Searching for new and rare collectibles often means hours combing through hundreds of listings on EBAY, StockX, Craigslist and other resale marketplaces. In particular, if you are new to a collectible category like Pokemon cards or sneakers, it is critical that you don’t get caught out by counterfeits and fraudulent posts. Unfortunately, the excitement and growth in these markets mean counterfeits have emerged as a huge problem.
At MAGPIE, our community of collectors wants to start by offering you a few best practices when you are new to a particular collectible category:
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Keep track of items you want including a stock photo, product specifications and retail price if available so you have a reference. MAGPIE’s wishlist feature will do this for you.
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Research the seller’s platform history, number of sales, responsiveness, and ratings
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Ask for original purchase information & receipts
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Request extra photos, especially of defining details like logos, hardware, stitching and leather
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Understand the marketplace’s returns and authentication procedures, so that you can a clear sense of the risk you are taking
Once you purchase items that you want to track and authenticate, MAGPIE makes it easy.
Superfakes: Another obstacle within secondhand marketplaces
Superfakes are counterfeit products that use the same materials, molds, and factories as authentic products, and may even have product authenticity indicators such as holograms, barcodes and RFID tags. They are most prevalent in categories such as sneakers, handbags and leather goods, and often target the most exclusive and popular lines of product.
Highly specialized expertise, tools and time are required to identify these replicas. MAGPIE automates this process, for free.
