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Is everything from GAI fake?

I was thinking recently about the amount of fakes that are authenticated by GAI, so I went through my items and located 5 pieces authenticated by them. I looked up the corresponding number on their website (what's left of it anyway) and found that two items aren't even listed. The database shows no item exists. Two of the three items I know are legit as they were from a private Willie Mays signing a few years back and included the Say Hey authentication plus the MLB authentication. The other three I believe are bad. Two are Stan Musial 8x10's and one is Bart Starr 8x10.

What I find interesting is that you would assume that people who have legitimate authentic photo's used the GAI service. There should be a quantity that are real! But, it appears that almost everything I come across is FAKE! Did they authenticate anything real, or did they have a network set up where they had people produce known forgeries and then they authenticated them? It seems to be the latter. I wish I could remember who I bought these three from and contact them. You wouldn't think they would spend their time on Musial and Starr. Any opinions on this?

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Permalink Reply by Rich on January 7, 2012 at 9:06am

The thing that really irks me is the dealer telling the athletes not to sign for free. What a jerk. People will buy autographs from signings because they are generally nicer than what you'd get at training camps (i.e. signed in a calmer environment while sitting down, larger flats and premium items easier to get signed, etc.) Don't tell the athletes not to sign for free at all.

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Permalink Reply by Donovan Ryan Neal on January 7, 2012 at 7:37pm

to my surprise gai/ga is still seen by a lot of people as being one the good guys in the ebay world.and i know im going to make some people mad but in my opinion a lot of it has to do with people that has a lot of gai stuff just doesnt want to admit that they for lack of a better word,SUCK.I just wish there was a way to end all fakes but i guess that will happen the same day illegal drugs will fade away lol i mean even psa/dna things are coming up fake these days..totally not their fault though its just people are always coming with ways to forge coa's.i think that these companies should do something that only they know they did to the item or coa(psa uses uv ink on items) and NOT let the public know it....but then again they couldnt tell you why an item isnt real...so maybe something else but you get my drift

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Permalink Reply by Rich on January 7, 2012 at 7:50pm

The only reason that you'll occasionally see an authentic item with a GAI cert I'm sure is because every once in a while someone who flat out doesn't know better submits their authentic item.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on January 8, 2012 at 1:51pm

Another clunker from Steve Sipe and Global Authentics.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=36042434...

In all fairness, it appears that most of the common signatures are authentic. However, the three most valuable are: Armstrong (amateurish forgery in my opinion), Jack Swigert (Autopen), John Young (Autopen)

They can't even catch Autopens? Unbelievable. What a joke.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 8, 2012 at 2:05pm

How could anyone who wasn't clueless think that Armstrong was legit? It's as bad as the one I posted in the announcement that you were R&R's space authenticator, which was authenticated by PAAS.

http://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blogs/space-autograph-ex...

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on January 8, 2012 at 2:42pm

I haven't even looked at each signature here closely. These four are what I picked up in the first 15 seconds. Could be more Autopens lurking.

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Permalink Reply by Myke Furhman on January 8, 2012 at 2:42pm

I by no means have any clue about these autos, I stick to sports... but to me this is the same situation as I mentioned above, with the many many Big 3's that GAI authenticated finding their way to eBay. Will eBay continue to let these go through to sale, just because they're one of their preferred third parties? Or will they still pull them? I haven't seen too many of them in a while, but they still pop up.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Sipe on February 15, 2012 at 6:03pm

We corrected that and took it out of the system as it was an obvious error. It was a mistake plain and simple. Armstrong , Swigert and Young were autopens for sure.

Thanks for support gentlemen, love your creative bashing of everyone. If any of you people want to specifically speak on the phone anytime give me a call.

Steve Sipe / Global Authentics

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on February 15, 2012 at 6:22pm

Good job. But the Armstrong isn't an autopen. It's a poor quality forgery. How did those three get authenticated?

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Permalink Reply by DB on February 17, 2012 at 3:38am

Steve, you know the rules of engagement. It goes with the territory... Now on the other hand of fair play - it would be nice to show the ones, from time to time, that TPAs do get right (one being NASCAR).

Some around here just simply focus on the glaring errors... while giving the impression that it is the norm but unlike some TPAs we know you have removed this one and acknowledged doing so... and that's to be congratulated w/o any follow-ups. Now granted, in some cases it is however the norm.

I also noticed that GAI is being painted with a broad brush and apparently due to what has been stated by Cyrkin on information he received that during the end that 30,000 certs were simply handed out.

Incidently, I have a GAI Brooks Robinson and it's genuine (albeit one of those freakin bleeder balls).

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on February 17, 2012 at 5:16am

DB,

That's GAI, not GA. But my impression of GA in sports initially came from members of this site, not the other way around. My impression of GA in other areas have came from my own observation and research.

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Permalink Reply by DB on February 17, 2012 at 5:37am

Yes, the thread is about GAI and morphed into GA since Sipe picked up the remnants. I can't speak for someone elses observation & resarch unless posted to draw my own conclusions.

Sometimes it should simply be commended when a TPA comes online admits the error and removes it since it happens so rarely

And regarding GAI, I must be the lucky one as I have a few authentic sport ones including the Robinson one which I discussed with Sipe who was willing to replace with a GA sticker if I so desired.