Kevin Keating?

[Mollys Dad]

Hey, is anyone familiar with Kevin Keating of qualityautographs.com? He always advertises in SCD magazine and has some very compelling items. Before I buy, I was hoping to hear from anyone on the board who has had any experience or can vouch for his reputation? Thanks in advance for any help!

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Mollys Dad

Hey, is anyone familiar with Kevin Keating of qualityautographs.com? He always advertises in SCD magazine and has some very compelling items. Before I buy, I was hoping to hear from anyone on the board who has had any experience or can vouch for his reputation? Thanks in advance for any help!

Kevin Keating deals in extremely high quality merchandise, but he's not inexpensive. He is a quality guy to deal with, but there are others as well. Some that I could also recommend would include Phil Marks, Bill Corcoran and Jim Stinson. Here on Net54 Rhys Yeakley and Jodi Birkholm are both excellent as well.

I hope this helps.

[roarfrom34]

Kevin has a solid, respected reputation in the hobby

[Lordstan]

You can also add Richard Simon to that list of reputable autograph dealers.

[drc]

Keating has a strong reputation and is an autograph authenticator for PSA/DNA.

[Leaf]

Originally Posted by Mollys Dad

Hey, is anyone familiar with Kevin Keating of qualityautographs.com? He always advertises in SCD magazine and has some very compelling items. Before I buy, I was hoping to hear from anyone on the board who has had any experience or can vouch for his reputation? Thanks in advance for any help!

Kevin is not only a great guy, but a very knowledgeable, honest and straightforward dealer. I trust him implicitly with anything.
BG

[53Browns]

Thanks to everyone for the great feedback. I feel pretty comfortable purchasing from him now.

[RichardSimon]

I have known Kevin for a long time and you can certainly trust him and the merchandise he sells.

[Hankphenom]

I've set up at shows with Kevin for the last six years, and we've been close personal friends for almost twenty years. In all that time, I've never seen or heard of a single incident questioning his honor or integrity. He's a West Point graduate, was an Army Ranger, has a master's degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), has a wonderful wife and twin boys. Kevin was a collector for many years before he even thought about becoming a dealer, starting at age eleven in 1970 hanging around for hours at the Chicago hotel where the players stayed waiting for them to come out so he could get their autographs. Then he found out you could write to the old Hall of Famers and they would write you back, and he was hooked. As for his expertise? When Jimmy Spence or Steve Grad have a tough one, they walk it over to Kevin. That's the God's truth--I've seen it countless times. And about his prices, show me in the hobby where the highest quality material goes for a bargain? And Kevin only deals in the highest quality material. I think it's probably safe to say he's the biggest dollar volume vintage baseball autograph dealer in the country, so he must be doing something right. Anything else you need to know?
Hank Thomas

[prewarsports]

To add to this thread, Kevin is a great guy. When I was just getting started out dealing in Pre-War autographs instead of just collecting to help supplement my Family through Law School, I had an item that Kevin wanted. I talked with him on the phone and told him I wanted $2000 and explained why and he not only bought it, but gave me $2250 for it to help with Law School Bills! I have sold lots of stuff to him over the years and he is not only a great guy, but knows his stuff more than any dealer I have met except for maybe Jodi Birkholm (who is a freak with his knowledge on obscure prewar guys!). I would trust Kevin with anything and everything but as is mentioned in this thread before, he has high end items so they are not cheap.

Rhys Yeakley

[tinkereversandme]

I agree with all of the above BUT think he's out of his mind when it comes to his pricing. I just don't get how he can ask those prices in this economy with so much competition. Who would pay $50 for Vida Blue 8x10?

Larry

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by tinkereversandme

I agree with all of the above BUT think he's out of his mind when it comes to his pricing. I just don't get how he can ask those prices in this economy with so much competition. Who would pay $50 for Vida Blue 8x10?

Larry

Kevin's not out of his mind about anything, and I find it hilarious that you come up with a $50 item as an example of his overpricing. Like when someone at my table asks what's the best I can do on a $10 item, I say, "how much of a discount do you want off ten bucks?" What a waste of breath to complain about somebody's prices. Nobody's making you buy anything. Just move on.

[Leaf]

I have purchased from Kevin in the past and I can tell you that he has virtually everything. The cost of stocking massive inventory isnt free and the constant availability of such great merchadise carries a premium value.
BG

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by Leaf

I have purchased from Kevin in the past and I can tell you that he has virtually everything. The cost of stocking massive inventory isnt free and the constant availability of such great merchadise carries a premium value.
BG

And I would like to add... Great Pieces are completely worth premium values, no question about it. It's real simple, try and find the kind of stuff that Kevin stocks, at any price! Most great pieces will eventually fetch the asking prices, almost without exception.

