What would it take to perfectly fake a GA comic?

[AlexanderM]

We know that great works of art have been successfully faked and only sometimes by admission been discovered.

 

We know that some people will go to great lenghts to get the right kind of paper, ink, and so on..

 

How long would it take to perfectly forge an Action Comics 1?

 

[kav]

This was discussed before-anyone can find the thread?

[Iceman399]

This was discussed before-anyone can find the thread?

 

I bet Kav can

[kav]

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7737324&fpart=1

[AlexanderM]

I see. Ok, thanks guys... that was quick too

[JazzMan]

Inks, paper stock and cover stock from the period would be hard to find. Also, the smell and feel would probably be very different.

[shadroch]

If you faked a CGC book, you'd need a great repro cover, a CGC slab and the ability to hack into CGC's data base. Sell the book to a dealer at a show for cash, ditch the wig and hidden heels and you are scott free.

[JazzMan]

If you faked a CGC book, you'd need a great repro cover, a CGC slab and the ability to hack into CGC's data base. Sell the book to a dealer at a show for cash, ditch the wig and hidden heels and you are scott free.

 

You wouldn't need to hack the database, just steal the cert from the identical book.

[jaeldubyoo]

Not realistic. Don't you think such a book would go under intense scrutiny before it sold? If you're going to counterfeit a comic book, you'd be better off trying it with modern keys.

[kav]

The biggest hurdle would be that the original pages do not exist therefore there will be a loss in resolution working from copies. The reprint Action #1's look slightly blurry when compared to the real Action #1.

[AlexanderM]

Personally I'm sure it could be done. Some people who forged painting are chemistry experts and made sure all kinds tests would show that a 2 weeks old painting would look, feel, and test as if it was 300 years old. Some people are able to forge money so well they cannot be separated from the real thing unless they have special modern features. And they are not blurry or any other thing we could imagine would happen if we would do this at home in the kitchen..

 

But - let's put our collective minds back at ease..... and agree it just cannot be done. There - that is much nicer

[Shadow Images]

It could be done. The comic market is just to small for the high end art forgers to bother with.

 

You would have to forge a major GA key to make the endeavor worthwhile and then you have to run it through a minor auction house with a shill before you can move on to a major auction where the real money would be. So your talking $500-750k outlay to make $1-2mil.

 

You are better off forging one of the Masters paintings a selling it on the black market. Much higher return percentage.

[kav]

You guys really need to read the original thread-all this was suggested-and shot down

[vaillant]

Probably like Shadow Images said: they counterfeited incunables in a very skillful way (even recently) but maybe the comics' exposure would make it more risky.

 

The counterfeit incunables were sold to libraries.

[AlexanderM]

You guys really need to read the original thread-all this was suggested-and shot down

 

I read it. I don't buy any of the reasons put forward why it should not be possible, unfortunately. Unfortunately because I think we would all prefer if it was impossible.

 

So ill just try to persuade myself it is not possible.

[vaillant]

Strictly speaking, it‘s not "impossible" – probably just not convenient, and this should put your mind at ease! (thumbs u

[Dr. Balls]

You guys really need to read the original thread-all this was suggested-and shot down

 

I read it. I don't buy any of the reasons put forward why it should not be possible, unfortunately. Unfortunately because I think we would all prefer if it was impossible.

 

So ill just try to persuade myself it is not possible.

 

Pretty much every reason in that other thread is legitimate.

[Davenport]

But - let's put our collective minds back at ease..... and agree it just cannot be done. There - that is much nicer

There was a different thread where a slab was delivered to Con for signing, and when the Witness cracked it out...

 

The technique was replacing the legit book with a same-vintage skunk-book, but sporting a photocopied front cover applique.

 

Creepiest comic scam I've ever seen. And little defense against it, except cracking. The barcode is correct, the back cover is correct and the label is correct. The applique just went flush to the spine, and done with finesse isn't going to trigger immediate alarm bells.

 

It's scary thinking how long a book like that could sit in a collection undetected.

[kav]

You would have to have aged paper of the precise formula used in 1938. But, you would be printing on that aged paper, and new ink on old paper looks different than aged ink on aged paper. You would have to hire a chemist to reformulate inks that no longer exist, and somehow find a process that ages the inks. You would need the original pages-anything else wouldn't be the same resolution.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE

 

[Davenport]

But - let's put our collective minds back at ease..... and agree it just cannot be done. There - that is much nicer

There was a different thread where a slab was delivered to Con for signing, and when the Witness cracked it out...

 

The technique was replacing the legit book with a same-vintage skunk-book, but sporting a photocopied front cover applique.

 

Creepiest comic scam I've ever seen. And little defense against it, except cracking. The barcode is correct, the back cover is correct and the label is correct. The applique just went flush to the spine, and done with finesse isn't going to trigger immediate alarm bells.

 

It's scary thinking how long a book like that could sit in a collection undetected.

Here's the thread I'm talking about: FAKE

 

No reason that technique wouldn't work on GA as well, making a "perfectly fake" replica a moot concern. And to make it doubly heinous, the original legit pulled-book could be sent in again for a new barcode and holder, repeat scam at will.

 

Creepy.