Light Test to Verify Authenticity of Vintage Cards 1 1

[jgresham07]

Hello CGC!

I’m new to vintage collecting and have stumbled upon the flashlight test to verify if cards are authentic. Just curious if CSG/CGC performs this simple test for authenticity (assume there is much more sophisticated technology than this). Reason I ask is, I got 3 Mantles graded (‘59, ‘63, ‘66) by CSG yet none pass the light test. Does CGC do testing to verify the cards are authentic? Appreciate any insight! 

[CrystalM CS]

Hello! Our grading processes are proprietary and we cannot release the exact methods of which we grade the cards at this time. We can assure you that we use the most up-to-date information and widely accepted methods to grade cards to ensure they are authentic and graded fairly. 

[northkorea]

On 7/25/2023 at 2:56 AM, jgresham07 said:

Hello CGC!

I’m new to vintage collecting and have stumbled upon the flashlight test to verify if cards are authentic. Just curious if CSG/CGC performs this simple test for authenticity (assume there is much more sophisticated technology than this). Reason I ask is, I got 3 Mantles graded (‘59, ‘63, ‘66) by CSG yet none pass the light test. Does CGC do testing to verify the cards are authentic? Appreciate any insight! 

Go back and reread the light test or rewatch whatever YouTube video you saw.

1) The test doesn’t apply to 1959 Topps, which is known to have used thinner card stock.

2) It might not apply to other years, depending on where card stock was sourced.

3) It might only work for phone lights, because they put out less lumens than actual LED flashlights.

If you look at how strong the light shines through the 1959 compared to the two others, it’s certainly possible that your lightsource is simply too strong for the test.

Beyond that, I’m sure Andy Broome taught his team to use methods beyond the light test, since he was one of the first to publicly talk about the test, itself.