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Global Authentics Derek Jeter Autographs.....Why do they look so different....Global Authentics, Steve Sipe

It was over two years ago when I started seeing some very odd-looking Derek Jeter autographs on Ebay. I had never seen that particular style Derek Jeter autograph before. At the time, that style of Derek Jeter autograph was only being listed by one Ebay seller, and the common denominator was that all of them were authenticated by Global Authentics (whose lead authenticator is Steve Sipe) and the now defunct GAI.

My first thought was "Did Derek change his autograph again?" I waited a few months and I realized that no one else was authenticating that style Derek Jeter autograph. It was a drastic change; and like I always do, I checked the Steiner Sports website for the newest Derek Jeter autograph items and didn't see one that closely resembled the Derek Jeter autographs that were being authenticated by Global Authentics and GAI. I checked my own exemplars and nothing was close to the autographs that GA was authenticating. Besides the noticeable differences in Derek's signature, I observed how slowly penned all of these autographs looked. Of course, when I spot a seller listing (at the time) dozens of questionable Jeter autographs, I have to look at their other autograph listings. That might be an article for another day.

So anyway, I then contacted Steiner Sports and asked if it was possible that Derek had an autograph contract with another company. The response from Steiner Sports was "No." So what is the origin of these odd-looking Derek Jeter autographs? I kept a "watch" on the seller and observed that as they sold a few, they would list more of the same autographs. To date the seller has sold hundreds of Derek Jeter autographed baseballs (white & black), bats (black & ash) and various sized 8X10 & 11X14 photographs.

As the weeks passed, I noticed a few other Ebay sellers began listing the same style Derek Jeter autograph. It was interesting, too, that the few Ebay sellers listing those Jeter autographs all had "Private Feedback." In my opinion, those sellers had Private Feedback for two reasons. One, so that no one can contact the buyers of those Derek Jeter autographs (or any other questionable autograph); and two, so that no one can check their feedback to calculate the number of Derek Jeter autographs or other autographs they sold on Ebay. Of course, there's a way around that, and that is to use a second Ebay account and maintain a "watch" on certain auctions. You can keep an eye on auctions they have sold and keep an eye out for new listings. As of today, March 27, 2012, that seller continues to list new Derek Jeter autographed baseballs, bats and photos when previously listed auctions sell.

Let's look at these Derek Jeter autographs
authenticated by Global Authentics and GAI.

Let's look at a few of the style Derek Jeter autographs that Global Authentics is authenticating.

By the way, in my opinion, all of the Derek Jeter autographs that I post here, that are authenticated by Global Authentics/GAI, are not authentic.

This one is listed on Ebay.

The one below is being sold by a company called SportsMemorabilia.com. SportsMemorabilia is selling 18 pages of Derek Jeter autograph items, with many of them certed by Global Authentics. These, in my opinion look "mechanical." More about SportsMemorabilia.com later.

This is a Derek Jeter Steiner Sports signed photograph. Natural flow, slant and pen pressure.

This is another Steiner Sports Derek Jeter signed photo.

Here is a Derek Jeter signed black baseball authenticated by Global Authentics. I contacted Steiner Sports about Derek Jeter signed black baseballs and from what I understand, Derek is not suppose to sign black baseballs for anyone else. There is a seller on Ebay who sold quite a few Derek Jeter signed black baseballs on Ebay. When word got around that I was questioning Derek Jeter signed black baseballs outside of Steiner Sports, the seller stopped selling Derek Jeter signed black baseballs, but other Ebay sellers continue to sell them.

The first Derek Jeter signed black baseball below is being sold by SportsMemorabilia.com and is authenticated by Global Authentics. Where's the natural flow? Where is Derek's fast-paced signature? Every one of these black baseballs with a "Jeter" signature, authenticated by Global Authentics (GA) looks like the one below.

I would also like to note that many sellers and online retailers still use GAI in their title and auction descriptions like the one above. But I want to make it clear that these are certed by Global Authentics (GA).

The below Derek Jeter signed black baseball is from Steiner Sports. Notice the natural flow, slant and pen pressure. None of Steiner Sports Derek Jeter signed black baseballs that I have seen resemble the ones authenticated by "GA."

Another Steiner Sports Derek Jeter signed black baseball.

The main difference between the two is that the one authenticated by Global Authentics was penned very methodically (there are other differences, too), whereas the Steiner Sports is penned by Derek with a quick, naturally-paced flow.

