I have said before that there are three patches that find their way into more fakes than any other patches in football. These patches are so prominently faked, that it is almost impossible to confidently purchase a card with one of the logos. The sad fact is that unless you see it pulled, you can never really be sure. Card companies have made it harder on the consumer with adding more logo patches into the mix for higher numbered cards, so even the once easy to identify are no longer there.
One is the Ravens’ sleeve patch logo, whose plethora of designs and colors makes for amazing fakes. Because there are two on every Baltimore jersey, there were a lot of them used at the rookie premiere and for veterans, however, not every Ravens swatch card can have one of these logos. The yield just doesn’t allow for that type of situation, and yet there are more logo patches in these cards than many of the other teams that are out there.
Here is what I mean:
2008 Exquisite Joe Flacco Logo Patch Auto
2008 Exquisite Joe Flacco Logo Patch Auto 2
Same thing goes for the Minnesota Viking head logo, as this particular back neck logo is one that just about every Vikings fan wants to have. Because the Vikings are such a widely collected team, and because the jersey doesn’t yield much in terms of other cool patches, so this is the one that everyone chases. Therefore it is put into every other fake card for the Vikings vets and rookies, and it is a main reason why I wont buy them unless the product is brand new.
2009 SP Authentic Percy Harvin Viking Head Logo Auto
The Titans’ sleeve patch has a very similar situation, mainly because the logo is one of the coolest in sports. With such ugly jerseys, the broadsword is a very good looking and highly valuable piece of the jersey. As a result, you see an absolute ton of these patches in the hands of known fakers, and no one ever tells the difference.
Here are some questionable examples:
2008 SP Authentic Chris Johnson Logo Patch Auto
2008 Exquisite Chris Johnson Logo Patch Auto
2008 Exquisite Chris Johnson Logo Patch Auto 2
Unfortunately for Titans fans, this logo has company on the “most faked patches” list that I keep, as their 10th anniversary patch has been popping up like wildfires in California during the dry season. What most collectors don’t know is that this patch WAS NEVER USED at the Rookie Premiere, and that all the patch cards that feature this logo are fake.
Check it out:
2008 Exquisite Chris Johnson 10th Anniversary Logo Patch Auto
2008 SP Authentic Chris Johnson 10th Anniversary Logo Patch Auto
In the end, as I always say, you are your only defense. If you are like me, with massive amounts of skepticism over every little tiny detail, I just stay away from older cards with logo patches. It just isnt worth the risk, unless it is a 1/1 that you know is legit.
Ok so what is the answer? what exactly can the card co’s. do?
A site to verify images of all crazy (real) patches is out of the question do to cost.
is there anything….ANYTHING…..companies can do w/o breaking the bank which would put an end to fake patches?
1) Photo of the jersey used (front and back) on the card.
2) Seal the patches into the cards with a thin plastic film.
3) Use a more descriptive term than ‘prime’ to describe the patch.
Any of these would cause an extra step in the assembly line process, which is obviously something the companies do not want to do. They seem to like to design the three basic options (auto, jersey, patch) and after that everything is random. If they are putting single-colored patches in 1/1s, then you know that the assemblers have zero awareness.
Why don’t they make it so the adhesive on the back of the patch literally rips the backside of the card off if removed? Hard to sell a nice patch if there is hole in the back of the card.
Hi Mike,
I know it is impossible to take all fakes off the market. However, something must, and can be done to greatly reduce the number of fakes on the market. All it takes is to let the criminals know they are being watched and there will be consequences.
I would like to give you one possibility. I would like to have the card companies put about 10 hours a week into inspecting eBay listings and other websites. At the least, start out with 10 hour per week to determine the extent of the problem and then reduce the hours spent as deemed appropriate.
Whenever card companies find a listing with a fake, turn them into eBay to get the listing taken off. If an eBay seller becomes a repeat offender (three, four or ?), have eBay ban them from selling on eBay. If the card company determines that the situation is worthy, turn the criminal into the proper authorities (police, FBI).
EBay and the internet is important to this hobby (box buster, seller, investor, collector). And, whenever people (new or experienced) get burnt, they are less likely to bid/buy with confidence. This results in lower singles selling prices and in reduced future boxes sales. Something must be done to deter those who are hurting this hobby.
I don’t think card companies will concern themselves with the secondary market. They are just trying to sell as many boxes as possible, not ensure that singles collectors make wise decisions on eBay.
Card construction is the best solution as voluntarheel and greenwood mentioned. I’m sure there are innovative steps the companies could make to reduce fakes. “Plates & Patches” was on to something with labeling the type of patch in the card. Exquisite should follow suit. I like the idea of the patch tearing out the back of the card. Maybe a coating of some sort on the edges of the card that prevents cutting?
If the card companies stopped worrying so much about: print #s, number of logos, etc they could:
-invest in a quality way to seal/contain a patch within a card where tampering with it would destroy it.
– nothing is worse then print runs. To many times I have seen cards numbered lower then 25 with one color patches, SP Authentic is famous for this. The companies do not even pay attention to what goes where unless it is logo/tag.
A card should not be worth more based only on the typed # on the side or back. (make scarce runs better/more desirable.
– while photos of cards with logos, multi colors etc, may be out of reach, listing print runs of; 1 color, 2 color, logo etc, is not at all out of the question.
– bottom line is at over 100.00 a box for a product that has less then 10 cards, manufacturers can and should do better.
(think about it, a Tag Huer watch costs less then 2 boxes of national treasures)
This is why I only collect vintage.
Thanks
What if the person who places the patches in the card, inventories the card upon completion? All information can be stored electronically and uploaded to a website showing which cards have which kind of patch. Like, #1 Logo Patch. #2 Shield. #3. Front Number Patch. So on, etc. Or kill 2 birds with 1 stone and tell the company to arrange which logos will go into which cards prior to production. That way they will already have a listed inventory, as well as a quality control measure to assure that the best cards are getting the best patches. That will obviously cost more, but worth the price of quality. That is good for business because it is good for your customers.
As for the person who said that the companies only care about the initial sale and not the secondary market doesn’t even make sense. If there was no secondary market for fear of being ripped off, then there would be no reason for an initial sale. Something is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. If no one is willing to buy it second hand then it has no value. If it has no value then what is the initial buyers purpose?
The whole point of collecting is to earn money on your investment. Therefore, it is important to the company.