1983-84 Star Basketball

[TRSportsCards]

I found a bunch of these cards in a box, but I'm not sure if they're reprints or not.

Did the reprints have any markings indicating them as such?

[garnett_21]

Usually, the copyright date on the back of the card will be different...I have a few reprints, and that's the only way I found out they aren't the real thing...if the copyright date is 83 or 84, then it's probably the real deal...

[TRSportsCards]

Yeah, the copyright is '83/'84.

I have the Bird and some others (about 30-40) in great shape, so I wanted to make sure before I got too excited as you can imagine lol.

Here's pics of the Bird, I should've included them earlier, looks like the real deal, thanks for the response and info!

Usually, the copyright date on the back of the card will be different...I have a few reprints, and that's the only way I found out they aren't the real thing...if the copyright date is 83 or 84, then it's probably the real deal...

[aro13]

One way to check if the card is counterfeit is if the NBA PLAYERS ball on the back and the writing is clear or if it is appears smudged. Also, quite a few players are difficult to find centered. If all of your cards are 50/50 centered they might not be the real thing. I know the cards below are not 83-84's but they are good examples of cards that are virtually impossible to find centered - if they are perfectly centered I would be concerned about buying one.





Note the centering on these cards - both are very common for these cards. Unfortunately one of the only ways to be certain is to have BGS grade them.

[garnett_21]

Yeah, you may want to have one graded just to make sure it's real - BGS or PSA are the top grading companies - or, you could take them to a card shop and see if the owner could give you any opinions on them....hopefully, for you, they are real! :-) Certainly don't look like reprints though.

[TRSportsCards]

Thanks aro and garnett for the replies. This was in a box of "junk" a buddy of mine just wanted to get rid of. If they were real I will definitley be giving him his % if I sold them, but for both of our sakes (and whoever may buy them lol) I want to make sure they are first. He has had these cards since he was a kid so I have no idea where they came from, but I was stunned tonight when I pulled out this stack of them lol.

I was actually thinking of bringing them to the local card shop this weekend and see what the owner thought, he is pretty nice and has always been straight/honest with me about stuff, otherwise doing BGS or PSA probably is a good idea.

Thanks again everyone for the feedback, my knowledge of older/vintage stuff is alot more hazy than new product.

Yeah, you may want to have one graded just to make sure it's real - BGS or PSA are the top grading companies - or, you could take them to a card shop and see if the owner could give you any opinions on them....hopefully, for you, they are real! :-) Certainly don't look like reprints though.

[TRSportsCards]

I imagine btw that the NBA PLAYERS ball on the back of the counterfeits are the ones that are smudged usually?

One way to check if the card is counterfeit is if the NBA PLAYERS ball on the back and the writing is clear or if it is appears smudged. Also, quite a few players are difficult to find centered. If all of your cards are 50/50 centered they might not be the real thing. I know the cards below are not 83-84's but they are good examples of cards that are virtually impossible to find centered - if they are perfectly centered I would be concerned about buying one.





Note the centering on these cards - both are very common for these cards. Unfortunately one of the only ways to be certain is to have BGS grade them.

[garnett_21]

Yeah, I certainly don't know a heckuva lot about vintage either...but, one piece of advice I'll give you - don't leave the cards with the owner, period...if they are real, that may be the last time you see them, as they look like they are in pretty good condition, and are a rarity if they are real...not saying he'd lie or anything, but I wouldn't want to take the chance. ;-)

Good luck, and let us know what you find out!

[TRSportsCards]

lol, yeah I don't think I would ever trust anyone even with a box of cheap cards of mine, I'm pretty protective of my cards, but this guy is actually one of the rare few truely honest dealers/shop owners I have ever met, he is one of the few left around here you can go see and just talk to without feeling pressured to buy something or leave.

Garnett, are you a KG fan from Minny or are you in Boston? I'm right on the NH/MA border, so just curious, thanks again you've been really helpful.

Yeah, I certainly don't know a heckuva lot about vintage either...but, one piece of advice I'll give you - don't leave the cards with the owner, period...if they are real, that may be the last time you see them, as they look like they are in pretty good condition, and are a rarity if they are real...not saying he'd lie or anything, but I wouldn't want to take the chance. ;-)

Good luck, and let us know what you find out!

[aro13]

Yes - the cards with the smudges are not real.

PSA no longer grades Star Company cards. They did about 15 years ago but stopped. Steve Taft is the "expert" who authenticates them for Beckett. He used to work with SCD and than GAI before going to Beckett.