Now let's look at a Derek Jeter autographed jersey authenticated by Global Authentics. Notice how methodical (slowly drawn) the signature is penned.

Here's another Derek Jeter autographed jersey authenticated by Global Authentics. All of these odd-looking Derek Jeter signed jerseys authenticated by Global Authentics look methodically penned. To the average collector this Jeter looks great.

Look at the Jeter signed jersey above authenticated by GA. The Jeter signed jersey below is, in my opinion, the signature that someone attempted to emulate. Without going into detail, notice the difference in slant (the Global Authentics signed Jeter lacks slant). Also, there's usually a lot going on in Derek Jeter's autograph.

Here are two Steiner Sports Derek Jeter signed jersey autographed with a natural flow,. Slanting is good and so is the spacing. If you look closely at the ones authenticated by Global Authentics, they look mechanical, in my opinion.

I like to call Derek's signature "erratically consistent."

Let's look at a Derek Jeter autographed white baseball authenticated by Global Authentics. Whoever penned this white baseball also penned the above Derek Jeter signed black baseball authenticated by Global Authentics. Where is the natural Derek Jeter flow on this signed white baseball?

Here is a Steiner Sports Derek Jeter signed white baseball. His typical fast-paced signature.

Below is a Derek Jeter signed bat authenticated by Global Authentics. Penned slowly; almost mechanical, in my opinion. Where is the Jeter natural flow? Whoever penned this bat, also penned the Jeter Global Authentics signed black baseball, white baseball, uniform (on the number 2) and photograph.

Notice that the "D" in Derek in all of the autographs certed by Global Authentics, all look the same, but yet none of them look at all like the Derek Jeter autographs from Steiner Sports, PSA, JSA or UDA.

This is a Derek Jeter Steiner Sports autographed bat.

Here is another Derek Jeter signed black baseball authenticated by Global Authentics/Steve Sipe, penned in a very methodical manner.

The one thing I want to make clear is that I am in no way implying that every autograph authenticated by Global Authentics (GA) is questionable. But in that same breath, I also want to make it clear that I have been watching one Ebay seller very closely over the past 18 months. They have sold thousands of autographs and every one of them is authenticated by Global Authentics (GA). They claim to acquire all of their autographs in-person. They have sold hundreds of Derek Jeter autographs and usually have anywhere between 10-12 listed every week. Baseballs, bats and 8X10 and 11X14 photos.

Now let's look at more Derek Jeter autographs authenticated by Global Authentics and GAI.

Look familiar?

This one sold for $77.

Notice that the Derek Jeter autographs on photographs certed by Global Authentics look much more mechanical than the autographs on baseballs and bats.

At the beginning of this blog I mentioned a company called SportsMemorabilia.com. I've chatted with them a few times over the past few months. We chatted again yesterday and I asked them the following:

"I know Jeter has an autograph contract with Steiner Sports, but he also has a autograph contract with your company (SportsMemorabilia)? Thank you."

They (Jerome) replied "Yes we do as well."

I have a copy of the chat session I had with SportsMemorabilia.com

I want to make it clear that SportsMemorabilia also sells Steiner Sports, JSA and PSA/DNA authenticated Derek Jeter items.

I've been working on this subject for about a year. During that year I did not find one of those style Jeter autographs authenticated by PSA/DNA.

If these hundreds or thousands of Derek Jeter autographs authenticated by Global Authentics were all acquired in person, then why do ALL of them look so methodically and mechanically penned?

So is it possible that the seller of the majority of these Derek Jeter autographs authenticated by Global Authentics had private signings with Derek Jeter? Anything is possible, but Steiner Sports says they have an exclusive.

Here's a screenshot that shows Derek Jeter signed items with certs from Steiner Sports, PSA/DNA and Global Authentics.

Derek Jeter autographed bat authenticated by Global Authentics.

Derek Jeter autograph bat from Steiner Sports.

Let's look at two more. The first one is a Derek Jeter/David Price autographed baseball authenticated by Global Authentics (GA). The seller writes "Only one on Ebay." Look at how slow and methodical the Jeter is signed. The letter slant is all wrong, etc.

Here is a Steiner Sports Derek Jeter/David Price autographed baseball. Notice the pace of the signature, the correct vertical slant, etc. It's all lacking on the Derek Jeter/David Price autographed baseball certed by Global Authentics.