[mr2686]

I believe it was at the 2006 National, and I was going from table to table with my head down looking at all the fine items, when I came to the end table and my eyes popped out of their sockets. There were the most beautiful vintage autographs I had ever seen. Ruth, Gehrig, Wagner, Cobb, etc. All of them of top quality. I looked up to find the Quality Autographs banner and some very nice people. Since then, I have purchased several items from Kevin and have been happy with every purchase. I might add that about half of my purchases I felt were under priced. If you want Vida Blue, then you can probably find it elsewhere for much cheaper, but if you want that hard to find last member of a team project, I bet Kevin has it.

[J.McMurry]

He used to put up some of the more common stuff on the bay which could be had at very low prices.

I have really enjoyed his book on Negro League autographs.

[Vintagedegu]

-

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Vintagedegu

Someone asked for opinions, and he gave his. Just move on.

I rendered my opinion of his, now you've rendered yours of mine. Just move on.

[MacDice]

I have purchased a few signed 1957 cards from him in the past and the transactions have been nothing but smooth. As far as pricing goes, I think that it is worth spending a little more money to go through a person that has the reputation that he has. I don't trust many people when purchasing autographs but Kevin I do.

[tinkereversandme]

Since I got called out I would really like to know what your example had anything to do with a $3 signed photo where one dealer wants $50 for it?
He can ask whatever he wants for one but I can point out the insane mark up if I want to.

Sure he has nice stuff and is honest, but is $995 for a single signed Joe Dimaggio ball fair or $4,950 for a #500 club baseball? I have seen premium items in catalogs sell for X amount and then show up in his store with a massive mark up. If you want to pay for Eddie Gaedel, he's the guy to see I guess as you won't find it anywhere else.

Larry

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by tinkereversandme

Since I got called out I would really like to know what your example had anything to do with a $3 signed photo where one dealer wants $50 for it?
He can ask whatever he wants for one but I can point out the insane mark up if I want to.

Sure he has nice stuff and is honest, but is $995 for a single signed Joe Dimaggio ball fair or $4,950 for a #500 club baseball? I have seen premium items in catalogs sell for X amount and then show up in his store with a massive mark up. If you want to pay for Eddie Gaedel, he's the guy to see I guess as you won't find it anywhere else.

Larry

Now you've got me confused. Are you saying that a Vida Blue signed photo can be had for $3? I just did a quick Google search and the range I saw was $30-70. As for prices being "fair," I don't get that, either. You can judge them high or low, but "fair?" To whom is it being fair or unfair? The only reason I jumped in to begin with was your use of the phrase "out of his mind," which he most certainly is not. Now his markups, for every one of which I can guarantee you he has a reason, are "insane." I really would stay away from those kinds of characterizations. He has a business model, and a rationale for pricing the way he does. You could call him up or catch him at a show, and he'd be happy to explain any of it to you. He's a very engaging fellow and loves to talk about autographs.

[Leaf]

Originally Posted by tinkereversandme

Since I got called out I would really like to know what your example had anything to do with a $3 signed photo where one dealer wants $50 for it?
He can ask whatever he wants for one but I can point out the insane mark up if I want to.

Sure he has nice stuff and is honest, but is $995 for a single signed Joe Dimaggio ball fair or $4,950 for a #500 club baseball? I have seen premium items in catalogs sell for X amount and then show up in his store with a massive mark up. If you want to pay for Eddie Gaedel, he's the guy to see I guess as you won't find it anywhere else.

Larry

I have a Gaedel on a newspaper photo (he is pictured in uniform!)
Big $$$!!!!!!... BG

[ss]

I agree with Hank. Kevin is one of the very few people I trust with autographs. He is very approachable, helpful and knowledgeable. He is probably the best out there, and you definitely pay a premium; but that is the cost of doing business with the best in any industry.

[bbcard1]

I don't collect autographs, but have heard good things about Kevin from friends who do.

[prewarsports]

I think the other thing to keep in mind is that for the most part anything Kevin sells is generally regarded as "pre-certified" by most in the hobby.

For example

Mickey Mantle 8X10 from DEALER X is $125
Mickey Mantle 8X10 from a dealer with full JSA or PSA is $295


People understand you pay a premium because it is already certified and I think that Kevins prices reflect that perception. ANY dealer worth anything will offer a lifetime Guarantee, but Kevins opinion is as highly regarded as any in the business including Jimmy Spence or the folks at PSA and you are paying for that just like you would pay extra for a thrid party authentication.

