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COA serve a purpose. But not for the reasons they were designed for.

Seems in today's world little matters except who issued the COA. It's one of those feel good ideas that sound great in theory but does not work well in the real world applications. In an imperfect world why do so many "collectors" value them so much?

In my eyes they serve one purpose; one clue to solve the mystery of "is it real?". We live in a culture where too many people either do not have the desire to study the hobby well enough to have a clue or are just too darn lazy.

COAs are simply a marketing tool created to sell autographs. And now there is a whole industry charging big dollars to provide a service that is only slightly better, in most cases, than what the average person can figure out if they just did a quick Google search or asked a few questions.

Just a thought. Before you buy, be slightly more diligent and save yourself a lot of grief down the road.

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Permalink Reply by Abcd on September 9, 2018 at 10:47am

I know who Steve is. I know what Joe was saying. He wasn't trying to say experts like Steve are a waste of time. Most COAs are trash and people need to do more research before parting with their cash. Now, where is that donut.

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Permalink Reply by Abcd on September 9, 2018 at 10:57am

Goodcat, we don't disagree, we appear to disagree.

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Permalink Reply by goodcat on September 9, 2018 at 11:07am

I'll get back to you with a smartarse comment later

I'm not finished my donut ;)

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Permalink Reply by Abcd on September 9, 2018 at 11:15am

Joe was not saying that authenticators were a waste of space . Hid did, however, say that COAs are generally scrap paper. He also said that research should be the basis of the decision process. I read the person as well as the comments to get a full picture.

I also think goodcat is a good sport. My kind of guy. Hope you enjoyed your donut.

Steve, no need to defend your corner. He was not dissing you. I purchased one of your COAs on a Buzz.

PSA and UACC are different beasts. Don't get me started. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on September 9, 2018 at 11:09am

If I may add my two donuts, I believe where the experts can really do a great service, is when there is a certain forgery pattern that alone, will fool even the most experienced collectors. But an authenticator who specializes in that field, might have several examples of that same forgery, and will be more likely to identify it as such.

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Permalink Reply by goodcat on September 9, 2018 at 11:14am

like your 2 donuts worth terrier :)

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on September 9, 2018 at 11:11am

There are top tier authenticators that I would trust. They actually put their name and reputation on the line and excel in their specialty.

Phil Sears -- Walt Disney

Frank Caiazzo -- The Beatles

Tracks -- The Beatles

Steve Zarelli -- Space

Kamran -- Madonna (although not an official authenticator)

Roger Epperson -- Classic Rock

I'm sure there are others that I do not know who specialize in specific areas I do not follow.

PSA, JSA, Beckett are second tier, corporate entities and, although a couple of the above names are associated with them, one never can be sure who did the actual authentication. Nor do these entities bear any financial consequences when they get it wrong. But they play well for the eBay/secondary marketplace audience.

And when they get it wrong someone loses and usually the piece goes back on the market because it has been "approved". Or, a genuine piece will always have the "stigma" as baggage. Both sides of that coin are costly.

I have more faith in specific members here on certain autographs than any of the well known "corporate services".

Sorry, but most of the sad stories include, "But it comes with an xxx certificate."

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on September 9, 2018 at 11:22am

And, I might add that, unless it's a company that does exclusive private signings, a COA carries little weight and a waste of paper. I purchase the majority of my autographs from dealers or collectors where no COA is included. And, when a problem cropped up, they have made it right without the piece of paper. I am an old fashioned guy and still believe an person's word is more important than any cert will ever provide.

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Permalink Reply by goodcat on September 9, 2018 at 11:23am

that's a great list Joe

How come I'm not on there? I'm working on an authenticator's sticker design of a donut. haha ;)

Hey it's Sunday... let's have some fun :-)

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Permalink Reply by Rfitzz on September 9, 2018 at 12:18pm

Joe, I agree. I think your list is helpful for many people who are new or looking for solid advice. Just curious, who do you think is the “trusted” voice for JFK ? I know many people have differing opinions regarding Andreas Wiemer, Reznikoff and “old school” Charles Hamilton, just curious to get your thoughts on this... thanks

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on September 9, 2018 at 12:24pm

Rfitzz, can't help you much on this one as I do not collect or study politics or sports. Perhaps someone with collecting experience in that area would be more helpful. Although Herman Darvick comes to mind.