Here's a side-by-side comparison.

None of the Derek Jeter Global Authentics or GAI authenticated autograph that I have posted here is authentic in my opinion.

Where do all of these autographs come from?

There are a few sellers on Ebay who seem to have an infinite supply of Derek Jeter autographed bats, baseballs and jerseys. Every time they sell one, they list more and all of them are authenticated by Global Authentics. Now although this thread is only about their Derek Jeter autograph items, what about their infinite supply of Tom Brady, Sandy Koufax, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers (helmets & footballs...always a dozen listed at any given time), team-signed items, etc.?

Of course, the authenticator, in this case Global Authentics, should not be concerned where the autographs come from or how they are acquired. But, it is up to the authenticator, in this case Global Authentics, to determine the authenticity of the autographs that are presented to them for examination. And since Global Authentics accepts money for performing those examinations, that also leaves them open to discussions like this one.

Global Authentics has probably authenticated dozens upon dozens of the below Derek Jeter autograph that I call a "mechanical-looking" autograph. Very puzzling.

The bottom line with the Derek Jeter autographs authenticated by Global Authentics is that there are issues with pen speed, vertical slant of the letters (lack of), shape, formation, incorrect overlapping, spacing, etc. In my opinion, the Derek Jeter autographs certed by Global Authentics (GA) were penned very methodically and lack spontaneity.

This discussion is not meant to bash Global Authentics or Steve Sipe. It's meant to generate productive comments. Yes, this is a long post, but it is necessary. I have accumulated enough data to fill 50 pages of an 8X11 book. It is important to show numerous examples of the various Derek Jeter autographs that have been authenticated by Global Authentics.

Here's a thought. Is it possible that the seller of the majority of these Derek Jeter autographs authenticated by Global Authentics is related to Derek? But if that's the case, then that means the seller is also related to Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Gretzky, etc.

There are a few sellers who only use Global Authentics to authenticate their autographs. There are others who only use PSA or JSA. That in itself, is not a big deal. But when you look at the autographs listed by those sellers, it's imperative that questions be asked.

Tags: ,authentication,, authentics, autograph, derek jeter, gai,ga,, global, signed, sipe", steve

3 members like this

Comment by CJCollector on April 3, 2012 at 7:10am: The seller has sold hundreds of Jeter signed bats, baseballs, jerseys and magazine covers, and they all have the same amazing consistently. Final Season Yankee baseballs, 2009 Inaugural Season signed balls, 100th Anniversary signed baseballs, etc. And the amazing consistency that Jeter signed these baseballs for this seller, not to mention the quantity (hundreds) that Jeter signed for this seller over the past three years.

Comment by CJCollector on April 3, 2012 at 7:31am: And as usual, neatly ended in a nice "bow tie."

Comment by Carl Gudzic on April 3, 2012 at 8:13am: Hi guys! I'm rather new to this whole blogging thing but I figured I'd chime in as I'm an avid Yankees fan and have obtained many Derek Jeter autographs over the past 17 years in which I've attended Yankees spring training in Tampa, FL...

First I'd like to make an obvious assessment that Mr. Williams must not have much of a life if he spends his days (and nights) sitting by his computer commenting/moderating every post on here.

Secondly, I have personally obtained many Derek Jeter autographs, some of which I have in my personal collection that I'd never consider selling, some of which I have donated to charity auction and some of which I do sell off to help pay a bill or 2 when need be. I have used Global Authentics (GAI or GA whatever you all prefer) to authenticate some of my Jeter autographs as well as some of my other baseball and football autographs which include A-Rod, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Phil Simms, Joe Namath, Mark Sanchez, Eli Manning, OJ Anderson, Mark Bavaro, etc...

From the sounds of this particular thread as well as several others on here, the majority of the people who comment just associate any autograph that is authenticated by Global as being a "fake". I think that's rather rude and cowardly to sit behind a computer screen and attack a company or an individual (it seems you all batter Steve Sipe every opportunity you get) by saying the stuff that you all say. Like I said, I have personally obtained hundreds of autographs in my lifetime, many of which I have had Global authenticate so I know that whoever winds up owning the autograph after me will have peace of mind knowing that the signatures are 100% genuine.

To my knowledge, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't third-party autograph authenticating just an "opinion"? Some people who buy/sell autographs will only use Global, some will only use James Spence, others will only use PSA/DNA and then there's people who won't even buy an autograph that is authenticated by anyone because they consider placing a sticker or hologram on an item as tampering with the item...

