Authentication Company COA Stickers on Card
 

What are your opinions of having the authentication company placing the small oval COA sticker directly onto an autographed sports card or signed postcard at an authentication event as an alternative to slabbing? I am only considering this alternative for lesser value signatures on low value cards or postcards as a way to save my clients some money.

i detest that practice and have passed on cards and other memorabilia that i otherwise would have bought were it not for the sticker. in my opinion, one of the worst ideas the authentication companies ever came up with.

+1. I have also passed on things due to placement of a sticker.

I hate the sticker. I have a beautiful Mantle signed Sport magazine that has a stupid sticker on it and a Barry Sanders signed rookie with a dopey sticker. If there was anything I could do to get them off I would do it in a second.

I used the JSA witness service once and they use a sticker. I did not like it sold the item and have not used them since. Worth the extra trouble to have them encapsalasted in my opinion. But I understand what you are saying about cost a $30 auto in a $20 case...

The other option, is to just not certify things until you are going to sell them. That way you can save all the money to use to buy more autographs.

You have the option of not getting a sticker placed on an item.

I asked and was told for JSA witness cert I had to get sticker.

I don't like those stickers on anything. I once purchased a photo on ebay that didn't have a sticker, but when it arrived it had one on the front. When I complained to the seller he said he posted an old scan of it before he got it authenticated. I ended up damaging the photo removing that damn sticker. I would never purchase a card with one on it.

Sticker
 

I have two autographed cards with stickers on the back that I have picked up in the last couple months (doing a Brooks Robinson signed run). One card I didn’t know the sticker was there until after I received the card and the other I knew was there, but it had a nice autograph on the front and was inexpensive to purchase (maybe because there was a sticker on the back!). The first card I received I tried to take the sticker off and peeled part of the back off when removing and now it’s a tad bit sticky as well. Should have left it alone, but didn’t like it being on the card and wrongfully thought it would just peel off nice and easy, but once I started that wasn’t the case I was into it too much to stop.

Anyway, I dislike the stickers! I guess I would still pick one up for the right card at the right price, but leave the sticker on the back.

Placing a sticker (especially on the front) shows a lack of respect for the item, and IMHO, is mostly done to stroke the ego of the authenticator.

I pass on any photo that has that sticker on it. I remember years ago I saw a really great Type 1 photo of Van Lingle Mungo signed in period fountain pen. A really perfect piece - except for that darn oval circle! Not only did it ruin the whole look of the piece, but the moron that applied it put it on crooked and off center. Shame, it was a beautiful piece at a good price, unfortunately ruined by that stupid sticker.

The few game used pieces I own I carefully removed the TPA stickers from them and throw them away. It is easier and safer to take them off a glove or bat than it is a photo.