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Authenticity is Everything
Does It Concern You That PSA...?
I feel compelled to ask this question as a result of a comment made in another discussion. Does it concern you that PSA receives stacks of autographs to authenticate from high-volume dealers? If I was to send an autograph to PSA or any other third-party authenticator would it have the same chance of passing as it would if I were a high-volume dealer sending stacks of autographs on a regular basis?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rich on
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Yes, but it's only part of a laundry list of things that concern me about them.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on
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This isn't only about PSA but all third-party authenticators. Please do not misunderstand me. As a collector I understand that they serve a valuable service and that the hobby would be much worse off without them. I would simply like to be assured that they treat the little man just the same as the big outfits that butter their bread on a regular basis.
Rich, I am not convinced that your concerns would be categorized as dirty laundry and may be worthwhile as far as this discussion is concerned.
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Permalink Reply by Jerome Turner on
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People give too much credit to PSA and place it on a pedestal. Too many people think that since an item is authenticated by PSA that it has to be 100% real. In reality all that means is that someone at that company thinks it looks real. It doesn't make it real though. PSA has authenticated fakes, and has rejected real ones. And your concern above as well as other practices others have mentioned by their authenticators are troublesome. The fact remains, the only way to know if an autograph is real is to see it signed yourself, or if you have real exact proof. I'm not talking about pictures of a celebrity signing something where you can't even see the autograph or item. I'm talking about pictures where you can see the exact item for sale as well as some of the autograph already on it so it can be matched up perfectly with the item. True exact proof is rarely seen as it is very hard to obtain most times when getting an autograph on the street, unless you have someone else taking it for you, and this term is used very loosely among dealers. I understand that a PSA sticker on an item helps many collectors sleep easier at night about their item being authentic, and in many cases it might be more likely to be authentic if passed. But the truth is among all third party authenticators including PSA, all you are paying for is an opinion. A sticker doesn't make something real, and lack of doesn't make it fake for that matter.
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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on
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Absolutely I would be concerned,its ridiculous to authenticate checkmarks and sqiggles from the more modern stars without them witnessing them. They are obviously taking the word of their best customers .No regular person is gonna get a line with a dot passed. Im suprised they risk their reputation with such easily forged signatures. I can do a heck of a check mark.
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You make some valid points Jerome. I would rather trust my source than a third-party authenticator but I also feel a little better seeing that sticker on an item.
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Permalink Reply by Ricky H on
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exactly. couldnt agree more. the only way i buy any autographs especially off ebay is if the item has exact proof (and i dont mean showing someone signing it like you said but actually seeing the autograph and comparing it with the item being sold) or exact video proof. i dont really trust any third party authenticator because like you said its impossible to guarantee an item is authentic unless you personally witness it being signed or there is exact proof pics or video. collecting autographs is a very risky hobby and i only trust myself and my own personally opinion. i just cant buy an autograph from someone who claims its real because in the back of my mind i will always be questioning if the item im looking at is actually authentic!
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Permalink Reply by N.Daniel on
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I sent in ten cards for $250 id gotten 5 of them in person, the other 5 were ttm. They turned down all ten and said theres nothing we can do your buying bad stuff....so im already upset telling them i got 5 of them in person at trining camp at my home town and showed them pictures of me with the athletes but not holding up my items (big mistake on my part huh, hold your stuff next to the athletes face for the camera!) I sent them in with a group submission later with 250+ items, they passed all ten. More money equals more authenticity! Ive used jsa ever since, they actually look at the signature and are much more customer oriented, yup i know they make mistakes too and some big ones at that but they actually take thiere time on each piece.
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That is precisely my concern N. Daniel. Thank you for sharing that story with us.
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Ditto! My same experience has been JSA doesn't go for the "Quantity" as PSA does. They are NOT a wing of a bigger company and hence NOT driven by greed and corporate executives (who get bonuses based on profit) as does PSA. I have found PSA will have ONE GUY look at an item and even if he doesn;t have the expertise , he may conclude a "doesn't look right for some reason" and fail it. Whereas, JSA (from my own experience) sends to to at least two experts in that particular genre, i.e. movies, sports, etc.
Sure, JSA is not perfect because they are human. Perfection won't happen until a technology is invented to authenticate signatures. Heck, remember there are suckers buying strands of hair out there, which is Impossible to authenticate (without DNA test). At least with autographs there is a lot that can be analyzed.
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makes me want to use jsa over psa after couple of the comments here. jsa is slightly cheaper too.
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Permalink Reply by Mike P on
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Very true. I had a couple of soccer autographs (100% genuine, most I have photo proof etc with signature and photo being signed) and an Al Pacino (maybe was questionable) that the company failed to even make comments on and just gave me full refund.
It's annoying, because if they put names of celebrities/athletes that they supposedly are familiar with, it's hard to imagine why they can't even make an OPINION on some signatures. Just seems fishy to me.
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