There are plenty of ways to lose money in the sports card and collectibles hobby. Buying a fake card or a fake autograph is one of the easiest.
The tricky part is that fakes aren’t always obvious. A counterfeit card can look almost identical to the real thing. A fake autograph can be convincing enough to fool someone who has even seen the athlete’s signature hundreds of times. And sometimes, the card itself is completely legitimate, but someone has altered it to make it appear more valuable than it actually is.
For collectors, especially those buying or investing in those expensive cards or memorabilia, knowing what to look for can save you from an expensive mistake.
Chicago gives us plenty of examples. From Michael Jordan cards and autographs to signed Cubs, White Sox and Bears memorabilia, some of the most recognizable names in the city’s sports history are also attractive targets for counterfeiters.
Start With the Seller
Before you start examining the card, look at who’s selling it.
A seller’s reputation doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the item they are selling is even authentic, but it gives you some useful context. An established card shop with years of business history, thousands of transactions and a long record of customer reviews is a different proposition from an anonymous seller with a brand-new account and two reviews.
That doesn’t mean you should automatically trust the store or automatically reject the individual seller. It just means you should ask more questions when there is less information available.
Let’s say you’re looking at a ‘1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie.’ One seller is an established card shop with thousands of reviews, a physical location and a history of selling graded cards. Another has the same card listed for less money but has almost no history on the card selling platform.
The cheaper card isn’t necessarily fake. But you have a lot more reason to investigate before buying it.
Price is another clue. If something is dramatically cheaper than comparable examples, there should be a reason. Sometimes there is. Sometimes that’s the reason you should walk away. If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t right?
Michael Jordan, @ USA TODAY SportsDon’t Trust Your Eyes Alone
Another common mistake is just assuming you can spot a fake because ‘you’ll know it when you see it.’
Sometimes you will. Plenty of counterfeit cards have obvious differences in printing, color, cardstock or image quality. But the better fakes aren’t necessarily that easy to figure out.
Autographs are even trickier.
Signatures naturally change over time. An athlete may sign differently as a rookie than they do 15 years into their career. The speed of the signature, the pen being used and even the surface being signed can affect how it looks.
Michael Jordan is a good example. PSA’s autograph profile notes differences between his earlier, more complete signature and the shorter, less legible autograph he used later in his career.
So if you’re considering a signed Jordan card, comparing it with one random photograph of his signature on Google Images isn’t enough. The same principle applies to a signed baseball from a Hall of Famer or a jersey from a modern superstar. The eye test can create concern but they shouldn’t always be the final answer.
A Real Card Can Still Be Altered
Counterfeiting isn’t the only problem collectors need to understand.
A card can be completely authentic and still have been altered after it left the factory.
Trimming is one of the best-known examples. Someone can remove a small amount from an edge in an attempt to improve the card’s appearance or centering. Other alterations include recoloring, cleaning, pressing wrinkles, repairing corners and changing the surface.
This is where things can get particularly frustrating for collectors. You might not be looking at a fake card at all. You’re looking at a real card that has been changed.
Take that 1986 Fleer Jordan again. If the card has unusually sharp edges, perfectly clean corners and an appearance that seems almost too good for its age, that’s not proof of alteration. It is, however, a reason to take a closer look.
PSA lists trimming, recoloring, restoration, altered stock and cleaning among the conditions that can prevent a card from receiving a numerical grade. Its grading standards also identify signs that can indicate trimming, including unusually sharp edges and inconsistent edge coloring.
Another example is a reprint, where the card itself may look legitimate but is actually a reproduction rather than the original.
The risk is especially relevant with highly sought-after cards, and PSA’s 2025 Fraud Report found the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan was the most-counterfeited card by volume, with 25% of the submissions being fake.
via PSAMichael Jordan also ranked No. 2 among the most frequently forged autographs by volume in the same report, showing that the problem extends beyond the card itself. So if you’re buying a Jordan rookie, or any other high-demand card, another thing to ensure you’re getting the original version and not a reproduction being presented as one.
Graded Pokemon cards via USA TODAY NetworkCheck the Certification Number and Authenticate
If you’re buying a graded or authenticated item, take advantage of the information the grading company gives you.
Say that Jordan rookie is sitting in a PSA holder. The seller provides the certification number. Don’t just look at the PSA logo and move on. Enter the number into PSA’s certification database yourself.
The information should match the card you’re holding. Check the year, set, card number, player and grade. If you’re buying online, compare the certification record with the photographs provided by the seller.
The same principle applies to autographs. If a signed card has been authenticated by PSA/DNA or Beckett, verify the certification through the company’s own system rather than relying on a screenshot from the seller. That extra step takes maybe a minute but fake certification number can cost considerably more.
There is nothing wrong with admitting that you don’t know.
You don’t need to become an expert in printing techniques, or autograph analysis before collecting sports cards. If you’re spending serious money on an item, you can have someone who does know those things take a look. There are specialists who examine autographs and compare them against known authentic examples.
And there is a reason those services exist, to help buyers to make safe purchases.
And Finally, Just Slow Down Before You Buy
Most collectors don’t get into the hobby expecting to become experts in counterfeit detection. They want to find cool cards, chase their favorite players and build a collection they’re proud of.
That’s what makes it easy to get caught up in a good-looking card or a price that seems too good to pass up.
Before buying, take a few minutes. Look at the seller. Compare the card with known authentic examples. Check the certification number. Examine the edges and surface if it’s an older card. For autographs, look at the authentication rather than relying entirely on your ability to recognize the signature.
And if something doesn’t add up, you don’t have to force the purchase. Trust me, there will always be another card.
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