? I was watching an Eric Davis card and I decided not to bid because I had seen this thread.

[Archangel1775]

Originally Posted by Cliffroach

So what is one supposed to look for when identifying a fake stamp? Or did I miss that in the OP? What are the markers that scream fake? I was watching an Eric Davis card and I decided not to bid because I had seen this thread.

Honestly, you really have to compare the pictures 312 posted and decipher that yourself. Giving out too much information can make it easier on fraudsters. I can already see them adjusting with this latest SGC Chipper.

[maguirem]

I feel like an idiot or I am just exhausted, but am I the only one who is finding it very difficult to differentiate between the real and fake? I mean they are labeled and I still can't clearly decipher between them. If they were not labeled real and fake I would be completely duped by a seller.

[mjohnatgt]

There are other threads on various message boards that spell out common DS fakes in more detail. But yes, the goal is not to provide the scammers with what they're doing wrong, because then they will fix those errors and their cards will be harder to identify.

[doowopbruce]

Originally Posted by maguirem

I feel like an idiot or I am just exhausted, but am I the only one who is finding it very difficult to differentiate between the real and fake? I mean they are labeled and I still can't clearly decipher between them. If they were not labeled real and fake I would be completely duped by a seller.

Agree. Maybe circle the points of difference.

[tonedef2oo8]

Wow so when you say fake packs and boxes you mean the ones that where posted here ? I recall seeing videos of people opening packs and boxes that where recently found at that time

[3124508 on COMC]

Originally Posted by tonedef2oo8

Wow so when you say fake packs and boxes you mean the ones that where posted here ? I recall seeing videos of people opening packs and boxes that where recently found at that time

There’s real packs and boxes and fake packs and boxes that have real and fake cards, respectively. I don’t know which ones you’re referring to exactly, but someone in CA has been resealing 1991 Topps packs with fake Desert Shield cards. These are the latest counterfeits flooding the market.

The Chipper SGC above is probably either a BGS cross or an SGC recase of a card graded a few years back as it looks similar to many of the BGS fakes that were also coming out of southern CA.

[Cliffroach]

Originally Posted by maguirem

I feel like an idiot or I am just exhausted, but am I the only one who is finding it very difficult to differentiate between the real and fake? I mean they are labeled and I still can't clearly decipher between them. If they were not labeled real and fake I would be completely duped by a seller.

You're not an idiot. I understand their logic but it's flawed logic.

Anyways I appreciate the effort to at least let people know and I'll see what else I can find on the subject.

[thenightman]

Originally Posted by smanzari

Thanks for this, I really want to add a chipper to the collection- I thought I knew these but purchased some fakes last time I tried (didn't get burned, seller took them back who then took them back to the original seller)- would it be cool if I PM you prior to buying one for your opinion?

I second this. I've picked up all of the Braves cards for this set, minus the Chipper, and I too want to add it to my collection.

There are some things I notice between the fake and real stamps that I will keep my eye on moving forward. Thank you for this!

[MoreToppsPlease]

Ok, I’ll be the one to ask:

Did the counterfeiters already ruin this set?

Even if they haven’t yet perfected their stamp, it seems most likely that they soon will.

Furthermore....what does this mean for the many other parallel sets that rely on a stamp to differentiate it from the base set?

Obviously the grading companies are already useless in detecting counterfeits like these.

[3124508 on COMC]

This one will run the distance. Buyer beware.

Originally Posted by 3124508 on COMC

Here's a fake Chipper SGC 9.5 from PWCC ending tomorrow night:

https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/2536213

[Troutstanding]

This has been a valuable card for many years. I haven't been back in the hobby for that long, but I did some research and this set has always been scarce. With that being said, I'd only purchase this card with "old" PSA or SGC labeling. I think that would be the safest option.

There really shouldn't be many raw 10's out there. We're talking about a 30 year old piece of cardboard. With a rare Stamp on it. Evaluate the PSA or SGC slab and use your best judgement.

[Archangel1775]

Originally Posted by tonedef2oo8

Wow so when you say fake packs and boxes you mean the ones that where posted here ? I recall seeing videos of people opening packs and boxes that where recently found at that time

I recall two major breaks happening with 1991 Topps Desert Shield. The first was on the PSA forums in the late 2000s when BBCE purchased 5-10 unopened boxes from a collector. BBCE sold boxes and packs from that purchase on their website and those were scooped up relatively quickly. I won 2 BBCE authenticated packs from that group. I believe there was a group break in the PSA forums but I cant recall. The other was the box break Houdini hosted here about 5 years ago. The box probably came from BBCE. You'll have to search the thread.

[mjohnatgt]

Vintage Breaks has also had a few pack breaks over the last couple of years. Guess they've done 12 of them. So there is some unopened left, just not that much. I think they also gave some unopened packs away as purchase incentives to their customers.

[superdan49]

Three Fake Cal Ripken PSA 9 & 10s— Cert #26870285, 22104203, 21681110


I just did a quick search on VCP of the PSA 9 and PSA 10 examples of Cal Ripken's #150 Topps Desert Shield card. I found these three fakes, all graded by PSA. There are two different types of fake stamp here as you can see, although neither is as tricky as the stamp used on the fake Chipper Jones cards posted earlier by 312. I have also posted a pair of PSA graded cards with authentic Desert Shield stamps:

[3124508 on COMC]

Good post Dan. Thanks.

[3124508 on COMC]

Whole bunch of PSA-graded fakes up for sale from averagejoes2323 on eBay. Buyer beware, though these are not impressive counterfeits.