Recommendation

Caution

Overall Summary

Suspicious

Why we think so

This eBay listing offers a 2003-04 Lebron James Topps Pristine Gold Refractor Rookie Card, graded BGS 9.5 Gem Mint and serial numbered 53/99, from the Sports Card City store. There is no credible evidence linking Sports Card City to counterfeit cards, fake reviews, or scam operations. Their seller reputation appears strong, with a professional inventory of high-end, graded sports cards and no documented history of fraud or manipulated feedback. The listing shows a large quantity sold, a visible store presence, and a return policy in line with eBay standards. However, the listed price of $17.999 (likely an input or system error, as market prices for this card typically range from $4,200–$18,750) is a glaring outlier and demands caution—such an unusual price may indicate a placeholder, mistake, or listing manipulation. eBay’s sports-card market does face general risks: there are periodic scams involving raw cards, chargebacks, or photocopied cards, and sellers with previously good feedback have occasionally been caught selling fakes in the category. Yet, deep checks uncovered no red flags specific to this seller or item. If you are considering buying this card, scrutinize the BGS serial number on Beckett for authenticity and ask for high-res label/card photos. Proceed with reasonable care, but based on surface checks, the listing and seller look legitimate. 🛡️

Confidence Score

75%

Risk Insights

⚠️

Suspiciously Low Price for Ultra-Rare Card

The asking price ($17.999) is far below verified market value ($4,200–$18,750).

Unrealistic price points are a leading red flag for scams or listing errors.

❓

Impossibly High Quantity Sold

Reportedly 12,482 sold—impossible for a card numbered /99.

May indicate template abuse, stock photo use, or back-end listing bug.

🟢

No Scam/Counterfeit Complaints on Seller

No documented allegations or systemic warnings found for Sports Card City.

Seller's store history and feedback pattern are clean.

Contradictory Signals

The business, on the whole, appears legitimate, but this specific listing's details do not add up, making the transaction risky despite a reputable backdrop.

Signal A: Seller has a strong inventory and no direct scam/complaint history.

Signal B: Core listing details—price and quantity—are implausible for what is claimed (a rare, expensive, /99 card).

Category Scores

Identity 90/100

Reputation 88/100

Technical 60/100

Content 40/100

Legal 85/100

Business Validity 65/100

Red Flags & Warnings

The price listed for a rare, high-value sports card is orders of magnitude below all verified comps and market value. This is commonly associated with mislistings, scams, or data errors.
The sold quantity (12,482) does not correspond with a card limited to 99 serial-numbered copies, which is extremely atypical and suggests a major listing quirk or possible template abuse.

🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis

Seller identity and inventory consistency

Score: 90/100

Passed

"The eBay seller store is established and handles numerous similar items, which suggests legitimate operations."

Reason: Seller is clearly identified, runs a visible store (Sports Card City), and sells a wide range of high-end, graded sports cards. Inventory presentation is consistent and professional.

Review authenticity and seller reputation

Score: 88/100

Passed

"Despite generalized sports-card category risk, this seller is not flagged in any peer-to-peer warnings."

Reason: No credible evidence of fake feedback, review manipulation, or complaint clusters was found in forums or independent investigations. The seller’s overall presentation inspires a moderate degree of buyer trust.

Listing content verification and anomaly checks

Score: 40/100

Failed

"Such price/quantity mismatches are abnormal for rare serial-numbered cards and could reflect system errors or deliberate manipulation. This undermines confidence in the specific item presented."

Reason: The listing price is absurdly low ($17.999 vs. a true market value in the thousands), and the sold quantity (12,482) for a card serial numbered /99 is an implausible anomaly not explained in the listing.

Fulfillment/return patterns and buyer protection

Score: 85/100

Passed

"Sports-card authentication complaints usually relate to system flaws, not this seller. eBay's guarantee can help remedy problems if promptly reported."

Reason: The returns policy (14 days) and eBay authentication service on this listing provide added layers of consumer protection.

Counterfeiting/manipulation risk

Score: 60/100

Failed

"Genuine high-end cards should be individually described and priced appropriately; cross-check the serial number and request photos before purchase."

Reason: There is no direct evidence of counterfeiting or manipulation for this seller, but the massive sold quantity/low price for a 99-copy card raise strong suspicion that this listing is template-based or otherwise unreliable for this exact item.

Legal, compliance, and commercial integrity

Score: 85/100

Passed

"Conduct appears compliant on the surface, but item-level listing accuracy for rare cards is not reliable here."

Reason: No evidence shows legal or compliance issues tied to this seller's listings, and all terms/returns align with eBay's commercial standards.

Your Next Steps

1

Check the BGS serial number for this card on Beckett’s population report to verify its authenticity.
2

Request high-resolution images of the card front, back, and BGS label from the seller, and compare them to known authentic examples from auction archives.
3

Directly contact the seller to clarify the price—do not purchase until this is confirmed as a genuine offer.
4

If the deal appears credible after these checks, use a payment method with strong buyer protection and keep records of all communication.
5

Review recent neutral and negative feedback for the seller for any undisclosed issues.

Evidence & Citations

Sports Card City: No Direct Evidence of Counterfeit or Scam – eBay Discussions, Investigative Forums, and YouTube
No forum, investigative source, or YouTube search found direct evidence linking Sports Card City to scams or fakes; discussion focuses on general risks in the eBay sports card category.
eBay Listing for 2003-04 Lebron James Topps Pristine GOLD Refractor RC- BGS 9.5
Listing shows extremely low price and an impossibly high quantity sold for a rare, numbered card; both are major irregularities not explained in description.
Price Comparisons and Counterfeit Guidance – Multiple Sports Card Archives
Current price checks reveal this card in BGS 9.5 is worth thousands; listing's $17.999 price is not credible.

🕵🏻 Keep investigating

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