Big Shakeup at PSA
 

Grad is gone.
New people on board.

http://www.psacard.com/Experts/

Good riddance and a long time coming in my opinion. Grad was all bluster and had little to back it up except a sketchy background . He was as useful as a screen door on a submarine .
Getting Bill Corcoran on board gives them a man with great and vast knowledge and a 30 year background in the hobby with a sterling reputation. I do not believe he will be influenced by AH tactics or pressure . I hope PSA will leave Bill alone and let him do his job.
Congratulations PSA for getting Bill and congratulations to Bill , you lend PSA instant credibility again.

I heard that was coming. Rumor is that Grad wants to open his own authentication business.

+100

looks like keating is also a full-time authenticator now...another win.

Another +1 on Bill Corcoran. Super great guy, unmatched experience and as honest and ethical as they come.

Awesome pickup, PSA!

+1

+1

But who is actually looking at the thousands of autographs submitted? Surely not just Corcoran and Keating--if they, indeed, look at any at all.

I have posted here in the past about my thoughts on TPA's.
Now one of the TPA companies has added two people on staff that I respect.
I know first hand about auction company pressure on TPA's.
I have experienced and successfully fought against that pressure before.
Though I have to say that some of the auction houses never attempted to exert any pressure on authenticators.
I have to believe that these guys will do the job right despite any pressure that will be placed on them by AH's and the corporate environment that they will be in.

my feeling is it's a trickle down effect, and it starts at the top. i'd have more confidence in a ruth or gehrig with the corcoran/keating name on it than grad...i don't expect them to look at the jake arriettas or roughned odors of the world. 95% of tpa is a joke anyway, there's not enough "experts" to cover the wide spectrum from the 1942 east german middle weight wrestler to the 2013 miss montenegro that they cert every day.

Based on the page of experts on the PSA site the only two people with any experience in vintage sports autographs are Bill and Kevin.
I would hope that the company will be smart enough to only let those two handle that area.
In the past it was always a guess as to who actually examined any item.
I would hope that in the area of vintage sports ONLY Bill and Kevin will be examining those items.

I wish Jim Stinson could join Bill and Kevin . Then it would be like having the Big 3 or Murderers Row there. But please don't add Spence to the mix.

I am not a fan of Keating, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Chad
That is a big + 100 on that.

PS one day I will tell the story of my Addie Joss and Grad . What an uneducated ass he is/ was !!!!

I still believe on the rare stuff or high dollar stuff 1 person shouldn't have the total say but then how can you fix this system . At least PSA is trying to address the issue before it gets worse .
Who will still cert those low level and mid level autographs at PSA because Bill and Kevin can't be expected to do it all ?
I also wonder if there will be slew of resubmission to PSA now that Grad is gone.

Knowing Jim like I do, and especially after our prior experience at PSA, he would rather sit through a dozen root canals than work for PSA.

Chad,
Can you get this picture signed ? :D.

The best Thing
 

The best thing I can say about that is Bill knows 1940's to present baseball autographs like NO OTHER , Kevin a close second or at best a tie, so they would do the best of my knowledge not differ those to a third party because that is their specialty and because they know them like no other. So if you like 3rd party opinions you will now be getting the best. In addition others have agreed to work behind the scenes because both have worked out a network of friendship over 4 decades , some people don't do this for the money. Not everyone can know everything but its a good place to start. Congrats to Bill & Kevin
____________________________
Jim Stinson e-bay store updated daily
http://stores.ebay.com/Jim-Stinson-Sports

Will Mr. Keating be giving up his job as a dealer to be an authenticator for PSA?

And Mr. Corcoran. Will he be giving up his dealer business?

Glad to see Bill and Kevin on board at PSA

Maybe since Grad was on Pawn Stars he now thinks he's a TV personality. Too popular to authenticate autographs for the common folk. LOL

This should be interesting.

I have heard from Bill Corcoran today and he will have to give up his private autograph dealer business in order to join PSA.

I hate to hear that because I always liked talking to Bill when I called and hearing his great stories and dealing with him in general.

I have to admit that stuff like this is why I trust y'all more than any authentication or COA group.

A- you are a combo of knowledge and many more eyes look at the item

B- we all have stuff we know a lot about without claiming ultimate authority on everything (like say I know many Braves sigs very well, but could easily be fooled by a Mantle or Ted Williams, others are totally different)

C-I collect for me, for my own enjoyment and not for resale or "value"

D- you are cheap! :-p

Huh?

Richard - any chance you can expand on that? Certainly Keating and Reznikoff aren't or didn't have to shutter their businesses to get PSA paychecks.

Bill and I go way back.
He e mailed me to say hello and to let me know about his move to PSA and that he will no longer be buying and selling autographs.
That is all I know.

This thread was moved from the (correct) autograph section.
This personnel change is a pretty big deal and could have some effect on our pre-war cards, specifically the autographed ones. I doubt it but hey, it's a segway....and an interesting story.

Ah. Knowing Bill he probably made that decision on his own...because it's the right thing to do. That's the kind of guy Bill is.

Send it to me, I'll get it signed for you.

Could you please spell her name for me?

:D:D.