Obtaining a Gray Whale: Is It Real?

Thanks to a recent ebay ebucks promotion, I was able to accumulate a few dollars in ebucks, which never really happens for me.  I just don't shop on ebay enough.  I used my ebucks to pick up some cards that I might not have purchased otherwise. 

The card I really wanted here was the Jamaal Williams, but after searching through the seller's other cards, I found a few that were cheaper than I could buy them on COMC.  The Barry Sanders is a promo card, which is kind of cool, and the Ty Law is a 2017 Panini Phoenix orange parallel numbered to 99.

What I really spent the ebay bucks on was one of my "gray whales."  This card has been sitting on the top of my wantlist since I first learned of its existence a few years ago.

 This card has needed  to be in my collection on a ton of different levels.

1. It's a Cub.
2. Ken Hubbs was the 1962 NL Rookie of the Year.
3. Like me (and Daniel at It's Like Having My Own Card Shop, apparently), Ken Hubbs was a Mormon.
4. His plane crashed in Utah Lake.  I live on the northern shore of the lake, just miles from the spot of the crash.

This particular card, however, has always been priced just a little more than I have wanted to pay.  Part of the reason, I suppose, is that it is 1964 high number.  It's not terribly expensive, but I rarely spend more than a couple of bucks on any card, so I've never pulled the trigger.  But with the ebucks and a best offer to the seller, I was able to pick up my #1 Most Wanted card for just $1.75 out of pocket.

I do have a bit a of a concern, though, because most of the copies I've seen of this card are more expensive and in worse condition.  This particular card is in really good shape for a 54 year old card.  No creases, no writing, only slightly fuzzy corners.  I gave a lowball best offer, and the seller countered with a price that wasn't much higher, which left me wondering why I got it for less than the other cards available.  I'm no expert in vintage cards, so I'm turning to the cardsphere to help alleviate my fears.  Does anything about this card appear counterfeit to any of you?

If it looks good, I'm ecstatic.  A gray whale that I've been searching for for just under $2 is great to me.  If it's not real, then I'm back to where I started.  I think it looks good, but I just want to be sure because I probably wouldn't be able to tell a fake on my own.  Let me know what it looks like to you.