What steps to take to authenticate 90s cards

So this popped up on the bay and it got me thinking. It is well known that these, along with other 90s high end cards, were heavily faked. I know you can never 100% be sure, but there must be some steps one could take to lower your chances of buying into a fake. What would be these steps?

If you’re a member on BO ask this guy who started thread,

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1395468

GarnettFan4Life said:

If you’re a member on BO ask this guy who started thread,

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1395468

Click to expand...

This guy raises so many questions for me.

Who is he?
How does he know they are fake?
How has he gained this knowledge (that noone/few others apparently have)?
Why is he the apparent definitive authority on what is fake and what isn't (to the extent he is advising grading companies as per the fake Kobe's thread)?
Why should he be trusted?
Why should grading companies (apparently) trust him?
Why should people trust grading companies if they don't know what he does?
Why should grading companies be paid money for a service if they are less trustworthy/knowledgeable/competent than this guy?
Why do buyers pay a premium for graded cards if the companies are less competent than a guy off the street?

Seems so strange to me.

Dodgydave said:

This guy raises so many questions for me.

Who is he?
How does he know they are fake?
How has he gained this knowledge (that noone/few others apparently have)?
Why is he the apparent definitive authority on what is fake and what isn't (to the extent he is advising grading companies as per the fake Kobe's thread)?
Why should he be trusted?
Why should grading companies (apparently) trust him?
Why should people trust grading companies if they don't know what he does?
Why should grading companies be paid money for a service if they are less trustworthy/knowledgeable/competent than this guy?
Why do buyers pay a premium for graded cards if the companies are less competent than a guy off the street?

Seems so strange to me.

Click to expand...

either way it’s good that he shares the info. Maybe he has printing experience. Maybe he’s an analyst. Ex-employee?
People in the game a long time just pick up things by being around for so long, whether they had the original cards and sighted a fake at some stage and started to compare differences.

you do raise a good point though, I think I was a few pages in until I thought, hang on a sec, the companies missed these cards as fakes! And then wanted them back! It is a huge issue!

GarnettFan4Life said:

either way it’s good that he shares the info. Maybe he has printing experience. Maybe he’s an analyst. Ex-employee?
People in the game a long time just pick up things by being around for so long, whether they had the original cards and sighted a fake at some stage and started to compare differences.

you do raise a good point though, I think I was a few pages in until I thought, hang on a sec, the companies missed these cards as fakes! And then wanted them back! It is a huge issue!

Click to expand...

Yeah, lots if ways he could get the knowledge. I don't so much question is credibility as I do; why if he has the knowledge, do grading companies/their employees not have that knowledge?

Sure, they get masses of cards to grade but the majority of them are going to be "ho-hum nothing exciting to see here" let the junior/mid-level guys deal with it in 10 seconds. But surely when a card worth 5 figures USD (or more) that is known to be faked comes in there is some top dog who that card goes straight to as a true expert in the field.

Surely that guy knows what to look for and spends the time actually looking for it before grading it.

However, it seems this poster from BO has picked up multiple cards from multiple grading companies that he claims to be fake but have been graded as legit. However, the companies then believe him over their own grading.

So does that mean:

The grading companies systems are broken and incompetent/unqualified employees are grading whatever comes across their desk?
The grading companies systems are broken and the employees may be competent but they do not have enough time to accurately assess cards?
The grading companies systems are fine but all employees are incompetent/unqualified to assess these cards accurately?
The grading companies systems and employees are fine but their attitude/business model is flawed/corrupt? ie employee has doubts but company would rather grade card as legit and see it sell for mega dollars because that self-enforces the value of their service to other card owners?

Then:

Why do grading companies seem happy to take his advice/work with him (if his posts are to be believed) rather than back their own professional ability which they charge significant $ for and buyers place a huge $ premium on cards baring their grades?

So weird to me...