It's all an opinion people! You guys put in way too much time and effort on here and don't gain anything from it. How exactly does anyone on here prosper from making a personal attack on a company or individual from the autograph hobby?

Comment by Steve Zarelli on April 3, 2012 at 9:18am: Hi Carl and welcome:

No one has stated that EVERY GA item is suspect... just a high volume of certain items coming from certain sources. If you have had your in-person items certed by GA you should be more concerned than anyone else. Doesn't it bother you that your authentic items may be tainted by what many consider to be suspect items?

You mention that you have collected Yankees in-person for years. How does this compare to the Rivera items you've seen signed in-person?

Comment by CJCollector on April 3, 2012 at 9:19am: We welcome your comments here, Mr. Grudzig.

No one here is attacking Steve Sipe; I am questioning his authenticating of certain Derek Jeter autographs that I have posted here in numbers. Since Mr. Sipe is receiving compensation for examining and certing these Derek Jeter autographs on bats, baseballs, jerseys and magazine covers authenticated by him, then I have every right to question his authentication practices.

Mr, Grudzig, you wrote "To my knowledge, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't third-party autograph authenticating just an "opinion"? So are you telling me, Mr. Grudzig, that I can't openly express "my opinion" on these Derek Jeter autographs that Mr. Sipe has certed?

And if you read my entire thread, Mr. Grudzig, I specifically wrote "The one thing I want to make clear is that I am in no way implying that every autograph authenticated by Global Authentics (GA) is questionable."

This thread is specifically about these odd-looking Derek Jeter autographs that Global Authentics (Steve Sipe) has certed as authentic.

You also wrote "It's all an opinion people! You guys put in way too much time and effort on here and don't gain anything from it." Was that comment meant to dissuade me (us) from doing these type of threads? How I spend my time is my business, Mr. Grudzig. What do you mean by "You guys put in way too much time and effort on here and don't gain anything from it." Are you saying that learning about autographs isn't a good thing?

Your passive innuendos speak volumes.

Comment by Carl Gudzic on April 3, 2012 at 5:51pm: Mr. Williams,

In no way am I saying that you can't express your opinion on anything. All I'm trying to say is that for someone who obviously doesn't use Global Authentics (in this case, Global/Steve Sipe isn't "receiving compensation" for any of your items) as an authenticator, you feel the strong need to spend your days and nights blogging and moderating about topics that really don't even apply to you.

It really isn't any of my business how you spend your time - I just stated a fact that after reviewing several of these threats it is clear as day that you spend the majority of the day reporting on this site. All of which I'm pretty sure you don't receive any compensation for?

I never said anywhere in my comment that learning about autographs isn't a good thing... I'm just not sure what qualifies you to be a self-proclaimed expert on Derek Jeter autographs. How many times have you obtained in person autographs from Mr. Jeter? As I said in my previous post - I have been going down to Tampa for Yankees spring training for the past 17 years and never in that time have I bumped into you nor have I heard any of the collectors/dealers down there mention you as a credible authenticator on any autographs. I also live in CT and attend several Yankees functions each year including the Welcome Home Dinner and I haven't seen or heard of you from anyone there either...

What exactly do you base your exemplars off of? Signed cards and stuff he's signed for Steiner? For those of you that actually do go out and obtain in-person autographs, you know that Derek Jeter signs differently in-person then he does at a private signing for Steiner. It is also very common for several of the grounds crew workers and club house attendants in Tampa to have guys like Jeter and A-Rod sign baseballs and then they try to sell them to the collectors/dealers who are out there everyday waiting for autographs. To my knowledge, the players do this as a courtesy to the workers for taking care of the fields and making sure their spikes and other equipment is always clean and so that they can make a few extra bucks because they know most of them are probably only working for $10 an hour. In that case, Jeter WILL sign the sweet spot and WILL sign under the logo on a specialty baseball.

Mr. Williams, just like yourself, myself and whoever else comments on here is well entitled to their own opinion. I happen to use Global Authentics to authenticate some of my items and I have never had a problem with them. I just find it very strange that someone like yourself who doesn't receive any compensation for this type of stuff can sit here day in and day out and make these accusations about a company/individual that you don't even associate or do any business with...

