Counterfeit Card Alert: 2016 BBM Icons Speed #04 Shohei Ohtani

The 2024 MLB regular season is almost over, and playoff baseball is almost here. Despite not pitching this season and only playing as a designated hitter, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is still one of the leaders of the NL MVP Award race. Nearing a historic 50-50 season (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases), the international star is as popular as ever, as Ohtani looks for his first deep run into the playoffs and first World Series title.

As one of the faces of the league and one of the greatest players of his generation, Ohtani's collectibles already come at a premium. His sports cards and signed memorabilia are some of the most valuable items of any modern sports star in the world today. So, it comes as no surprise that counterfeiters would create fake versions of his collectibles in an attempt to profit off of them. That's the case with a submission that came through the CGC Cards grading room that pre-dates Ohtani's MLB career and is one of the earlier cards from his pro career in Japan: a 2016 BBM Icons Speed #04 Shohei Ohtani.

Front and back views of a counterfeit 2016 BBM Icons Speed #04 Shohei Ohtani card.

Due to his global popularity, early Ohtani cards have been an easy target for counterfeiters in recent years. This particular submission exhibited many of the same issues graders see when detecting most modern card counterfeits. The first red flag is that the card stock is overly glossy and thicker than genuine examples, which is seen when sheening the card under a good light source. That extra sheen is captured here on the top right corner of the front of the card.

LEFT: Close-up view of the counterfeit card's BBM logo on the front. RIGHT: Close-up view of the authentic card's BBM logo on the front.

The text and logos on both the front and the back of the card are pixilated when comparing to genuine examples. Zooming in on the text on the front that includes Ohtani's name and team name, the text shows more definition in the black lines. The white background surrounding the text shows a smoother transition between colors, as well.

LEFT: Close-up view of the counterfeit card's player name and team name on the front. RIGHT: Close-up view of the authentic card's player name and team name on the front.

This is also seen on the back at the bottom where the card features the Icons logo and each card's number. Here we see more pixelation on the counterfeit version. The edges of the text and Icons logo are less defined and look dull upon closer inspection. The negative space or white space in the wings of the Icons logo is more defined on the authentic example. Looking at the copyright information at the very bottom, the black text is thinner and more pronounced on the authentic copy.

LEFT: Close-up view of the counterfeit card's Icons logo and card number on the back. RIGHT: Close-up view of the authentic card's Icons logo and card number on the back.

The overall color of the card is bolder and more vibrant on a genuine copy, as well, which you can see in the blue background. The clarity of an authentic example is also seen in the player's image and skin tone. In this closeup of Ohtani pitching, it is evident when sheening the light against it that his skin tone is somewhat muted and the outlines of his arm and face look dull and less defined than on an authentic version of a 2016 BBM Ohtani card. In contrast, the ink bleeds into the background, losing its definition on the fake card.

LEFT: Close-up view of Ohtani's image on the front of the counterfeit card. RIGHT: Close-up view of Ohtani's image on the front of the authentic card.

A counterfeit is often created with an inferior printing process, leading to fuzziness that is seen in many of these examples. It is often hard to tell from a distance, but closer analysis while using a loupe pinpoints these differences immediately. Due to these red flags, the CGC Cards grading team was able to identify this card as a counterfeit.

Although the card in question was deemed counterfeit by CGC Cards experts, three others in the CGC Cards Population Report have been certified authentic and given grades of at least CGC 9.5, including the example below. As one of the earliest cards of Ohtani's already iconic baseball career, identifying these issues helped remove another counterfeit from the sports card market, making the hobby safer for collectors and dealers alike.

An authentic 2016 BBM Icons Speed #04 Shohei Ohtani graded CGC 9.5 Click images to enlarge.

Education is the most important tool when collecting cards. The more collectors know about the printing and manufacturing process of cards, the fewer mistakes will be made when buying cards. This example also highlights the importance of certification for any high-value card.

CGC Cards authenticates, grades and encapsulates authentic examples of cards, making the hobby a safer place for collectors, traders and sellers. To do this, CGC Cards uses world-class expertise, advanced technology, innovation and operational excellence to provide sports card collectors and dealers with accurate and consistent certification services. CGC backs these determinations with the CGC Guarantee, which adds significant confidence, liquidity and value to the hobby. To learn more about CGC's industry-leading services, visit CGCcards.com.

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