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"Collectors should be especially concerned with jerseys, photos and single signed baseballs that have a hologram with GAI/Global Authentications on them."

Fake Sandy Koufax autographs and unlicensed collectibles are flooding the sports collectibles industry via the Internet and charity auctions at an alarming rate, warns Harlan Werner, longtime agent for Sandy Koufax.

“Third party authentication companies do their best and their services are opinions, ” said Werner. “Each company uses experts to review the item and render their opinion. Having worked for Sandy for nearly 30 years, I am quite confident that we have a better understanding of his autograph than any third party.

"Collectors should be especially concerned with jerseys, photos and single signed baseballs that have a hologram with GAI/Global Authentications on them. Along with the flood of fake autographs, there are numerous unlicensed items that have infringed on Koufax’s trademark being sold through online auction sites.”

Werner and his company Sports Placement Service Inc., previously represented Muhammad Ali and he assisted the FBI in the late-1990s to help stop the flood of fake Muhammad Ali autographs being sold into the market place, which was documented in the book , OPERATION BULLPEN.

Tags: ', GA, GAI, Global authentication, Harlan Werner, autograph, fakes, forgeries, sandy koufax, sports placement service

Views: 5834

Replies to This Discussion

I had mentioned this previously, especially Koufax, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Jim Brown, Hank Aaron, Gale Sayers, Ted Williams, Dimaggio, and especially mantle. I have noticed them now starting to do a lot of music. Rolling Stones, Zeppelin, Springsteen, etc.

The U2 autographs I've seen them cert have pretty much been straight vomit.  Though I'm sure the excuse is that Bono signed them on a golf course.

Excellent thread, Steve!!!!

I forgot to mention all the GA approved Clint Eastwood forgeries they are flooding the market with.

thanks! I get notices about 24 hr auctions for Koufax items on facebook all the time. 

It is about time someone stood up and defended their own namesake. I have been complaining about Koufax/Kershaw/Puig GA junk for several months now. Over 125+ Koufax "autographs" certified by Global Authentics have been sold on eBay since the beginning of the year. Jerseys (any color you want), balls, dual signed balls with Kershaw, flats, you name it, it's on eBay with a GA sticker.  

Sandy Koufax does not sign much EVER. It is estimated he signs 1,000 autographs per year. He does not do shows, does not do TTM, he is a very private person. At Spring Training he will sign 1 or 2 days, and there are people camped out for 6+ hours in hopes of getting him. If they're lucky he will sign 1 item, for about 100 people and then he's done for the year.

So you mean to tell me that eBay seller milestone-autographs paid $275 for an authentic Mitchell & Ness throwback jersey, camped out for  6 hours, had Sandy sign his jersey, paid for Global Authentics authentication ($30), and is going to sell it for $150 BIN on eBay? YEAH RIGHT. They are counterfeit jerseys from China, and forgeries, slapped with a GA sticker and peddled on eBay. There are TONS of sellers who follow this same "business model"... 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SANDY-KOUFAX-Signed-Cooperstown-Collection-...

These are not "mistakes" made by GA, this is slapping stickers on one forgery after another. As I have said in my Puig study, it is incredibly hard to find an AUTHENTIC Global Authentics certified Puig signature. In fact, I don't know if I've seen ONE. That is how bad GA is, when you see their sticker it is almost a guaranteed forgery IMHO. They are GAI on steroids. And this is just 2-3 "stars", there is thousands upon thousands of GA "certified" garbage of every big star out there.

Milestone-autographs also has signed "Greg Maddux" jersey for $110 BIN and a signed "George Brett" jersey for $130 BIN. All GA certified. Sold items shows many multiples of the same, including signed "Willie Mays" jerseys for $150.

Anyone with a lick of common sense can draw their own conclusions.

Yup. When you find an eBay seller with Global Authentics "autographs", they will typically have page after page of "signed" jerseys/balls/flats/anything you could imagine, all "certified" by GA of course. Not to mention the 20+ pages of previously sold GA "autographs" on their feedback page. 

Here is yet another Sandy Koufax "signed" jersey sold by eBay seller milestone-autographs within the past month! This one for $169! Once again, an authentic Mitchell & Ness Sandy Koufax jersey alone costs $275 (plus tax)... and that is UNSIGNED! 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SANDY-KOUFAX-Signed-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-Jer...

One day last spring he maybe signed 100 or so and one of the only other days he signed he ran through the line twice and probably signed 600-700,as you recall Ryan I was salty as hell cause i was at work that day..While this is admirable that his agent is speaking out about it,Sandy does sign a lot of this unlicensed stuff at ST,IE.."Costco" photos and China Jerseys.He knows what is bootleg or not and should just tell people with the bootlegs to get bent.

Here's some more GA garbage, this being sold by eBay seller ctownsellers 

$99 BIN + free shipping for a Sandy Koufax autograph? Let's see, subtract $10 in eBay fees, $5 in shipping, $30 for authentication (not to mention shipping to/from GA), so you're selling a Sandy Koufax signed 8x10 for essentially $55? YEAH RIGHT.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sandy-Koufax-Dodgers-Autographed-Auto-Signe...

Oh, but they don't just have 1. They sold another for $99, this one an 11x14! WOW! An 11x14 Sandy Koufax signed photo for $55 profit! You flew from Ohio to AZ and camped out for 6 hours, were lucky enough to get a Koufax signature, and are selling it for $55!!! WOW!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sandy-Koufax-Dodgers-Autographed-Auto-Signe...

Oh and not to be out-done, eBay seller ctownsellers also has a "signed" Koufax jersey for sale, and sold a "signed" Koufax ball this month! (Both GA). Not to mention the endless amount of Luck/Kershaw/Trout "GA" stuff they have for sale! Geez, this seller must be best friends with all of these amazing athletes, AND Steve Sipe!

I have to give a ton of credit to Ryan for exposing this crap for a long, long time.

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