Ever see item faked to match photo?

[Swoboda4]

I'm guessing this has happened at some time: an item doctored to fit a photomatch. Has anyone ever heard of someone faking-say a bat-and passing it as the item photographed during a game?

[Preston]

I'm guessing this has happened at some time: an item doctored to fit a photomatch. Has anyone ever heard of someone faking-say a bat-and passing it as the item photographed during a game?

Not to start a debate, but isn't that one of the things JO got in trouble for? (NOTE - the last purchase I had from JO is one of the centerpieces of my collection)

[jhunt28]

Not exactly. Now please don't start accusing me of sticking up for JO, but he got into trouble for selling jerseys that had fake "wear" to card companies.

I don't think the card companies bothered photomatching the jerseys, since they were just going to cut them into pieces anyway...they just cared that the jerseys had use, were game worn, and authentic (which they were neither of the above).

So he didn't really "reverse photo match" jerseys....BUT I have heard/known of sellers trying this stunt. It's pretty easy to catch though.

[Preston]

That's much better...well, or less worse. I'd much rather see a wasted jersey go into a card than in an auction house or ebay.

[Mulligans]

I'm guessing this has happened at some time: an item doctored to fit a photomatch. Has anyone ever heard of someone faking-say a bat-and passing it as the item photographed during a game?

I have seen it several times with Football Jerseys but not bats....Because the the amount of time involved in pulling off a good fake, it seems to be more common in high end items. The few that I have seen deal with football nameplates....It appears as though they search for an askew nameplate from Getty and then modify the jersey to match. If you have it in your hands, you can see bare thread holes where the thread has been removed. Many of these Jersey's are readily available on NFL Auctions as Game cut, issued, etc. and then modified in a variety of ways.

A few years ago, a well known forger in our hobby was accused of buying Jerseys off NFL Auctions then working up a good sweat while rolling around in his back yard??

[David]

The flip side would be someone digitally doctoring an old game photo to try and match the wear and marks on the jersey or whatever.

[BrianK]

Here's a thread from last year with a doctored M Vick jersey. It's not clear who placed the stains, but someone was trying to create a photo match.
http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=45686

[finfanrb23]

I've only been a GU collector for the past 12-14 months but what I've have seen on the forums and on the Bay is pretty disturbing. Right now I am attempting to learn the ins and outs of the hobby by keeping all of my purchases pretty reasonable. But the thought of dropping in the area of $5,000 for a Marino makes me very uncomfortable with all the shady characters out there. With mail fraud, reverse photomatching, altering photos, etc. it can be rather overwhelming to newbies. Have you guys become more comfortable with the hobby the longer you have been in it? Because it kinda seems like I worry more and more everytime I hear what some of these dealers are capable of!

[Jags Fan Dan]

I've only been a GU collector for the past 12-14 months but what I've have seen on the forums and on the Bay is pretty disturbing. Right now I am attempting to learn the ins and outs of the hobby by keeping all of my purchases pretty reasonable. But the thought of dropping in the area of $5,000 for a Marino makes me very uncomfortable with all the shady characters out there. With mail fraud, reverse photomatching, altering photos, etc. it can be rather overwhelming to newbies. Have you guys become more comfortable with the hobby the longer you have been in it? Because it kinda seems like I worry more and more everytime I hear what some of these dealers are capable of!
If your collection has a focus, you will likely become very familiar with what legit items in your area of focus look like and what you need to watch for. So yes, you will get more comfortable the longer you collect.

[frikativ54]

So he didn't really "reverse photo match" jerseys....BUT I have heard/known of sellers trying this stunt. It's pretty easy to catch though.

Can you give examples? How is it easy to catch? What should I be looking for?

[jhunt28]

I am strickly keeping my findings to NFL gamers...but I have seen people try and fabricate shoulder pad strap marks on the fronts of the jerseys, but once you have seen a real one, you know what it should look like.

Most people who tend to "doctor" jerseys don't look at the insides of the jerseys, where "wear" is very evident. You can look inside of a jersey and expect to find scuffing, piling, etc. in certain spots.

Repairs are something that you get used to seeing if you're familiar with a certain team, as I am with the Jets. It's easy to spot someone who has tried to fabricate a "team repair", when you compare it to pleny of legitmate samples.

Also there is definitely a different quality/impression that a real NFL hit mark leaves on a jersey, as opposed to people just banging whatever it might be on a jersey in order to leave a "hit mark".

I'm really not going to get too much into specifics, because there are always people looking at this site for the "good", and I'm sure there are some who are looking to perfect their fraudulent craft...and I'd hate to give them any info to help in their deception.