For the most part I will only buy items that I KNOW are authentic, from my own eye, or with the advice of a few people that I 100% trust with certain signatures.
Honestly, learning the signature is 1/2 the fun for me. I enjoy it it, and it's fun "training" my eyes. There are usually "no-brainers" which I feel 100% comfortable purchasing, and I simply pass on signatures that I deem "on the fence", or "fake". Many times people will ask "IS THIS REAL OR NO" and what they should be asking me is "Would you purchase this or not?" because that is how I look at it when judging. If there is ANY doubt, simply pass.
PSA/DNA and JSA both make mistakes all the time, it should NEVER be about the "COA", you should always pay attention to the signature. If you literally have no clue, then yes, you are more likely to get a real signature if you buy one with PSA/DNA or JSA certification, but by no means should anyone believe those are "proof" of authenticity.
The more I collect, the more I realize that autographs I simply buy on eBay do not mean much to me, so I've tried to weed out my collection to mostly items I've gotten signed myself. This is obviously the safest route, but some people are just impossible to get this way. I have gotten a lot of sigs TTM (just gotta be careful about secretarials, autopens, etc.), and I have purchased plenty of pack-issued autographed cards as well.
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