Your game-used cards might be fakes

[ChasHawk]

I think cards are better without GU and/or autos anyway, for one GU/autos make cards "too complicated". Give me an auto'd baseball over an auto'd card any day.

"...but I'll take take every card you've got with an arbitrary 1/1 foil stamped onto it"

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

"...but I'll take take every card you've got with an arbitrary 1/1 foil stamped onto it"

Huh?

 

[petMonster]

Huh?

I'm guessing he was being sarcastic. You claim auto and GU is too complicated, but what say you about parallels, inserts, heritage-type ripoffs of older designs? Have you opened a box of Bowman lately? It's more like opening a box of Bowman, Bowman Chrome, Bowman Prospects, Bowman Chrome Prospects, Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects, Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Chrome, PLUS all the colored border parallels, refractor parallels, and xfractor parallels. Have you any idea how many 1/1 parallels exist in any given set for any given card these days? How is THAT not complicated? The hobby as a whole is complicated...not just because GU and autos.

 

[mlbsalltimegreats]

"...but I'll take take every card you've got with an arbitrary 1/1 foil stamped onto it"

:lol: I get what hes sayin.



On another note im still waiting to here from people who actually have huge Game used collection or invested a lot in game used cards. There is a ton of misconception on people who buy game used cards from people who are obviously speculating. For the record yes we by game used for the tiny piece in the card and yes they actually have value sometimes in the 1000+ range. I will elaborate more with my thoughts after hopefully we hear from people that actaully collect game used cards or have huge collection or investments in game used cards.

 

[petMonster]

:lol: I get what hes sayin.



On another note im still waiting to here from people who actually have huge Game used collection or invested a lot in game used cards. There is a ton of misconception on people who buy game used cards from people who are obviously speculating. For the record yes we by game used for the tiny piece in the card and yes they actually have value sometimes in the 1000+ range. I will elaborate more with my thoughts after hopefully we hear from people that actaully collect game used cards or have huge collection or investments in game used cards.

I've collected and spent quite a bit on GU. You can check out my PC in my bucket. Regarding my Masterpieces collection, it definitely makes me happier to think that every single one of those patches was worn by the player in some way, shape or form. But if not, then I don't feel it takes away from the beauty of the set...just look at it!!! As for my Warren Spahn stuff, I think I echo the sentiment that you mentioned above. I believe that all of my Spahn patch/jersey cards have all been used by Spahnie in some way, and to own a piece of that material makes me feel closer to the athlete in some way, and it makes my collection that much more important (to me).

I don't blame the people here who have turned their backs on GU, though. As I mentioned in my last post, the hobby is way too complicated and huge to collect everything. You pretty much have to find your niche and stick to it. I personally can't stand that Topps/Bowman reprints all its old (but still too recent) designs for the Heritage series, and I think there are a lot of boring (look at Bowman's repetitive designs year after year), annoying (see all mini parallels), or flat out ugly (see Gypsy Queen) designs, so I try to stay away from that stuff myself. I stick to Spahn, baseball and hockey, pretty art-looking sets (like Masterpieces, Sterling, A Piece of History, Goodwin, etc), and pretty patch/auto cards. And I can barely keep up with all that!

 

[cgilmo]

petMonster

Thanks for your insight. We don't often get new members who know what they are talking about.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

I'm guessing he was being sarcastic. You claim auto and GU is too complicated, but what say you about parallels, inserts, heritage-type ripoffs of older designs? Have you opened a box of Bowman lately? It's more like opening a box of Bowman, Bowman Chrome, Bowman Prospects, Bowman Chrome Prospects, Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects, Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Chrome, PLUS all the colored border parallels, refractor parallels, and xfractor parallels. Have you any idea how many 1/1 parallels exist in any given set for any given card these days? How is THAT not complicated? The hobby as a whole is complicated...not just because GU and autos.

Parallel cards, of which the overwhelming majority of 1/1s are, obviously look similar to the base card... otherwise they wouldn't be called 'parallels'. Does this make them complicated... ? Nope. You can always tell the set a parallel is from if you can identify the base it parallels; if you couldn't identify the base card this entire discussion is moot anyway. Not sure if its a 1/1? Look for the 1/1 stamp. Again, not complicated.

But the real source of the complication with GU and autos comes with the manufacturing process. Are parallels complicated for manufacturers to make? Nope, nobody thinks they are - parallels are well-known to be easy to produce. However, without a doubt GU and autos are greatly more complicated to manufacture than 'traditional' cards.

