Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey Hauser on November 25, 2015 at 9:18pm

Low price, it's fake

Uncommon signature, it's probably fake.

Ignore COA's and do your own research on the signature. Anyone, including PSA, Epperson, etc. can make mistakes. Then assume you are right and buy it understanding it STILL might not be real. But at least you tried because, unless it WATCHED it being signed, it still can be a fake.

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Permalink Reply by James McCay on December 12, 2015 at 9:26am

ON CARD (not sticker) Certified Autograph Inserts from trusted card companies (Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer) pre-2006 are a safe way to buy 99.99% Authentic Autographs on nice looking cards of star sports players and many different celebrities too (Inkworks & Rittenhouse are the most trusted companies of non-sports autos). Also pre-2002 Playoff (or Donruss/Playoff - name changed in October 2001) ON CARD autographs are some of the nicest looking ON CARD autographs ever made. In mid-2001 Donruss/Playoff started using nothing but UGLY holo-foil stickers for autographs.

DO NOT buy a card because it has a piece of jersey on it too (far too many have been proved fraudulent non-player used), DO NOT buy an autograph because it has a low serial number (Example: Serial #07/25- no smart collector cares) YOU WANT A GOOD QUALITY AUTOGRAPH which is the most important thing.

You can also find card company obtained & released 99.99% Authentic items other than cards like 2001 Absolute Baseball autographed BASEBALLS, 2001 Absolute FB Autographed Football mini-helmets, and 2001 Fleer Legacy Autographed player hats. These are fairly hard to find these days, but patience pays off!

I wouldn't use any other autographs from eBay to put in my cat's litter pan, EVEN IF "AUTHENTICATED" BY PSA/DNA OR JAMES SPENCE or any other authentication service! Far too many have been proven to be forgeries so their services are worthless as far as I'm concerned.  

The more research you do and the more you learn about this hobby BEFORE YOU COLLECT, the more fun you will have collecting.

Happy Holidays to all & BE CAREFUL out there!

James McCay

cardcop04@gmail.com - Always happy to take a look at an autograph and give a free opinion. I trained for over 200-hours with a nationally known Forensic Document Examiner and have been busting forgery sellers since 1999. Just keep in mind that I have Muscular Dystrophy and Multiple Sclerosis symptoms every day (plus other medical problems), so I may not be able to reply every day.  

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Permalink Reply by Terry G. on December 12, 2015 at 6:30pm

Regarding James statement about low serial numbered autograph cards, I think it's important to understand that if the autograph is authentic, and there is a limited run of them, it does indeed hold a higher value in some circumstances. As James says, this is not the best reason to buy one of them, as there are many circumstances that can change a value of a sportscard on any given day. But why pay more for that low-serial numbered card if you are not a collector of that type of card? A large percentage of the time, if a player has signed a low-serial numbered card, he has also signed regular, non-numbered cards as well, and can be had at a reasonable price. For example, Cal Ripken has signed for Topps and Upper Deck almost non-stop since his retirement and finding a certified card signed by him is not a difficult task- I've got more than a few of them. If you just want his auto, any of those will do. If you want his auto plus higher-value driven by rarity, the serial numbered 3/5 Topps card I have of his would cost you about double his regular autograph cards. I wouldn't recommend flat-out dismissal of serial numbered cards as being "dumb" buys. 

Regarding jersey swatch cards, it's important to read the back of the card, where the manufacturer usually has a disclaimer about the jersey used on the piece. Upper Deck was notorious for using "game-used" jerseys on it's product, only to find out the games were exhibitions, old-timer games, minor league or non-regular season games. They used to cut up the jerseys used in practice and call them game worn. They also have "event-worn", "player-worn" and "player-used" cards- and none of them might have actually been used in an actual game. Overall, there have been so many game-worn cards manufactured in the past 20 years that they no longer are looked at as anything special by collectors, unless they have a signature as well or come from a truly rare item from a legendary player. 

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Permalink Reply by Terry G. on December 12, 2015 at 6:05pm

Even though it might be an easy choice of a gift for me, I've always told family and friends to not go the autograph route. Too many hazards for the uneducated, uninformed consumer to navigate. I explain it by using the example of a autograph collector who is a huge Springsteen fan, who opens a gift Xmas morning to find a signed Bruce guitar in front of him that is an absolute forgery and almost worthless. The thought of it was wonderful but the end result is a waste of money and a ton of disappointment. 

I've been pleased over the years to have my family take some of my signed items and have them framed up for me by a custom designer to make it even more attractive. Unwrapping those are a great surprise!

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Permalink Reply by TradeGeek on January 1, 2016 at 2:01pm

As I am primarily a card collector, id add one bit of advice. Topps produces severs products under the Bowman brand that contain huge checklists of prospect autographs. Most are not considered rookie cards as many of the players have not been on their teams 40 man roster and have had no major league playing time prior to the cards being manufactured. Additionally, the players are typically in their minor league uniforms. That aside, the cards are often very affordable even years after the player makes his major league debut. The affordability is due to the reasons I just mentioned and the fact that most of the prospects sign in considerable quantity. For many minor league players, who were not first round picks, the they rely on the contracts with the card manufacturers to supplement their, often, meager minor league contracts. Some would look at this as a negative, but it does allow for a collector on a budget to pick up an autograph for a up and coming major league star at a very affordable price. I picked up several Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias (yes, Dodger fan) for my son for Christmas and paid less than $40 each. This despite Pederson making the All Star team and Seager making a splash late in the season in the majors. They may never be high value cards, given the number produced. But, they are great items to add to a collection without breaking the bank.

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