4 reprinted cards have been identified

 

At the begining of an event held at the Pierre-Charbonneau in Montreal from March 27 to March 29, 2009, 4 high-value cards were brought to our booth for authentication and grading. The following cards were then analyzed :

1911-12 C55	#1 P. Moran
1909-11 T206	#96 Ty Cobb Bat on Shoulder
1909-11 T206	#97 Ty Cobb Portrait Green
1914 Cracker Jack	#103 Joe Jackson

The 4 cards totalled a value of approximately $31,000. The stake was big whereas we especially speak here of very sought-after cards in the US and Canada. The owners, who want to remain anonymus, were polite and available but especially, very disappointed by this turn of events.

A lesson to be learned by this

These incidents remind us to be always be careful when you decide to buy high value cards. Several cards have been reproduced by counterfeiters because many collectors want those cards for their collection. Fortunately, these counterfeiters cannot reproduce exact replicas and the damage done to them by normal handling throught time. Besides, the cardboard is very different from one printing to the other. For the people who were never in contact with a T206 or a C55, it’s difficult to make the difference. To insure you buy a card in confidence, always use a know grading company like ACA Certification. You'll avoid huge disapointments, especially now with open markets like the internet and eBay.

 

 

What to do when we become victims of a fraud ?

When we observed the back of the 2 Ty Cobb cards, we could see oxidization on the cardboard indicating that these are good representation of their respective age. But unfortunately other tests determined that these had been printed after the second World war and not original prints! Knowing that these cards could be worth approximately $ 8000 for the pair, it's easy to think that someone would be tempted to get someone to aquire them for a very low price, letting the potential buyer room to also make money when he sells them to someone else.

We tempted to contact the “Barreau du Québec” - an organisation that regroups all lawyers in Québec - concerning this and, unfortunately, few lawyers are available to represent you in this kind of offense or have the knowledge to do it correctly. It's clear that you must go to the nearest police station and then make a complaint. According to the service of the city of Montreal, the fraud defines itself as follows :

"An individual commits a fraud if he gives a person or an enterprise false representation of the goods he's selling. Contrary to a theft, the victim is in agreement and persuaded to make a good deal when handing over his good to a swindler. The last act alone or in organized fashion."

We discussed with Constable Benoît of the SPVM what arrangements to make when you believe you are the victim of a fraud :

"The person wronged must present him or herself to his nearest police station in order to make a report. That report of fraud is then filled and the item is seized for so the investigation can begin. To finish, give us all the information you have about the seller and how the transaction took place. For the rest, the investigators are going to enter in contact with the person for the details of the investigation. "

He finishes with a warning :

“People must use precaution at all times in order to avoid the problem in the first place, a report of fraud doesn't give them their money back automactically..."

Again, it’s always more prudent to be very carefull when acquiring expensive cards or autographed items and that's the reason why we're there to help you!