There are roughly 2,400 members on this site - roughly 4 or 5 who actually sit here and comment and go back and forth with each other... Do you really think that anyone who is going to buy an autograph whether it's on eBay, SportsMemorabilia.com (who you frequently bash), Amazon, or a store at the mall actually comes on here and reads these posts prior to purchasing an autograph? I would venture to say no...

Comment by Carl Gudzic on April 3, 2012 at 6:03pm: Hi Mr Zipper,

I appreciate you welcoming me to the site...

To answer your question, I'm not concerned at all because I know that the autographs are 100% authentic because I obtained them and I also know that while you're all entitled to your opinion - that's all it is is an opinion. And to my knowledge, no one who responds to any of these comments is a certified hand-writing expert or even an expert on authenticating autographs such as the experts from Global Authentics, James Spence, PSA/DNA or any other authentication company, nor are we dealing with any first hand information (ie; comments from Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera).

As for the Mariano Rivera autograph you have displayed; I have only obtained Mariano Rivera's autograph on baseballs and a jersey, never a photo, so the autographs on my items are much smaller... I will say that the Rivera autographs I have in my collection do look a little different then the photo you have displayed.

I'm not sure if this is the answer you were looking for but I still feel very confident in having Global Authentics certify my items.

Comment by CJCollector on April 4, 2012 at 5:13am: First of all, Mr. Grudzig, if you're going to use the word coward (like you did in your first post), maybe you should use your real name. Why are you hiding behind a fictitious name?

Secondly, what threats have I made here?

Third, are you calling Steve Sipe an expert? Are you telling me that because his title is Director Of Authentication, that Steve Sipe is an expert? Are you saying that because I don't work for an authentication company, that I cannot possibly know certain autographs?

Are you also saying that you agree with Steve Sipe's expert examination that the Derek Jeter autographs that I have posted here are all authentic?

You are obviously upset with this thread, Mr. Grudzig. For all I know, maybe you're one of the sellers on Ebay that is selling the Derek Jeter autographs that I have posted here.

You're passive attacks on what I do with my time are interesting; what does what I do with my time have anything to do with this thread?

This thread is about one thing. It's about Global Authentics (Steve Sipe) authenticating these Derek Jeter autographs that I have posted here.

One glaring observation, Mr, Grudzig, is that you have yet to come out and write that these Derek Jeter autographs are authentic.

Comment by Fuddjcal on April 4, 2012 at 7:36am: Maybe he does this as a hobby like you and I do Carl?

This hobby is out of control. Global ended their run with 1000's of forgeries being rubber stamped. Then, they chose to align their new business with them by using a similar name and the same damned certificate. It was a stupid business move from the beginning for collector not to be able to differentiate the 2 entities.

It has been of my opinion that GA had been doing a fair job lately, much like PSA & JSA.

GA are not rubber stampers like The FDE's Moral ASS and AAU, STAT et al. That being said, the hobby needs people like Chris Williams to expose these forgeries. it's obviously a thankless job.

This thread speaks volumes about the state of autograph hobby. With collectors like you, it is an utter joke, and 1 of the reasons why I won't buy another autograph if you held a gun to my head.

I say that because you are an in person autograph collector and I'm dumbfounded why you would have to PAY for authentication when you had it signed in front of your face. Sending those items to anyone is foolhardy.

You can't enjoy them with out a stupid sticker? GA is not adding any value to your item so why do you care about their opinion.

Here's a tip from an old collector. When I see Global GA or alike certificate...I ASSUME it's a forgery first, and then I check the autograph. That's how bad Global has been. I have a couple old global items in my collection and 1 GA. I purchased them that way at a discount because everyone knows the gig is up. I do believe GA has been trying their best, but even the best intentions fail sometimes. In authentication there is a fine line between being plain stupid and committing crimes. They are all walking that line. This is an obvious error on GA's part where these Jeters are concerned and you can only hope they do what PSA and JSA never do. Admit they made a mistake and move on better for it. History tells us they won't, only to help perpetuating more fraud on an already sinking industry. Welcome to the wonderful world of autograph Grudzy or who ever you are and enjoy all your stupid stickers and keep degrading a man for loving the hobby and spending his time in a constructive way to help others.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on April 4, 2012 at 9:10am: Carl,

This site is first and foremost about collectors helping collectors. Dealers and a couple of kind authenticators do chime in and help from time to time, and we really appreciate it. But it's mostly collectors working together to make the hobby safer and more rewarding.