1955 Topps All-American Football Forum

Can any one tell me indicators of fake/replica cards? Found some 55 Topps cheap as they were listed as reprints, (seller insisted they had to be reprints due to good condition) I compared side by side with known example and seeing no differences....other than better centering (common?) Better edges and color than the examples I already had.

Do you have a coin loupe? You can examine the color print ink and see if there are any significant differences. Also card thickness/opacity using a bright flashlight in a dark room (newer cards-reprints) will typically be printed on thinner stock and will show much more light through the card. Or a black light - much more fluorescence off a reprint based on the card stock 

I do have a loupe, and looked at printing, the card looks and feels the same as known example. Maybe I just found a forgotten gem cheap??? Just dubious since it's in such good condition.

If an ebay sellers lists them as reprints, you can almost guarantee they're counterfeit.

I use a lighted jewelers loupe. In addition to the ink pattern, you can see the cardstock composition.

I'm very interested in this topic as well.  As I saw a Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds Topps 1987 cards on eBay and they said "reprint" in the description.  So is that true? How could Topps do this because it then renders the actual (original) Topps 1987 baseball cards useless or worthless.  Since you can't tell if a card is a reprint or not because the original and "reprint" if they exist are identical in appearance in every way.  Somebody please tell me Topps did not and would not do this (aside from the indicated markers that cards are heritage or throwback etc with a clear marking)

Topps isn't making identical reprints of any of their products.  If they are fake, and look nearly identical to the originals, they are counterfeit as has been said already.  Besides, 1987 Topps are already nearly worthless.  Someone on eBay has a case of vending boxes they're selling for $20 each.

Topps actually did reprint this card but on the back they mention that it is a reprint twice on the back because Topps wasn't trying to pull off a scam and they were legally allowed to reprint it, unlike everyone on Ebay reprinting counterfeiting anything they can.

And not identical.  All those modern Topps reprints are on newer cardstock and have clear copyright information on the back about when they were printed.

this is a great question.  And as a new collector again (picking up after 30 years hiatus) I have the same question.  And I couldn't believe reprint/fakes in the industry existed.  That ruins so much fun and integrity of collecting.