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Posted By: davidcycleback

In the first years of GAI, an autographed item or group lot would come with a LOA and a COA. The LOA would contain the description and picture, while the COA was generic except for the serial number which you could presumably type in on the website to verify the item (Was an item picture shown on the website? I don't know). I never knew why they did this, but someone dishonest would receive two certificates for, say, a single Mickey Mantle baseball.

I know they later discontinued this and you'd receive either the LOA or COA. I have seen just the generic GAI COA, but it was for stuff like a Gary Payton signed ball or Torii Hunter signed jersey, not a Babe Ruth signed ball. For their entire history, their auction house LOAs were the full kind with photo and description. Meaning, if you won even a single lot Valeri Bertinelli signed tennis ball in a Mike Gutierrez or Mastro Auction, you'd receive the full LOA.