Counterfeit Card Alert: 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan Rookie Card

NBA legend Michael Jordan is arguably the most popular athlete of all time on and off the court, including when it comes to collectibles. Although the six-time NBA champion has been retired from playing since 2003, he is a cornerstone of the hobby and still among the most collected athletes to this day. Universally known as the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan's global popularity and branding has no contemporary rival across any sport.

The shooting guard with five MVP Awards to his name is one of the most decorated players in NBA history, earning a dedicated fanbase that has collected his cards for decades. As is the case with any popular athlete, Jordan's earliest cards are highly sought after, with his 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card becoming the most iconic modern card in the hobby. However, the card can be a difficult one to add to any Jordan collection since even examples in lower grades can sell for thousands of dollars. The highest-graded examples easily realize hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.

Therefore, it was inevitable that the 1986-87 Fleer #57 would be counterfeited around the world, easily becoming one of the most faked cards in the hobby. With a huge market of devout collectors vying for a Jordan rookie card, counterfeiters have been at work perfecting fake versions of this gem for decades.

Submissions of this Jordan rookie card regularly pass through the CGC grading room, with more than 150 examples currently included in the CGC Population Report. Recently, a purported 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card (pictured above) was submitted. However, CGC experts quickly noticed several red flags that aided in detecting the card as a counterfeit issue. This is just one of many counterfeit examples that CGC has been able to weed out of the hobby.

One quick look at the cards above and you may not notice any glaring differences between the authentic and counterfeit examples except for color tone. Yet upon closer inspection, several differences reveal themselves to a trained eye. For example, when zooming in on the front of the card's Fleer Premier logo at the top right corner, we can start to see differences when comparing the card in question to an authentic example.

TOP: Front Fleer Premier logo of the authentic card BOTTOM: Front Fleer Premier logo of the counterfeit card

The Fleer logo on an authentic card should display nice bold lines within the rounded border. The text within the logo should look crisp and clean, with the "Fleer" and "Premier" being clearly legible without pixilation. In addition, the end of the yellow banner that is to the right of "Premier" should have a very specific print pattern within it. None of these characteristics check out on the counterfeit example.

TOP: Front bottom of the counterfeit card BOTTOM: Front bottom of the authentic card

Shifting focus to the bottom part of the front of the rookie card is Michael Jordan's name, team name and position. This name plate is another glaring indicator that raises red flags about the example. Like the Fleer logo, the lines and text should be clean and crisp, without pixilation, and easy to read. It becomes obvious that the top example (counterfeit) is far too pixilated compared to the bottom (authentic) example.

Similar issues can be found on the back side, as well. On the bottom left corner of the card, you can see that the "R" logo that stands for registered trademark as well as the "C" for copyright are not as clearly defined on the counterfeit example compared to the authentic example. Also notice that the red print pattern is clearly different when comparing each card.

On the bottom right corner of the card, you should be able to make out the "National Basketball Player Association" surrounding the basketball. You should also see the lines through the basketball that are consistent with a real basketball, which cannot be seen on the counterfeit card.

With each of these previous examples on the front and back, the color is a tell-tale sign. The boldness of the color and finish of the card stock is another clear indicator on both sides of the card that simply do not compare to an authentic example. This is also evident under various good infrared light sources, which confirm the differences between the cards even more.

These notable red flags on the front and back of the counterfeit 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card helped CGC experts determine that it is not an authentic example. 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 authenticates, grades and encapsulates authentic examples of cards, making the hobby a safer place for collectors, traders and sellers. To do this, CGC experts 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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