But just about *everyone* here knows I've *always* said that the sheer number of sets and inserts made today makes the hobby needlessly complicated.

 

[petMonster]

petMonster

Thanks for your insight. We don't often get new members who know what they are talking about.

Thanks, cgilmo. I guess there's really no right or wrong on this issue...just opinion and personal preference. Thanks for listening to mine!

 

[shayscards79]

The only game used stuff I buy anymore is PC stuff for my Colts collection. Lately I've bought a couple of nice Andrew Luck patch cards for a pretty penny.

I've always been under the impression, at least with football, the jersey are usually of the "event worn" variety. Obviously Luck hadn't played yet when some of those cards were made. I was always okay with knowing that the player wore the jersey at the rookie premire, in practice, photo shoot, etc.... as long as they touched the thing.

Even if it was a flat out lie, it would be disappointing, but they are still nice cards that are worth collecting imo.

 

[ChasHawk]

The only game used stuff I buy anymore is PC stuff for my Colts collection. Lately I've bought a couple of nice Andrew Luck patch cards for a pretty penny.

I've always been under the impression, at least with football, the jersey are usually of the "event worn" variety. Obviously Luck hadn't played yet when some of those cards were made. I was always okay with knowing that the player wore the jersey at the rookie premire, in practice, photo shoot, etc.... as long as they touched the thing.

Even if it was a flat out lie, it would be disappointing, but they are still nice cards that are worth collecting imo.

Many for football are event worn, which is why its comical to me that they sell for what they do after the player
wore it for 10 seconds at the rookie premiere event, but most baseball claim to be "game worn/used"

 

[predatorkj]

I don't think the " people buy the cards and not the gu piece" is going to cut it. Yeah I collect cards. Yeah I am a player collector so I would want all cards of my player. But the gu aspect affects what I pay. If I know the card is just some manufactured patch, and not really gu'd , then I'm not paying the kind of money I do. And none of you would either. That is fraud. I am not naive enough to believe every aspect of the card industry is squeaky clean but to just act like this should all be overlooked is insane.

Edited to add:
I guess my beef is that the cards should not ever say something they aren't. If they aren't gu'd then they shouldn't say gu. And the worst part is, if they had been smart they would have stuck to only gu stuff. It might cost more for them, but gu would be less prevalent than it is now which would also make it worth a lot more. You buy a bunch of possibly fake items to satisfy demand and it kills the value of your product. Not to mention people get tired or bored with it so now you're hopping around trying to find a way to one up it.

 

[matchpenalty]

Maybe sweet Lou Lampson will start a business. Where collectors can send in their game used cards to get certified as game used. Don't think Lou has seen a jersey not game used. So they would fly though with no problems and ease collectors minds.

To me though. Card collectors are just very gullible to the gimmick. If card says it game used, it's game used. Is all they need to make them happy. With never a standard in place. Never questioning the validity and demanding some sort proof of what was cut before it got butchered.

 

[petMonster]

Parallel cards, of which the overwhelming majority of 1/1s are, obviously look similar to the base card... otherwise they wouldn't be called 'parallels'. Does this make them complicated... ? Nope. You can always tell the set a parallel is from if you can identify the base it parallels; if you couldn't identify the base card this entire discussion is moot anyway. Not sure if its a 1/1? Look for the 1/1 stamp. Again, not complicated.

What's so complicated about identifying GU and autos? Not sure if it's a GU or auto? Look for the description on the back that says "Congratulations! The front of this card contains....." NOT complicated!

But the real source of the complication with GU and autos comes with the manufacturing process. Are parallels complicated for manufacturers to make? Nope, nobody thinks they are - parallels are well-known to be easy to produce. However, without a doubt GU and autos are greatly more complicated to manufacture than 'traditional' cards.

Do you mean to tell me that just because GU and auto cards are more complicated for Topps or UD to manufacture that it somehow makes it more difficult for you to enjoy them? How does the manufacturing process have anything to do with you busting open a pack, finding a great card, and being happy with it? Parallel, auto, or GU...doesn't matter...they are all delivered to us the same way.

