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The next BIG Comic Book swindle

Started by Samcro-migration,

82 posts in this topic

Samcro-migration

Samcro-migration

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Someone recently told me to beware of forged books. Swore they had seen some. I don't buy it because I haven't seen any, but this source is usually reliable. Is it even possible to counterfeit old books? Practically, is it financially viable? I'm pretty sure I could spot a forgery hm

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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No tinfoil is necessary. The facts are that this hobby has, deliberately or not, suppressed the kind of research and historical reference that have been used to correct other hobbies.

 

Google "how many model t's were made" - and you'll find the number somewhere in the 15,000,000 range. I remember as a teen, a friend of the family and his peers touting it was a rare car, but alas, there was no Google, Internet record, or easy access to expertise that could refute the claim.

 

So if you compare what Model T's used to sell for even twenty years ago, you would likely find they have depreciated signficantly, and those examples which have been somewhat resistant to the this aspect of high production, have still gained very, very little in light of how old and significant a place it holds in Ford's history and the way it revolutionized the automotive industry.

 

Can you run a similar search on Hulk 181 or Green Lantern 76? How about a Star Wars 1 35 cent price variant?

 

What's happened instead in this hobby has more to with the magic of the hand being quicker than the eye, and how CGC grading has distracted everyone from asking "how many of X were made."

 

It's a distraction because it's led everyone to the pond or firehose that is preoccupying us with enough drink to only remain concerned with how many copies exist in X grade.

 

My hunch is that if the "true" production/distribution numbers were ever made accessible, we would see a correction in the market far worse than what we see with census padding from CPR or any "warehouse" find. 2c

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passion4comics

passion4comics

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Someone recently told me to beware of forged books. Swore they had seen some. I don't buy it because I haven't seen any, but this source is usually reliable. Is it even possible to counterfeit old books? Practically, is it financially viable? I'm pretty sure I could spot a forgery hm

 

Unfortunately, the forgeries would be so good, you wouldn't be able to tell....

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FlyingDonut

FlyingDonut

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No tinfoil is necessary. The facts are that this hobby has, deliberately or not, suppressed the kind of research and historical reference that have been used to correct other hobbies.

 

Google "how many model t's were made" - and you'll find the number somewhere in the 15,000,000 range. I remember as a teen, a friend of the family and his peers touting it was a rare car, but alas, there was no Google, Internet record, or easy access to expertise that could refute the claim.

 

So if you compare what Model T's used to sell for even twenty years ago, you would likely find they have depreciated signficantly, and those examples which have been somewhat resistant to the this aspect of high production, have still gained very, very little in light of how old and significant a place it holds in Ford's history and the way it revolutionized the automotive industry.

 

Can you run a similar search on Hulk 181 or Green Lantern 76? How about a Star Wars 1 35 cent price variant?

 

What's happened instead in this hobby has more to with the magic of the hand being quicker than the eye, and how CGC grading has distracted everyone from asking "how many of X were made."

 

It's a distraction because it's led everyone to the pond or firehose that is preoccupying us with enough drink to only remain concerned with how many copies exist in X grade.

 

My hunch is that if the "true" production/distribution numbers were ever made accessible, we would see a correction in the market far worse than what we see with census padding from CPR or a warehouse find. 2c

 

For production/distribution numbers? You can get the raw data for the Hulk 181 and Green Lantern 76 relatively easily.

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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No tinfoil is necessary. The facts are that this hobby has, deliberately or not, suppressed the kind of research and historical reference that have been used to correct other hobbies.

 

Google "how many model t's were made" - and you'll find the number somewhere in the 15,000,000 range. I remember as a teen, a friend of the family and his peers touting it was a rare car, but alas, there was no Google, Internet record, or easy access to expertise that could refute the claim.

 

So if you compare what Model T's used to sell for even twenty years ago, you would likely find they have depreciated signficantly, and those examples which have been somewhat resistant to the this aspect of high production, have still gained very, very little in light of how old and significant a place it holds in Ford's history and the way it revolutionized the automotive industry.

 

Can you run a similar search on Hulk 181 or Green Lantern 76? How about a Star Wars 1 35 cent price variant?

 

What's happened instead in this hobby has more to with the magic of the hand being quicker than the eye, and how CGC grading has distracted everyone from asking "how many of X were made."

 

It's a distraction because it's led everyone to the pond or firehose that is preoccupying us with enough drink to only remain concerned with how many copies exist in X grade.

 

My hunch is that if the "true" production/distribution numbers were ever made accessible, we would see a correction in the market far worse than what we see with census padding from CPR or a warehouse find. 2c

 

For production/distribution numbers? You can get the raw data for the Hulk 181 and Green Lantern 76 relatively easily.

 

I have a few ideas on sources (not sure for these particular books), but they aren't online accessible. If you can get them handily, what are they?

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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Someone recently told me to beware of forged books. Swore they had seen some. I don't buy it because I haven't seen any, but this source is usually reliable. Is it even possible to counterfeit old books? Practically, is it financially viable? I'm pretty sure I could spot a forgery hm

 

Everything that is valuable can be forged/counterfeited. How good a fake is another story. A guy around my parts got busted a few months ago for forging fake gold bullion. They found stamping equipment and fake holders/cases/boxes in his home which helped him make all the fakes he was selling across the country to appear as if they had been issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. He was also selling fake Krugerrands.

