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What Do You Think of the Four Dealers I Have Purchased From?

I have been collecting autographs since I asked Phil Esposito to sign a scrap piece of paper in 1981 at the age of 11 but it was never a true hobby until 14 years ago. It was then that I not only continued to collect in-person autographs but also made quite a few purchases from dealers. I always believed the dealers that I purchased from to be reputable but I am also very interested in what you all have to say. The dealers that I have purchased from are Gallery of History, Kenneth W. Rendell Gallery, Steiner Sports and Michael Wehrmann. Thanks in advance and keep up the good work on this website.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on July 21, 2012 at 8:12pm

I'm pretty sure most sports collectors would regard Steiner among the safest bets out there. Can't comment too much about the others - I spot checked Gallery, and they definitely have some great authentic items. Not too sure about their overall reputation though.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on July 22, 2012 at 4:35am

Thanks Rich. I have always been very happy with Steiner since the day my best man bought me a Phil Rizzuto ball at Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant on my wedding night. Thanks to them I was able to meet Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield in person. I always wondered about the merchandise that they sold of legends long past. It looks like anything fitting that category is either PSA or JSA approved these days.

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Permalink Reply by Bobby Livingston on July 22, 2012 at 5:58am

Mike,

These four are some of the most reputable sellers of authentic material we know in our industry.

Ken Rendell and Gallery of History's Todd Axelrod are legendary autograph dealers and authors of major published autograph studies from back in the 1970's and 1980's. The type of historic material they sell routinely is high quality and you have made a wise choice buying from these sources. Years from now, your autographs will be worth much more because you bought them from a reputable source that you can document.

Wehrmann, as you know, is also a legend of in-person collecting and was a pioneer for getting the best material signed.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on July 22, 2012 at 10:38am

Thanks Bobby. This is a tremendous relief. You can imagine the frustration of knowing that my collection could be at least twice the size it is today if I had purchased a few items elsewhere. I am glad to hear that the money was worth the investment.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 22, 2012 at 7:17am

These are all reputable dealers.

Mike Whermnn is legendary among in-person music and entertainment collectors.

Steiner's name in sports is gold.

Ken Rendell is among the top in historic autographs.

Gallery of History is the only dealer I know of in Las Vegas that is in the business of selling genuine autographs. They bought a huge collection years go that became the core of their inventory, and I have seen some pieces that I think are secretarials, but they are the exception.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on July 22, 2012 at 10:44am

Thanks Steve. As I told Bobby this is a big relief. I have been reading a lot of what is being posted on this website and became a little nervous. My only concern with GOH is the 10 year guarantee. The only other seller that I have done business with is an eBay seller that I am now skeptical about after reading some posts. I plan on having the few items purchased from them authenticated in the weeks to come and I will keep you guys posted on the results. Thank you also for this invaluable website. Although I do miss having a hard copy of the magazine laying around the house this is much more productive. Keep up the good work.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 22, 2012 at 2:30pm

Mike,

If you want, get opinions on the autographs here before you send them in. You can get opinions here that are more than a thumbs up or thumbs down. You can find out how strong the opinions are, and generally why.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on July 22, 2012 at 2:51pm

Thanks Steve. I'm new to this and am still trying to figure out how to post photos but regardless I would rather send them in so that the dealer has no avenue of escape.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 22, 2012 at 4:59pm

If you're on an iPad or iPhone, there's no editing and upload toolbar in blogs or discussions yet, unfortunately. Post them as images people can comment there.