Will Counterfeit Cards Eventually Ruin the Hobby?

https://giantsportscards.com/blogs/blog/a-complete-list-of-the-best-sports-card-brands
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While both sports cards and trading card games continue to boom, so has the proliferation of counterfeit cards. From high-end collectibles, like Victor Wembanyama’s coveted gold Kaboom /10, to rare autographs, fake cards are infiltrating marketplaces, targeting new and seasoned collectors alike. These knockoffs create confusion, distrust, and financial loss to collectors. 

I was scrolling social media one day when an advertisement stopped me dead in my tracks. The ad was for a high-end Victor Wembanyama card - a Crown Royale gold Kaboom /10 - or so I thought.

Victor Wembanyama at the Rookie Photo Shoot
Victor Wembanyama at the Rookie Photo Shoot / Givemesport

I was about to scroll past when I suddenly had the realization that this may be a fake card.

The ad itself was a listing from a popular creator marketplace - a place where you can practically order copies of anything imaginable. At this point my curiosity got the better of me and I started combing through the ad looking for any sign of it actually being authentic. I finally stumbled across the term I was looking for - “custom”.

For those newer to the hobby, authentic cards are ones licensed by the player, team, or league in question. They can be worth thousands of dollars due to their legitimacy and rarity. While the term gets thrown around plenty, “reprints” are cards that look like the originals but typically have some type of messaging to clarify that this is a modified version based on the original print.

“Custom” cards, on the other hand, are essentially pieces of art that may include design elements of licensed cards, but are different enough to be considered unique pieces of work.

What I saw in that social media ad was none of the above. Someone was essentially selling duplicates of licensed cards.

Searching through that creator marketplace from the ad, I was able to locate multiple listings from individuals selling knockoff versions of highly sought after sports cards, including unique inserts and autographs of prominent players.

I then turned to a popular auction site to see if any of these had made it into mainstream auctions. It didn’t take long for me to find an anomaly in the list - a listing with “custom” in the title selling for over $500. In this case at least the seller disclosed that this wasn’t the licensed version, but what if they hadn’t?

The combination of the affordability of these knockoffs and the upside value of the authentic versions creates a dangerous landscape for new collectors entering the hobby. Not to mention, this activity can create ripples of distrust even for the most seasoned collectors.

With fake cards seemingly on the rise, whose responsibility is it to mitigate these risks for collectors? Card manufacturers to protect their intellectual property? Creator sites to ensure sellers are following their terms of service?

Regardless, it’s worth keeping in mind that there will always be counterfeit cards in the hobby, so it’s important to always do your own research and remain diligent. If a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is.


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