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Authenticity is Everything
Beckett Authentication
Anyone have any opinion in Beckett Authentication? They gave me a crazy cheap deal on authenticating a poster I had collected 25 autographs on at a convention this past weekend so I took it. Does it add much value to an autograph collection to have them all verified?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by William Young on
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I'm confused by this. Why does authentication only add value for the short term? If the autographs are certified authentic now, are they not still just as certified authentic ten years from now? Isn't it better for them to be certified closer to the signing date rather than years after the signing?
Genuinely curious, not arguing.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
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I don't think that is what Joe meant exactly. For me, such authentication adds nothing as those companies make so many errors and fail to correct databases etc when shown factual evidence - and if they put a sticker on your item to me it is now worth less as vandalized/damaged/being a billboard with free advertising. To what you asked - there are collectors of coins who prefer or value more certain variations of the slabs that might indicate when the coin was graded. This or that company is said to have been "better" at grading or whatever during time frame "X". It is all fashion - long dresses this year, short next. Opinions, which change. Like...business models. When company "X" gets a bad rep, those items bearing that sticker may take a hit, or worse and get a bad lingering stain. Think GAI sort of thing. Last week I saw a GAI stickered secretarial inside a PSA slab...what are these services worth down the road? I wonder what they are worth worth NOW. When a "top authenticator" can pass as fully genuine a photo of an actress playing a rather dead celebrity in a biopic...well, I'll do my own work.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Meyer on
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Usually by then the authentication company screws up so many times their sticker isn’t worth any more then an unauthenticated item. GAI and GA is a good example. I’d rather gamble with something not authenticated then add their garbage to my collection. At one time they were actually valued by some sticker collectors.
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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on
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what he meant was what is the point of paying for authentication on an item you got in person, unless you are intending to sell it in the future.
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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on
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The "value" added only comes should you decide to sell it. Some collectors will only buy items that have been certified by Beckett or one of the other services. The real value would be who the 25 autographs are. It also depends on where or how you sell the item. If you decide to sell on eBay, it definitely would make your item easier to sell. If you consign it to an auction which offers pre-certification with their listings, then it is not as important.
I guess if you got a crazy cheap deal then why not go ahead. As long as Beckett remains a solid company then you saved some money. But, you got them in person and, if you plan to hold onto it, then the value is already there.
Sorry, if I confused you earlier and hopefully this answer is not equally as confusing.
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Plus, I have seen discussions on this site that getting autographs re-authenticated every five years or so is a good idea. It seems the more current the authentication date the more reliable the authentication. At least, I've seen this mentioned here before. Not to say I necessarily agree with that myself.
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Permalink Reply by goodcat on
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For one... I just don't understand why people need a TPA for in person autographs. You know it's real and have the story to back it up.
Many folks buy and sell because they know it's real.
Its the casual collectors that seem to need the certificate to feel more comfortable. But rarely do they ever do personal research on who the certificate is from. And thus we now see a zillion fake cheesy certs.
Another problem is that the bigger popular companies are making more mistakes and folks on here are very aware of it and they are many threads about it.
TPA's including Beckett are mostly for casual collectors. And many companies including Beckett have made several costly errors for the consumer and don't feel the need to be accountable in many cases.
The one main thing I share with Eric is that I think the sticker (especially on the front) is destruction of property and nothing more than an advertising gimmick.
I must be bored as this topic is becoming very repetitive. But newbies need to learn (as I needed too) , so it's all in good information and better to spread the good word.
New cert, old cert... Who gives a crap. Authentic lasts forever.
Joe explained it pretty well.
And the other's are also good mentors
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I will agree :)
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Thanks for your replies. This is interesting because every article I've read online about buying/selling has said that authentication is pretty much a requirement - that without it the value of the item goes down for sellers and that buyers should be wary at non-authenticated items. Here most of you are saying that authentication is useless and can be detrimental. I wonder if it's just the audience - regular people buying vs. hobbiest/pros like yourselves.
RE: .Why I would want authentication for items signed in person.
S*** happens. My spouse was in a horrific car accident a few years ago. You can become disabled/die at any point. Should something hapoha to me I'd like the option for myself/my heirs to sell quickly and with the least amount of hastle.
RE crazy cheap: Entire poster was authenticated for $150 Canadian - $6/autograph.
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Should also add I had a conversation with a guy in the spring who runs a small collectible business going from con to con and he was asking about my poster and if it was authenticated. He talked about authentication and how he did not buy non-authenticated items because, while authenticated items can be faked due to human error miscertifying them, they're a lot less likely to be fraudulent and have paper to back them up.
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