We are an eBay affiliate and may be compensated for clicks on links that result in purchases.

GFA/Tony Podsada in the news...

Here is an article on ESPN about Muhammad Ali signatures & forgeries.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/17101800/debate-muhammad-ali...

Surprisingly, GFA's Steven Rocchi answered some questions for this article, which I found hilarious. Check out some of his quotes:

"That company is GFA. Stephen Rocchi, who founded and runs the company, says he stands by every signature that GFA authenticates, and if someone claims what they bought was fake, he'll buy it back from them. He's only had to do that once since 2011, he says, with a Mickey Mantle autograph that he still believes was authentic.

Rocchi says his company gets bashed because, unlike the leaders in the industry, he said he doesn't let politics get in the way of authenticating pieces.

"We don't pay attention to how many autographs someone brings to us or who they are," Rocchi said. "We make it only about the autograph. We have exemplars, we match the autograph in front of us to the exemplars and have 15 points of authentication and if it matches, we call it real. We don't have deals with auction companies like the other guys do, and we don't know dealers. It's better that way."

When told that competitor JSA failed a GFA-certified Ali signature at a recent show, a signature that had been bought on eBay after Ali's death, Rocchi said that's because "our competition will fail anything with our sticker."

Check out these quotes from Tony Podsada:

"Podsada's items do not come with a certificate of authenticity. Disenchanted with the authentication business, Podsada said he merely offers buyers the assurance that it's a "decorative item only."

"I believe what I have is real, but I don't guarantee anything because I know too much," Podsada said."

LMAO!

Here are a few other interesting tidbits from the article:

"EBay does not pull auctions itself, as certain legal rulings have established that the marketplace does not have any legal liability if a person buys a fake on the site"

"EBay maintains that less than .025 percent of its listings in 2014 were identified as being "potentially counterfeit,"

"In the past month, 55 GFA-certified items have sold on eBay. Those items have sold for an average of $106.41 Include the GFA price of $25 for authentication, $20 to Podsada and eBay's 10 percent take and a seller's margin on Ali items, before shipping, is less than $46 per autograph.

Rocchi said he's proud of the low cost that is being delivered to the consumer, saying this is the way it's supposed to be."

Tags: GFA, ali, muhammad, rocchi, stephen

2 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by AC on July 21, 2016 at 8:04pm

So far there has been over 540 Ali items removed. I just did a search on eBay for Ali GFA and your right there's only ONE up there that's close to 1500. eBay are removing all GFA authenticated Muhammad Ali items. Read my original post and come back to me. Why are you defending them? Next thing you will say Substance Collectables are a good company.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Ruff on July 21, 2016 at 8:15pm

you said "all Ali items" I should have assumed you meant GFA Ali items

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Ruff on July 21, 2016 at 8:17pm

Sorry "EVERY" was the word not "all"

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by AC on July 21, 2016 at 9:26pm

Sorry I assumed since this whole thread was about GFA I wouldn't have to say it. But as they say never assume as it makes a ........

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Thomas William on July 24, 2016 at 1:29pm

Remarkable the scale of the material they are selling on ebay. The mantle maris items look like they were signed yesterday. There is no aging to any material...no yellowing..no foxing..no wrinkles..folds...farm fresh material. Its like stacks of these items were hermetically sealed for future use. Doesn't happen in the real world of autographed material Maris died in 85. The material looks printed in 16.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rich on July 24, 2016 at 1:33pm

Exactly. Do they ever sell anything that looks remotely vintage?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on July 24, 2016 at 1:44pm

All of those Mantle/Maris forgeries on reproduced "Safe At Home" photos were probably all penned during the last year.

They all sell in the $200.00 to $300.00 range.

I posted one that sold for a little under $109.00.

All GFA-certed forgeries.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on July 24, 2016 at 2:06pm

One would think that the first step of any "forensic" exam would be to assess, "Did the signed medium exist in the lifetime of the signer?"

It would be interesting to examine these "Safe at Home" photos to see what kind of photo paperstock they are on. Are they lab produced photographic prints, or something else?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on July 24, 2016 at 2:43pm

According to the GFA website, their lowest level of "Forensic Examination" is $100.00.

We've always questions that since the majority of GFA-certed forgeries sell for less than $100.00.

Now we're hearing that Rocchi actually charges $25.00 for his 15-Point Forensic Examination.

$25.00 for a Forensic Examination? Seriously?

The below do not need to be Forensically Examined.

Obvious forgeries that can opined in one second.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mickey-Mantle-Hank-Aaron-Autographed-Photo-...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Thomas William on July 25, 2016 at 8:28am

Your correct Steve and that was my point above. The material is too fresh and abundant from one seller for being 31 years old.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on July 25, 2016 at 8:59am

there are two components here. the most important one is the signatures themselves. they are all obvious forgeries. Anyone that studies Maris and Mantle signatures can figure that out in a nano second. The second component, for the non-believers, is the forensic evaluation, which would likely determine that these were signed well after both gentlemen passed away.