Good Autograph Authenticators

[CamaroDMD]

I mentioned in a different thread that I am starting a signed baseball set of Braves greats. I will be purchasing most of these balls online and I want to purchase balls that have been authenticated by reputable companies. I know that PSA is considered very good...but what about the others? What other companies are considered reputable. Is JSA considered on par with PSA for example? Who should I stay away from and who should I trust?

I am going to be very picky with this collection. I want to find nice looking signatures on ROMLBs signed with blue ink only. No inscriptions of any kind...just a signature. The goal is a nice looking uniform set. I have also noticed that some player's signature varies a lot. For example, I have seen Hank Aaron signed balls (PSA certified) with very attractive signatures and some (also PSA) with very ugly/crude signatures. Perhaps they were signed in a hurry or perhaps Mr. Aaron's signature is beginning to get sloppy as he ages (or both). Point being, I want to find nice quality certified and attractive pieces and I know those cost a premium...so I want to ensure they are authentic.

[dscards]

I'd recommend 1st Party companies like Steiner, Tristar and UDA before going to 3rd Party like PSA and JSA.
I'd definitely go for the following if you're serious about authentication.

Hank Aaron-Steiner or UDA
Chipper-UDA or MLB
Glavine-Steiner or MLB
Maddux-Steiner
Dale Murphy-Tristar
Niekro-Steiner or Tristar
Smoltz- Steiner or Tristar

You're going to pay a little more for 1st party companies, but you know without any doubt they are legit and they will hold their value.

Also, as always, don't touch anything with a GAI COA.

[dscards]

Steiner is currently having a sale. Phil Niekro and Andruw Jones SS OMLBs for $49.99 a piece. You could probably find them cheaper, but just wanted to let you know.
http://www.steinersports.com/promoti...432~cp=1~ip=90

There's also an Andruw Jones Steiner ball on eBay for $20 (currently) ending later today.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Andruw-Jones...item5657a86a39

[NY Sports Teams]

I mentioned in a different thread that I am starting a signed baseball set of Braves greats. I will be purchasing most of these balls online and I want to purchase balls that have been authenticated by reputable companies. I know that PSA is considered very good...but what about the others? What other companies are considered reputable. Is JSA considered on par with PSA for example? Who should I stay away from and who should I trust?

I am going to be very picky with this collection. I want to find nice looking signatures on ROMLBs signed with blue ink only. No inscriptions of any kind...just a signature. The goal is a nice looking uniform set. I have also noticed that some player's signature varies a lot. For example, I have seen Hank Aaron signed balls (PSA certified) with very attractive signatures and some (also PSA) with very ugly/crude signatures. Perhaps they were signed in a hurry or perhaps Mr. Aaron's signature is beginning to get sloppy as he ages (or both). Point being, I want to find nice quality certified and attractive pieces and I know those cost a premium...so I want to ensure they are authentic.

As dscards stated stick with 1st party companies. I would also throw in Mounted Memories, Ironclad and also Radke and Schwartz who do private signings and often sell Mounted Memories, Steiner, TriStar and UDA authenticated items at a good price.

To say PSA/DNA is very good is comical. Do a google search on some of their blatant mistakes. PSA/DNA is best out there but if I have a signed item I want to know it's authentic. Some of these companies have authenticated an item that was produced 10-20 years after a player had passed away yet somehow this player rose from his grave to sign the item. As far as I'm concerned they are a bunch of clowns. When I look at my collection I want to know the signed item is authentic and not probably authentic.

I would rather have an ugly signature from TriStar than an attractive one which was authenticated by PSA/DNA. The Aaron you see are probably due to his age.

Here are a few links that have to do with the aforementioned jokers. If you can't get a Ty Cobb right do you think I trust anything that they authenticate? As I've said before, I think they would have a problem authenticating their own signature.

http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=12266
http://boards.collectors-society.com...5439/site_id/1
http://live.autographmagazine.com/fo...ication-errors

There also have been articles in Universal Autograph Collectors Club: http://uacc.org/

You can google and find mistake after mistake from these authenticating companies. The best are in-person auto's followed by the companies I listed. You can pay less and get something that is authenticated by one of the authenticating companies or you can pay a little more for a piece of mind in knowing that the autograph is authentic. Just my .02 1/2 cents.

One other thing. I would familiarize yourself with authentic exemplars.

...Rick

[dscards]

Rick,

Thanks for adding Mounted Memories, Ironclad, etc. All very reputable companies.

