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Account for autograph forgeries.

As a collector of autographs, rock memorabilia, I feel that I need to allow for a percentage of forgeries that I may have purchased over my time of collecting. Well I hope to keep the percentage small, but I think it's almost impossible to have a 100 percent success rate ,not being an expert that is. Even these days people are disagreeing with tpa.

Well that seems to be the reality for me , how about you and your collection?

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Permalink Reply by Paul on August 20, 2016 at 7:26pm

Ah, no.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on August 20, 2016 at 7:51pm

Hi ya Pete, Yup they even put that on the bill. I must have a very trusting gift of gab. good thing I was telling the truth!H

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Permalink Reply by Pete Bendu on August 20, 2016 at 9:44pm

Ian, I have seen stuff that you have posted on the site, and never doubted your word at all. That you made it up never even crossed my mind, but if these "kids" now working for Spence and other TPAs are taking the word of just anyone looking for a cert, it is starting to make sense why so much bad stuff is getting stickers.

Why bother even checking exemplar files.....the person who submitted the item told us where he/she got it.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on August 21, 2016 at 3:14am

Where most tpa's hold the bull by the horns is at auction houses, while some or most collectors couldn't care less having an item consigned to auction, that's is where the tpa's hold the most authority, but we see them pass items based on relationships more than the autograph itself often at time, which is bs. Look at old mate with his eagles ip graphs. Bros before ho's, mentality.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on August 21, 2016 at 3:19am

So what im trying to say is, id have trouble trying to consign a specific autograph to auction unless i have the right last name.

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Permalink Reply by Samuel John Clifford on August 22, 2016 at 3:48am

These are sellers that seem to have every item authenticated by PSA/DNA and I see issues with the graphs I know. (I'm sure there are more but this is all I can think of off the top of my head)

tmoney8484 (aka Highly Collectible Autographs)
Presspasscollectibles
toptierautographs
allsportsprod

These are examples I see from these sellers that are forgeries in my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on August 21, 2016 at 9:53am

Sorry I wasn't being "funny" with you, didn't think you doubted me,just wanted to show. I was surprised myself! Ive never been a fan of the authentication business. It seems certain people might get preferences over us regular sheep! PPass is one I worry about also when they can get scribbles "passed" from PSA as well as many big names as well (McCartney) that will be sold and get out into the market.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on August 22, 2016 at 1:38pm

It makes it a whole new ballgame if the authenticators are calling them authentic and there actually forged items.

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Permalink Reply by TradeGeek on August 22, 2016 at 2:23pm

I'm not sure there has ever really been a ball game. Unless it's a PSA/JSA "witnessed" cert I give it little value. Even if they get it right 95% of the time, that 5% is a huge number of forgeries.

As a sports collector, I benefit from the fact that there are good reputable companies in the sports field which contract with just about every major athlete. There is a premium to be paid, but I have 100% faith in Steiner, Upper Deck, Hollywood Collectibles, OC Sports-cards.. ect. I also have an opportunity to get autographs in person at scheduled events or at games. I know it's not as easy for music or entertainment collectors. So I can have plenty of opportunities to add to my collection while completely ignoring 3rd party authentication. I know others may not have that luxury.

Keeping GIA/GA ect out of it... how much faith can be placed in a JSA or PSA opinion? Frankly, I trust the opinion of the people on this site far more than JSA/PSA.

Is the value of 3rd party authentication only in the market perception when it's time to sell? If that's the case then it's an emperor's new clothes scenario. It's only a matter of time before that perception changes and those sticker don't have value on the secondary market.

Or am I just being, as usual, overly cynical?

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Permalink Reply by Rich on August 22, 2016 at 2:49pm

I agree with most everything you said. I don't like PSA or JSA very much and I would never buy something I'm unfamiliar with on the basis of their sticker alone. Proponents of those TPAs always note that "mistakes" are be expected. But these aren't just innocent "mistakes." It's greed, incompetence and laziness. Sloppiness and bad practices. Blind trust and big egos. It's ruining the quality and integrity of both companies.