Perhaps I don't know what you mean when you say "complicating". I am specifically referring to the overwhelming diversity of content within each product. You open a fake box of cards and find 100 base cards, 12 red parallels /999, 4 blue parallels /499, 2 red xfractor parallels /299, 1 blue xfractor /99, 4 Highlight Heroes inserts, 1 GU jersey, 1 GU patch auto /25, 2 Rookie Premiers, 1 Rookie Premier green mini, SPs, etc etc etc..... If you are a player collector, you need to do a ton of research to figure out how many cards that player has within this product (base, parallel, insert, GU, auto). If you are a set builder and want to build all the sets including parallel sets, think of how much effort goes into creating checklists and keeping track of all the different parallels. I could go on and on. You could remove all the GU and autos from my fake box example above and the product is still too complicating. Or you could remove all the parallels and leave the GU and autos, and it's still too complicating. The hobby is complicating no matter what the product. It's what makes it both fun and annoying at the same time.

 

[383astro]

I have alot of Vintage patches. Ive spent $3K on Nellie Fox alone and I buy GU cards for the game used pieces and not the card. Its always in the back of my mind that they pieces may not be game used, but I try to keep a little faith and hope that it is what it says. Although with more and more negatives coming out that point me to the opposite, it is hard not to sell and just wash my hands of all game used and put the money in vintage.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

What's so complicated about identifying GU and autos? Not sure if it's a GU or auto? Look for the description on the back that says "Congratulations! The front of this card contains....." NOT complicated!

I'm not sure if you've been reading recent threads/keeping up with current events, but nobody seems to know for sure whose GU is on any particular card despite whatever is said on the back of a card. That alone makes them complicated!

Do you mean to tell me that just because GU and auto cards are more complicated for Topps or UD to manufacture that it somehow makes it more difficult for you to enjoy them? How does the manufacturing process have anything to do with you busting open a pack, finding a great card, and being happy with it? Parallel, auto, or GU...doesn't matter...they are all delivered to us the same way.

Another clear theme is that the more complicated the card is to manufacture the more problems result. Clearly cards without GU/auto complications have fewer issues.

Perhaps I don't know what you mean when you say "complicating". I am specifically referring to the overwhelming diversity of content within each product. You open a fake box of cards and find 100 base cards, 12 red parallels /999, 4 blue parallels /499, 2 red xfractor parallels /299, 1 blue xfractor /99, 4 Highlight Heroes inserts, 1 GU jersey, 1 GU patch auto /25, 2 Rookie Premiers, 1 Rookie Premier green mini, SPs, etc etc etc..... If you are a player collector, you need to do a ton of research to figure out how many cards that player has within this product (base, parallel, insert, GU, auto). If you are a set builder and want to build all the sets including parallel sets, think of how much effort goes into creating checklists and keeping track of all the different parallels. I could go on and on. You could remove all the GU and autos from my fake box example above and the product is still too complicating. Or you could remove all the parallels and leave the GU and autos, and it's still too complicating. The hobby is complicating no matter what the product. It's what makes it both fun and annoying at the same time.

Non-parallel inserts generally make a complicated mess but with a few exceptions numbered parallels don't. Normally a rational person without addictive tendencies moves away from annoying messes - another reason why reducing the number of sets and inserts is always a good idea: it reduces complexity.

 

[predatorkj]

To me though. Card collectors are just very gullible to the gimmick. If card says it game used, it's game used. Is all they need to make them happy. With never a standard in place. Never questioning the validity and demanding some sort proof of what was cut before it got butchered.

Maybe. But the ability of someone to be able to just blatantly outright lie about the product they are selling should and will get them in trouble. Besides, how the hell are we supposed to know anything from an auto to a gu piece is really real? My point is, if you can't create it legit, don't create it at all. You could point the finger at the buyer all day long but in the end, I think that will not keep them out of hot water.

 

[mchenrycards]

Thanks, cgilmo. I guess there's really no right or wrong on this issue...just opinion and personal preference. Thanks for listening to mine!

You are right as there is not good or bad answer to this issue. As for me it all boils down to if I believe the GU cards are legitimate and worth the price for the card. Honestly, I have always run with the assumption that the game used pieces are not really game used but rather some pretty nice embellishments to the cards we all collect. If the pieces of game or event used memorabilia on a card is in fact game used, then it is just an added bonus to me and makes the card that I chose for my collection because I liked the looks of it that much more special to me.

We all have to determine if we feel the company that puts these memorabilia cards together is someone we trust and then if we do accept their guaranty, collect away! If not, walk on by without looking down one's nose at the other guy who enjoys his game used collection and has confidence in the manufacturers. It is still the old adage....buyer beware.