All big-time baseball memorabilia collectors need to make sure they check out Hunt’s MLB Live Auction at DHL All-Star Fanfest, which will take place tomorrow at 10am PDT.

Widely recognized as one of the best auctions of the year, the sale will feature a Babe Ruth bat used in the 1923 World Series, as well as a 1955 Ted Williams game-worn jersey, killer single-signed Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig balls, the original line-up cards from the 1933 All-Star game and tons of other cool (and very valuable) relics.

Recently, I was checking out the Network 54 Vintage Card message board and there was a post about someone who purchased a graded card that had a copy (fake) in an SGC holder.
This got me thinking… how can collectors make sure the graded card they are buying is actually legit?

First off, even though a professionally graded card is almost always fine, I would advise everyone to still be very careful when buying one. It never hurts to be too careful, especially when hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars can be at stake.

In the past some crooks have been known to crack open a graded card case and reseal it with a counterfeit card or a lower-grade card. Remember, just because a card is not a counterfeit doesn’t mean a crook isn’t trying to deceive you.

For instance, there may be a 1954 Topps Hank Aaron for sale in a PSA 9 case. What you have to make sure is that the card inside is actually a 9 and not swapped with a lower grade; like an EX example. The difference could mean thousands…

Also, check the edges of the slab. Tampering may show up as a cloudy-white appearance, glue residue may be present, etc.
Make sure the label is legit. I have seen PSA labels counterfeited. With the help of computers crooks can be very good at deceiving collectors. Reprinting fake labels is one of many ways graded cards can be messed with.

Another way to spot a fake graded card is by double-checking a card’s serial number. This may help, but also remember that if the crook is using a fake label there is nothing to stop them using a legit serial number.

If I was going to potentially spend a lot of money on a card and was suspicious, I would probably contact the grading company to get its opinion on it. If they had second thoughts then I would be stay away.