 

Apart from the fact that these schemes lure in buyers who don't know any better and by making the price attractive when compared to a reputable source selling genuine bullion, the enabler to such scams is usually they they go to some length to make it difficult for the buyer to detect a fake.

 

One thing that has been tried and not yet achieved is finding a way to simulate the density and weight of a gold. So one thing you find that might happen is people off-setting any discrepancy in a troy oz measured bullion by adding the weight on the holder or slab. Different strokes in other hobbies, but the one constant is the matter of making sure you know the ways to spot a fake from real.

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Samcro-migration

Samcro-migration

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Someone recently told me to beware of forged books. Swore they had seen some. I don't buy it because I haven't seen any, but this source is usually reliable. Is it even possible to counterfeit old books? Practically, is it financially viable? I'm pretty sure I could spot a forgery hm

 

Everything that is valuable can be forged/counterfeited. How good a fake is another story. A guy around my parts got busted a few months ago for forging fake gold bullion. They found stamping equipment and fake holders/cases/boxes in his home which helped him make all the fakes he was selling across the country to appear as if they had been issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. He was also selling fake Krugerrands.

 

Apart from luring the buyer who doesn't know any better by making the price attractive when compared to what a reputable source selling genuine bullion, the enabler to such scams is usually they they go to some length to make it difficult for the buyer to detect a fake.

 

One thing that has been tried and not yet achieved is finding a way to simulate the density and weight of a gold. So one thing you find that might happen is people off-setting any discrepancy in a troy oz measured bullion by adding the weight on the holder or slab. Different strokes in other hobbies, but the one constant is the matter of making sure you know the ways to spot a fake from real.

 

I wonder if CGC has ever had a forged sub, and if so did they slab it duly noted on the label?

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jimbo_707

jimbo_707

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Someone recently told me to beware of forged books. Swore they had seen some. I don't buy it because I haven't seen any, but this source is usually reliable. Is it even possible to counterfeit old books? Practically, is it financially viable? I'm pretty sure I could spot a forgery hm

 

Everything that is valuable can be forged/counterfeited. How good a fake is another story. A guy around my parts got busted a few months ago for forging fake gold bullion. They found stamping equipment and fake holders/cases/boxes in his home which helped him make all the fakes he was selling across the country to appear as if they had been issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. He was also selling fake Krugerrands.

 

Apart from luring the buyer who doesn't know any better by making the price attractive when compared to what a reputable source selling genuine bullion, the enabler to such scams is usually they they go to some length to make it difficult for the buyer to detect a fake.

 

One thing that has been tried and not yet achieved is finding a way to simulate the density and weight of a gold. So one thing you find that might happen is people off-setting any discrepancy in a troy oz measured bullion by adding the weight on the holder or slab. Different strokes in other hobbies, but the one constant is the matter of making sure you know the ways to spot a fake from real.

 

I wonder if CGC has ever had a forged sub, and if so did they slab it duly noted on the label?

Counterfeit reprints of Cerebus #1 are fairly common; I would hope that CGC would catch those pretty easily, but who knows for sure.
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Caddotx

Caddotx

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I still have a counterfeit Cerebus #1. I never did find out how they did that but in my opinion it had to be done at the printer.

 

History has shown us that there are forgeries of everything. How hard would it be to take one of the second printings of Amazing Spiderman Annual 5 and change the back cover, get rid of the second print notice, beat it up a little and sell it at a show for a solid profit?

 

Yes, a lot of collectors would might be suspicious if they actually pull the book out and look it over. But how many books have you sold that they may pull the book out but never look at the back cover? Or worse yet, never even pull it out of the bag?

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Boboset

Boboset

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Someone recently told me to beware of forged books. Swore they had seen some. I don't buy it because I haven't seen any, but this source is usually reliable. Is it even possible to counterfeit old books? Practically, is it financially viable? I'm pretty sure I could spot a forgery hm

 

Everything that is valuable can be forged/counterfeited. How good a fake is another story. A guy around my parts got busted a few months ago for forging fake gold bullion. They found stamping equipment and fake holders/cases/boxes in his home which helped him make all the fakes he was selling across the country to appear as if they had been issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. He was also selling fake Krugerrands.

 

Apart from luring the buyer who doesn't know any better by making the price attractive when compared to what a reputable source selling genuine bullion, the enabler to such scams is usually they they go to some length to make it difficult for the buyer to detect a fake.

 

One thing that has been tried and not yet achieved is finding a way to simulate the density and weight of a gold. So one thing you find that might happen is people off-setting any discrepancy in a troy oz measured bullion by adding the weight on the holder or slab. Different strokes in other hobbies, but the one constant is the matter of making sure you know the ways to spot a fake from real.

 

I wonder if CGC has ever had a forged sub, and if so did they slab it duly noted on the label?

94Fake.jpg
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