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Ridiculous Prices for GFA-Certed Items-Sellers Aware of What They Are Selling?

I cannot believe the stupidity. This seller had 10 of these!!! 10! $199 or best offer for a photo "signed" by Dimaggio, Ford, Martin, and Mantle???? Come on, please. At least price it so that it is not obvious that you KNOW you are selling crap.

So how much is a GFA certification? $100 bucks? Doesn't leave much profit for someone to buy an authentic signed photo of ANY of these players. What? These are machine signed? oh, ok, that explains it.

How much longer will this be tolerated by Ebay?

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Permalink Reply by Rick Meyer on June 15, 2016 at 7:26pm

GFA authenticates exclusively for one or two large forgery dealers. They are not paying $100 per item. Maybe ten bucks each tops. Try submitting something to them for authentication. Has anyone seen or known anyone who has submitted a single item to them? I haven't yet.

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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on June 16, 2016 at 3:47am

Exactly right, Rick.

I am not aware of any individual submitting autographs to GFA.

With most of the crap selling for under $100.00, it simply wouldn't be feasible; especially the crap that is listed and sold by AtAuction.

When Chris Morales, Ted Taylor and Drew Max were "authenticating" for John House, CEO of AtAuction, I am sure they had a bulk deal.

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Permalink Reply by TradeGeek on June 16, 2016 at 3:28pm

I would be surprised if GFA (or whatever they are called now) gets 10 submission from collectors a month. And they are probably people who purchased a garbage piece off eBay in the past and are just clueless.

I have no doubt those companies only real customers are the forgery rings.

If the FBI did go after the authenticators, I think they could prove a case easily.

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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on June 16, 2016 at 4:51pm

Below are the GFA rates for authenticating. Click your mouse on the image to get a closer view.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on June 16, 2016 at 6:30pm

Ebay is truly the wild west, full of thieves and forgers! Thank the lord for sites like this that help warn and educate the average person about what goes on there! Thousands of people have been robbed and have no clue until they try to sell their "treasure". Ebay is unaccountable and makes a fortune from these bad deals!

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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on June 16, 2016 at 6:33pm

Well written, Ian.

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on June 17, 2016 at 2:59am

Ebay may be legally "covered". but ethically and morally they are as dirty as the scumbags that are KNOWINGLY selling this crap. Has anyone tried a PSA quick opinion on a GFA certed item? I am wondering if Ebay would pull it, as they have done in the past for other failed QO.

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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on June 17, 2016 at 5:24am

That's a major +1, Terrier.

I don't think Ebay removes "Likely Not Genuine" results from a PSA Quick Opinion submission.

As a matter of FACT, I don't even see Ebay remove auctions with COAs on their own Banned COA List.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on June 17, 2016 at 12:58pm

Well, don't feel alone sports fans... GFA spreads their magic around.

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on June 17, 2016 at 4:46pm

Here is another beaut:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mickey-Mantle-Roger-Maris-Autographed-8x10-...

$425.00 for a Mantle-Maris signed 8x10 photo. Or Best Offer. If this were authentic, does anyone believe for a second that it would still be for sale???