Though I do have reservations about PSA and JSA for historical autographs, I do generally trust them for modern autographs. Now, I'm an avid reader of Hauls of Shame and have read just about every horror story, I still am willing to admit that the authenticators at PSA know more, have more experience, and have better access to exemplars and resources than I do. I view their COA as an 'opinion', but if my own research into an autograph matches their opinion on the autograph, I'm generally comfortable buying it. JSA I'm a little more hesitant about.

[NY Sports Teams]

Rick,

Thanks for adding Mounted Memories, Ironclad, etc. All very reputable companies.

Though I do have reservations about PSA and JSA for historical autographs, I do generally trust them for modern autographs. Now, I'm an avid reader of Hauls of Shame and have read just about every horror story, I still am willing to admit that the authenticators at PSA know more, have more experience, and have better access to exemplars and resources than I do. I view their COA as an 'opinion', but if my own research into an autograph matches their opinion on the autograph, I'm generally comfortable buying it. JSA I'm a little more hesitant about.

I graphed NY Giants Training Camp for years. I've seen a friend get an auto from a player and then it come back as questionable from both PSA/DNA along with JSA. I understand a rushed signature can be difficult at best to authenticate and there are probably not a lot of exemplars for those but that's what these companies are getting paid to do. I've got between 500-600 items signed and when I look at my collection I know they are authentic. Even if PSA/DNA-JSA had a 98% success rate that would mean with a collection that size that 10-12 items are not authentic. I highly doubt their rate is that high with some of the things I've seen authenticated. With the price someone pays for auto's you want to be sure that it's authentic, not 98%-99% chance it's authentic. If a company can authenticate an item that was produced 10-20 years after a player passed away and deemed that item as authentic how can I trust any of their judgements? I totally understand they are the only option if you want something authenticated, but not an option for my money. I'd much rather pay a higher price from one of the reputable companies. I would love to own a Ty Cobb auto but I would always question it's authenticity. Just my .02-.03.

With that said I have an extra in-person Ali 16x20 that I will have to get authenticated if I want to sell it. I did have them authenticate an in-person Arnold Palmer and a Jack Nicklaus pin flag before I attached it to the display case.

...Rick

[NY Sports Teams]

I'm not sure if any Braves have websites but I trust items coming from players sites such as Clemens, Favre's, Rose's, Ryan's, ect. If you do like something most of the time they have sales each week so wait for a better price. Another .005.

...Rick

[dscards]

I agree with ya Rick. If it's in any way possible, I go for 1st Party authentication over PSA/JSA. However, I understand that their COA will increase my items value if I do decide to sell sometime down the road. If my own research and personal opinion is that it is real, their COA just makes me a little more sure.
In regards to rushed in person signatures...I would much rather have them refuse to authenticate an item that they can't be 100% sure is real than slap their COA on sloppy signatures that don't match examplars. Now, this doesn't explain some of the mistakes they've made, and I don't mean to sit here and defend 3rd party authenticators, simply that when coupled with your own adequate research, they can be an effective tool in determining whether an item is likely to be authentic.

But, back to the topic at hand...I checked Chipper's website and he is exclusive through Radtke sports, however their prices are much higher than you could nab on off eBay for. None of the others seem to have their own websites that sell autographs.

[NY Sports Teams]

I agree with ya Rick. If it's in any way possible, I go for 1st Party authentication over PSA/JSA. However, I understand that their COA will increase my items value if I do decide to sell sometime down the road. If my own research and personal opinion is that it is real, their COA just makes me a little more sure.
In regards to rushed in person signatures...I would much rather have them refuse to authenticate an item that they can't be 100% sure is real than slap their COA on sloppy signatures that don't match examplars. Now, this doesn't explain some of the mistakes they've made, and I don't mean to sit here and defend 3rd party authenticators, simply that when coupled with your own adequate research, they can be an effective tool in determining whether an item is likely to be authentic.

But, back to the topic at hand...I checked Chipper's website and he is exclusive through Radtke sports, however their prices are much higher than you could nab on off eBay for. None of the others seem to have their own websites that sell autographs.

Yes, that's why I have to get Mr. Ali's 16x20 authenticated. There is probably at least a $1,000 difference in price between ones that are authenticated and those without.

I also would rather them not authenticate something they are not 100% sure of.

Radke is good, they have a few exclusive athletes and yes anything with a Radke hologram would be good off of eBay at a lower price. You could probably find some TriStar and Mounted Memories authenticated of him as well.

I guess my point is pay a little more and get a good 1st party hologram. You should also be informed on what a players authentic graph is by looking at trusted 1st party exemplars. If your comparing a graph you want to a forgery your never going to win. You can look on eBay and pick out many/most of the forgeries.

...Rick

[braves#10]

PSA/DNA ITP (in the presence) is a safe bet. It just means that somebody from PSA witnessed the item get signed.