1968 Topps Baseball Forum

I came across the following listing on Ebay while looking for deals on lower grade vintage stars: 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-Topps-177-Nolan-Ryan-Rookie-Card-Mets-Strikeouts-RC-Please-Read-/121827092668?hash=item1c5d75e8bc:g:0hsAAOSwxN5WWo1P 

The seller is advertising a Nolan Ryan Rookie Card for $45 with the headline, "price lowered for quick sale".  There's no mention of reprint in the heading, but there's a "please read" in parentheses, so let's read.

The description in the listing does mention "incredible reprint", but then drops the word "reprint" in the write-up explaining how he has unknowingly purchased a bunch of Nolan Ryan fakes (He has 3 of them for sale).  

What are your thoughts?  Is this an attempt to supply the counterfeit market, or just an overpriced reprint for sale? 

I would buy it.  For 45 cents.  Not dollars

Fakes are great for cleaning out clogged shredders. I wouldn't part with found money for a reprint.

 Let them eat their reprints.

Many ebay sellers think they are safe from prosecution by calling counterfeits a "reprint" or claiming ignorance as to authenticity.  From what I've read about prosecuted cases, a counterfeit is a counterfeit no matter what you call it.  And it's illegal to sell counterfeits, PERIOD!

Of course, I'd never consider buying a Ryan rookie outside a Beckett or PSA slab.

As only 1 of 2 different cards I need to complete this set, the Nolan Ryan RC issue remains a topic of interest to me.  I recently found another shady counterfeiter of these cards on Ebay at:

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575160137&toolid=10001&campid=5337834699&customid=&icep_item=322248823753&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg

The title says:

"1968 Topps Jerry Koosman/ Nolan Ryan New York Mets #177 Baseball Card"

So I read a little further into the description, which says:

"Up for sale in a 1968 Topps Jerry Koosman / Nolan Ryan New York Mets #177 Baseball Card in great condition (see pictures) . This card is being listed as a reprint as required by EBay since it hasn't been authenticated or graded ..I won this card in an auction along with a few others . It will ship in it's screw down holder wrapped in bubble wrap & mailed in a bubble mailer."

So I think--Is he only listing this card as a reprint because it hasn't been authenticated or graded?  Does he do this with all of his ungraded cards as supposedly required by Ebay?  I have to call bologna.  This is another deceitful and despicable seller on Ebay that should be banned.

Oh, don't forget--he won this card at an auction along with a few others.  Let see.  He must have hit the jackpot with counterfeit stars.  Here's a few counterfeits that he's selling.

1954 Bowman Willie Mays

1952 Topps Jackie Robinson

1958 Topps Roger Maris RC

1968 Topps Johnny Bench RC

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth

1938 Goudey Joe Dimaggio

1965 Topps Mickey Mantle

1967 Topps Mickey Mantle

1963 Topps Pete Rose

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle

It appears to me that this guy is a regular counterfeiter.  These are not just some cards that he bought at an auction that were unauthenicated.