Rhys

[thetruthisoutthere]

For the most part, when it comes to autographs, you get what you pay for (most of the time). It's unfortunate that in this day and age that we can only trust a handful when it comes to autographs. I only hear good feedback when it comes to Richard Simon and Kevin Keating. But most important, learn, learn, learn. Learn about the autographs you are interested in.

[pscolgrafs]

$30 to $ 70 for Vida Blue? Why don't you try using a current indicator in Ebay. I see eBay BIN's at 80% off what Quality is asking.

And he has Mantle 8x10's for $495.

In a world full of auction catalogs stacked to the ceiling and trusted authenticators working with auction houses, great items come along quite often and anyone should be able to ask whatever they want for anything they possess (it's their right), but the prices are goofy. Not quite Historyforsale goofy, but never the less. I saw one nice piece on eBay sell for $800 and he had one for 12 times that.

Never the less if you want to bypass the authentication fees and want to purchase from a trusted dealer, I guess this is the route to go.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by pscolgrafs

$30 to $ 70 for Vida Blue? Why don't you try using a current indicator in Ebay. I see eBay BIN's at 80% off what Quality is asking.

And he has Mantle 8x10's for $495.

In a world full of auction catalogs stacked to the ceiling and trusted authenticators working with auction houses, great items come along quite often and anyone should be able to ask whatever they want for anything they possess (it's their right), but the prices are goofy. Not quite Historyforsale goofy, but never the less. I saw one nice piece on eBay sell for $800 and he had one for 12 times that.

Never the less if you want to bypass the authentication fees and want to purchase from a trusted dealer, I guess this is the route to go.

Boy, you're right about Vida. He must sit and sign all day long. How anybody makes anything with his 8x10s a 9.99 BIN and $4 shipping is a mystery. I can only guess that there is massive dumping of a huge oversupply of his going on. At any rate, it's recurring refrain on this forum about how overpriced dealers are, especially on the card side but on this side, too. As I said before, nobody's making you buy anything, so what's the big complaint? Also, as a dealer, I can guarantee you that nobody will stay in business very long with much of his inventory out of whack with the prevailing market. You buy stuff and you price it according to your best judgment of the market for that item, and you see what happens. Lots of times you are wrong, and eventually a correction will be made. I just don't like the implication that dealers are always trying to rip off the unsuspecting customer with ridiculous prices. That's actually impossible, if you think about it. If a buyer is willing enough, or ignorant enough, to pay that price, is that a rip-off? And it's expensive to be in business, to provide the service of a retail operation, where you can actually see the items and talk to the dealer about them. That's what my markups pay me for, hopefully but with no guarantee of a profit at the end of the year. As I said before, bad dealers won't be around long, and Kevin Keating has been in business a long time and does a tremendous volume every year. For all the supposed flaws you can pick out of his inventory, he must be doing something right.
Hank Thomas

[Leaf]

Originally Posted by hankphenom

boy, you're right about vida. He must sit and sign all day long. How anybody makes anything with his 8x10s a 9.99 bin and $4 shipping is a mystery. I can only guess that there is massive dumping of a huge oversupply of his going on. At any rate, it's recurring refrain on this forum about how overpriced dealers are, especially on the card side but on this side, too. As i said before, nobody's making you buy anything, so what's the big complaint? Also, as a dealer, i can guarantee you that nobody will stay in business very long with much of his inventory out of whack with the prevailing market. You buy stuff and you price it according to your best judgment of the market for that item, and you see what happens. Lots of times you are wrong, and eventually a correction will be made. I just don't like the implication that dealers are always trying to rip off the unsuspecting customer with ridiculous prices. That's actually impossible, if you think about it. If a buyer is willing enough, or ignorant enough, to pay that price, is that a rip-off? And it's expensive to be in business, to provide the service of a retail operation, where you can actually see the items and talk to the dealer about them. That's what my markups pay me for, hopefully but with no guarantee of a profit at the end of the year. As i said before, bad dealers won't be around long, and kevin keating has been in business a long time and does a tremendous volume every year. For all the supposed flaws you can pick out of his inventory, he must be doing something right.
Hank thomas

qft.... +1

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by thetruthisoutthere

For the most part, when it comes to autographs, you get what you pay for (most of the time).

True, to a point. If the price is "too good to be true," you're buying garbage. But a genuine Ruth, say, is a genuine Ruth. Paying twice the going auction rate doesn't make it twice as genuine.

Originally Posted by thetruthisoutthere

But most important, learn, learn, learn. Learn about the autographs you are interested in.

Truer words were never spoken.