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Beckett Authentication turnaround time

I submitted an autograph to Beckett for authentication. They received it on July 15th and charged my credit card for the service. It's now been 31 days with no change in status. This is my first time using their service. Does it normally take this long?

Tags: authentication, bas, beckett

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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on August 14, 2019 at 12:23pm

I've always had very good turn-around time with them.

Don't forget, the National just ended.

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on August 14, 2019 at 12:36pm

I hope that is the reason. I was considering having them to authenticate some more of my signatures but if it takes them a month or longer then I'll probably think twice before I do. I once sent in autograph for someone else to PSA and they were quick. About a week.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on August 14, 2019 at 3:21pm

The National was the first week of August. One month is typical for a TPA to authenticate an item, however.

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on August 14, 2019 at 3:25pm

Thanks, Mike.

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Permalink Reply by Giuliano Cipolla ( JEFFERSON) on December 23, 2019 at 9:58pm

It took 10 weeks to get my back after many phone calls, very poor service. My Business Partner sent 2 autographs purchased at a very reputable auction that pre certfies autographs to Beckett and they both failed, he sent the same items to JSA and they passed. I would love to hear from other collectors, and their experience with different Authentication companies.

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Permalink Reply by James on December 24, 2019 at 2:41am

I’ve never personally sent in anything to a TPA, and hearing what happened to you doesn’t make doing so seem any more appealing. Two and a half months seems rather ridiculous. I definitely don’t like the idea of one of my prized possessions being out of my hands and in the hands of multiple strangers for that long of a time.

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Permalink Reply by Giuliano Cipolla ( JEFFERSON) on December 24, 2019 at 10:39am

I am going to give them another chance, I have at least 20 autographs authenticated monthly, I am also going to test their Quick Opinion with a couple Autographs that have already passed other Authentication Services, I will keep you posted.

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on December 24, 2019 at 11:52am

I've used Beckett's quick opinion on an autograph and they rendered a "likely to pass full authentication" although it later failed their full service. Go figure.

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Permalink Reply by Giuliano Cipolla ( JEFFERSON) on December 25, 2019 at 2:58pm

Sometimes I wonder who is really authenticating the Autographs, How many specialized courses have they taken that would make them an Authority. have they though any courses on Authentication, have they published articles and books, and if not why are the Authentication companies not hiring the Greatest Talent?

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Permalink Reply by James on December 25, 2019 at 9:37pm

Generally speaking, I think becoming an authenticator involves having an apprenticeship under an experienced, knowledgeable collector along with a great deal of self-study. I don’t know that there are any formal courses. The main thing is experience and building a reputation over time.

Having said that, I continue to believe that the collective body here on Autograph Live beats PSA, JSA, or BAS. I think many members here feel the same way. We have several members who could be or should be working for one of the three main legitimate TPAs. Who at PSA, JSA, or BAS is going to be better at Madonna autographs than our fellow member Kamran from the UK? Answer: No one. Who at one of those TPAs is going to be better than our fellow member and moderator, Wascher at Michael Jackson autographs? Answer: No one.

The Big Three continue to hold too much power in the hobby. We all know they make too many mistakes. No one is perfect. And we shouldn’t expect them to be perfect either. But we need the “legitimate” TPAs to stay legitimate. And that means no rubber-stamping submissions made by high-volume customers. If they have a client who submits 200 autographs per month, but only 125 are good, then the TPA needs to fail those 75 that are bad rather than passing all 200.

Also, on many autographs, if the TPA doesn’t have the expertise for a certain celebrity, then don’t render an opinion, and refund the money. That’s how they can stay legit. There is just no way a TPA can have enough expertise for over 1000 different celebrities. Does the guy who knows Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley really know Dua Lipa’s autograph or Ariana Grande’s? Probably not.