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Authenticity is Everything
PSA Autograph Grading - Legit or Gimmick? Adds value or insignificant?
I have a Marlon Brando Autograph that graded a Gem Mint 10 - This is what PSA states regarding their Autograph Grading Service:
The Overall Approach
As a general reminder, the basis of autograph grading really comes down to the degree of strength and weakness within the signature, with an emphasis on eye-appeal and presentation.
GEM-MT 10: Gem Mint. A PSA Gem Mint 10 autograph is a virtually perfect autograph. Attributes include bold writing with the absence of skipping or retracing by the original signer or otherwise. In addition, the autograph must be strong and clear for that particular signer. For example, if a genuine Mickey Mantle autograph is bold but seems rushed or slightly uncharacteristic in formation (though genuine) it may not receive a Gem Mint 10 grade. A PSA Gem Mint 10 autograph must not only be aesthetically beautiful in terms of placement but it must also be representative of the common/traditional autograph patterns of that person.
Tags: Brando, Marlon, PSA, authentication, autograph, grading
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bradford on
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Very interesting, Steve. I guess since CGC has the power to manipulate to their advantage, then I guess they are going to do it. Especially something this high profile.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on
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Different strokes for different folks. If a collector gets his or her jollies from owning something graded "10," so be it.
In my view, pro grading does not add desirability. I can assess the signature in my own mind and decide if it is "strong," "weak" or somewhere in-between. I would not pay more for a strong signature that had a "10" assigned to it versus a strong signature that was graded an "8" or "9." (And what is the real difference between a 6 and 7 or 7 and 8?)
My sense is, this is all part of an effort to create "registries" like they do with coins, cards and comics. Registries create competition and help lock in a brand loyal audience.
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I haven't seen any registries with PSA outside of sets. Are there actual autograph registries through their site?
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Permalink Reply by Mike P on
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I think it depends on the item that is graded. I think grading is more relevant with coins, comics, cards, etc. I have two baseballs in my collection that are graded, a Hank Aaron ball and Ted Williams ball. I really don't think it changes the value significantly, but maybe attracts for the novice collectors who look for graded items.
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Mike, are they graded through PSA? Just curious...what were the gradings and did you agree?
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Yes, both are graded by PSA/DNA. The Hank Aaron was graded Gem mint 10, and I agree with the grade. The Ted Williams was graded 8 Near-Mint. The ball isn't snow white, but I am pretty sure the item received an 8 because of the signature being bold. I always assumed the item's condition is more of a factor when it comes to grading, but the signature is prioritized when it comes to autographs (rightly so).
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I agree. So considering your earlier comment, Mike, what compelled you to get the autographs graded? I suppose you aren't a "novice collector". Correct?
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I bought them for the price, which believe it or not, happened to be cheaper than other PSA or JSA authenticated baseballs.
In other words, I didn't buy them because they were graded, but rather because they had happened to be cheaper than the others listed for sale. The fact that they were graded was just an added bonus in my opinion.
That being said, I think that the correlation between value and grading is subjective and varies depending on the item that is graded.
A signed document by Abraham Lincoln would obviously bring more if it is graded than an ungraded Lincoln document; however, when compared to a signed baseball of Hank Aaron etc, a graded ball doesn't command much more than an ungraded ball. I really believe that grading only increases the value of the autographs of more premium/rare items, like the Lincoln example I mentioned.
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Those are all great points made by both you and Pete as well as Steve. Although it is very much a subjective issue, PSA in the process is making pretty good off of the idea that graded autographs increase the value of a particular item....especially if its a high grad in particular.
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Permalink Reply by Dane on
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I think the grading of autographs probably works similarly to how it works for coins:
Modern grading is somewhat pointless. Much like newly minted coins, modern autographs are more likely to have more top-end grades. Since autograph collecting became more popularized (70s? 80s?), people have taken better care to preserve their items.
In a similar parallel, with coin grading, there was a time when cleaning was completely market acceptable. People would brush their coins with soft horsehair dusting brushes, similar to how people would shellac autographed baseballs. Now, decades later, a coin cleaned in the 20s might be non-gradable or docked points for the loss of luster, similar to how a ball shellacked in the 40s might be deemed non-gradable or docked points for the shellac cracking and peeling the signatures from the surface.
So, maybe things signed by someone who would be deceased prior to... say 1982... might have value as a graded signature, whereas something signed by a current celebrity might render no benefit from a grade.
As for the specific item in question (Brando/Redfield piece), I'd guess that the following concerns might play into the value:
1) It was listed three times prior to the time it sold for $515. Previous unmet reserve bids of $471, $325, and $325. In all four auctions, the high bidder or underbidder was the same person "d***3" with (at the time that I posted this) 7777 positive feedback score. Someone bid and retracted $600, which also seems like shenanigans to me. The person to bid/retracted was the high bidder on the $471 auction "9***h" with (again at the time that I posted this) 643 positive feedback score. I interpret that information to mean the market for this item was four people.
2) One of the two signatures graded an 8, which might create a perception of the item, as a whole, grading an 8.
3) Brando decided to sign between words on the cover, as opposed to next to his name and photo on the center fold page.
Coupling these concerns together, I'd figure the "fair market" for the item is probably closer to $400-$425 (based upon the $417 bid by the fourth party), than $515, since the underbidder would also realize that you were one of the four interested parties. Knowing that you're out of the bidding, and the guy who bid $600 might have been being a goofball, the guy who bid $510 might only be willing to put in a bid of $425 the next time the item came to market.
On a side note, JSA is sort of offering an autograph grading service, through Beckett. Apparently, the item is submitted to JSA for authentication. If the item passes the authentication process, and the submitter paid the grading fee, it is then sent to Beckett to be graded. I think they currently will grade baseballs and certain sized flats (whichever ones fit their holders, I'd assume).
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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on
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I am content enough to know that an autograph is authentic. I am not interested in an autograph being graded. As a matter of fact, I do not want my autograph collection to have the same characteristics as other autograph collections. Sometimes a faded autograph on an off-white baseball or a sloppy autograph on an 8x10 photograph adds character to the piece, or even tells a story. I have often added an in-person autograph to my collection in order to compare it to what PSA would deem a GEM-MT 10 autograph that I also have in my collection.
I once had David Lee Roth sign my ticket stub before a concert. I held the top of it in place with my thumb facing down. As he signed the ticket stub, the Sharpie that he was using bumped into my thumb. It is definitely noticeable in the flow of the autograph when it reaches the "R", and in spite of the sloppy appearance, I would not wish to trade the autograph and the story for a PSA GEM-MT 10 if I were ever offered the opportunity.
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Permalink Reply by Null on
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I laugh out loud when I see these autograph grading nerds boast about their autograph being a 9 or a 10. I agree with Mike, I just want a signature to be "Authentic" or "Not Authentic". From there it's either a strong signature I would buy, or a faded one I would pass on. Giving it a number 1-10 is just another scam to lure the nerds money away from them. Same thing with graded cards, it's mind boggling how much difference a "9" vs a "9.5" slabbed card will pay out. Once again giving PSA/DNA all the power in the world.
I see genuine arguments on my card trading sites all the time about a .5 grade here, .5 grade there. It's hilarious.
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