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Showing posts with the label Counterfeits

Cards Mania Has a New Home: Visit Us at cardsmania.fun 🚀

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We’ve Moved Home! 👋 Dear collectors and cardboard connoisseurs, Cards Mania just leveled up. We’ve moved to our own shiny domain: cardsmania.fun . Why the move? Faster reads - less waiting, more ripping. Cleaner layout - your eyes and your PC will thank you. More content - guides, tips, market talk, and a sprinkle of hobby humor. What should you do? Bookmark cardsmania.fun Subscribe on the new site to catch fresh posts Tell a friend who still ships raw cards in a plain envelope Thank you for reading, trading, grading, and geeking out with us. Same Cards Mania energy, new address. See you at cardsmania.fun ! P.S. The blog here stays as an archive, but all new posts live at our new home.

Frank Thomas 1990 Topps “No Name On Front” Rookie

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Frank Thomas 1990 Topps “No Name On Front” Rookie What It Is, How To Spot Fakes, and a Live Listing Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Some errors are funny, some are pricey, and a few are hobby legends. The 1990 Topps Frank Thomas “No Name On Front” rookie (collectors call it NNOF ) checks all three boxes. It is a genuine printing mistake that dropped the black ink from his name plate, it is hard to find in clean shape, and it is one of the most talked-about modern error cards. If you collect 90s baseball or you just love a good hobby mystery, this one belongs on your radar. Quick facts Card: 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas, “No Name On Front” error (NNOF) What happened: a black ink pass went missing in part of an early print run, wiping out the name on the front along with other black details Scarcity: authentic copies are limited and tightly held; graded po...

How Forged PSA Labels Fueled a $2M Trading Card Scam: A Collector’s Guide

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Collectors were stunned when prosecutors charged two Washington men with a multi-year scam built on forged PSA labels. The playbook was simple and scary: take ordinary sports or Pokémon cards, fake the PSA flip and grade, put the card in a convincing holder, then sell it like a gem. One headline sale involved a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie presented as a PSA 10 that fetched $171,700 . It is a reminder that a plastic slab adds confidence, not certainty. The case file: who, what, where Prosecutors say the operation ran from 2022 through May 2024. The defendants, identified in filings as Anthony Curcio and Iosif Bondarchuk , allegedly moved altered slabs through card shops, shows, auctions, online marketplaces, and private deals. Investigators put the total at more than $2 million in fraudulent and attempted sales. When buyers occasionally caught on, refunds sometimes went out, then the same doctored slabs reappeared for sale to new victims. ...