what are some ways you can protect yourself from fraud when investing in collectibles?

Answer 1

If you are investing in collectibles you should really become as much of an expert as possible. If you are new to a certain type of collectible, find an expert and let them show you what to look for.

Answer 2

Don't buy anything on EBay unless you can go see it first.

Fraud is the least of your worries.

Beanie babies are now worthless. If you collect them you lost.
The same goes for collectible truck banks. They're worth less than list price.
Nascar collectibles are headed that way.
I save collectible cars. It's expensive getting started but they go up in value and the demand is growing.Sometimes you can sell one and buy two and still have a profit. You gotta know a lot about old cars to keep from losing money.
Hot wheels are still a good investment but only the out of production ones. They release several different series a year. If you buy a whole series you won't be able to make a profit on it for at least five years and then it will be a small profit.The original 60s and 70s cars are where the money is.
Antique toys are always in demand.
There are collector guides that you can buy in a book store for anything you decide to collect.