An eBay seller had a tremendous payday, selling a slabbed T206 Ty Cobb for $25,000. The only problem is the slab wasn’t real - and the seller knew it.
What’s the proof they are fraudulent?
Hobby sleuth @auburn35 (his handle on Twitter) followed how the seller initially tried to peddle the cards through a 350-card Lot for $50,000 that included a Frank Robinson rookie card, a Willie Mays card, and other T206 cards.
The Cobb, top right, sticks out for its centering and white borders.
These cards were initially on sale as part of a 350-card Lot.
Selling in Lots has become a common tactic by scammers because the ebay Authenticity Program does not authenticate cards in Lots. So even if the Lot sells above the $250 threshold that triggers the authenticity program, the buyer assumes all risk.
Global Authentication Inc. (GAI)
When the seller couldn’t move the cards, they resorted to a different tactic - fake GAI slabs. Why are they fake? Because GAI went out of business in 2009. After the seller took down the Lot listing, they appeared in GAI slabs. The Cobb appeared in a GAI Mint 9 slab.
That's another tactic scammers use because the eBay Guarantee only covers PSA, SGC, and BGS slabs. PSA does not inspect fake GAI slabs - eBay's guarantee inspector.
Wait, GAI slabbed this? Maybe the seller used a time machine.
One of the biggest red flags from these GAI slabs is that the globe in the upper left-hand corner had eight sectors. We reviewed a hundred listings on eBay of GAI slabs, and all had globes divided into six sectors. The font is also noticeably off.
Auburn35 created this graphic and posted on his Twitter account.
The T206 Card Ty Cobb - Red Portrait
There have been mixed reactions to the authenticity of the card. Some blowout forum members see an obvious fake, while others think it may be authentic but altered.
The Red Portrait version has been submitted to PSA more than 2,500 times. The highest grade it has received is a PSA 8 Near Mint with a population of 24, including qualifiers. The SGC pop report is muddled, but under 1909-11 Piedmont T206, five cards have been graded Authentic, and one received an SGC 1 - Poor.
The GAI grade, a mint 9, would make it one of the finest examples of the Cobb Red Portrait.
With four days left to go in the auction, bidding had reached more than $8,000. Auburn35 contacted eBay to alert them about the listing. They did nothing. Other people alerted eBay. They still did nothing.
eBay looked into it. You have nothing to worry about.
Final Sale
The listing ended on Sept. 17th with a final sale price of $25,655. The card received 60 bids from 21 different bidders. The winning bidder's account has received feedback 991 other times. Online investigators have reported that the seller left feedback on the buyer's account.
If the buyer finds the slab is fake, they can ask eBay to step in with proper documentation. But if the buyer thinks about crossing over to another slab and cracks the card out of the GAI slab, they most likely would not have a case.
The sale may be fake; the seller might make fake sales to draw more attention to their other auctions. But that's where it gets more disturbing.
Another hobby sleuth, @ItsMeMeatballs (lol), found dozens of other sales in the counterfeit slabs. Since August, the seller has sold more cards in fake GAI slabs for more than $40,000.
Notice the Cobb, Robinson rookie, 1967 Topps Willie Mays, and the 1958 Topps Sport Hank Aaron that were first sold as raw, ungraded cards in the 350-card Lot.
eBay’s Responsibility
This is a curious case because it highlights eBay’s flaws and the loopholes in the Authenticity Program.
Should eBay grade card Lots when they reach a certain value?
Should its Authenticity Program cover other grading companies?
Why did the warning brought up by auburn35 get ignored?
If the card is somehow authentic, can the sale be voided by a fake slab?
How often will someone warn eBay about a seller until their account is banned?
So, we end the article with a plea. If you're the buyer of this Red Portrait Cobb, contact eBay immediately to open a case about a fake card/slab. Do not crack that slab; it may be the only way to keep you from losing $25,000. There are people out there who care about this stuff.