Ahh.. nice. My guess it Chris and JSA would probably agree on more sigs than not but that is just a guess. I remember this now..it was a feel good thread(Chris did the hobby a service here for sure).

I really like what you said and agree. With those high profile autos, even having an outside source to verify would significantly improve the hobby. I wouldn't mind paying more to even have Jim, Richard, Chris, Travis or David look at high profile autographs to ensure the authenticity of said item.

I honestly do not get why they don't consult to some of the leading individuals whom specialize in a specific individual player to get the most definitive answer rather than saying 'it looks like it may be authentic'

is keating still a consultant for PSA/DNA? i see his profile on the homepage. if someone submit a stack of signed ruths/gehrigs i would hope they give him a call, and leave the jr varsity stuff to grad.

the consultant names for these abc, xyz companies are mostly for show. they dont show them all the signatures in their specialty. more than once did the specialist not see the autographs that is in their specialty, with the authentication company bypassing them even though they are on their roster.

I agree Barry.

Joe

So does anyone else fear a future with far fewer vintage autograph dealers ?
 

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I, too, have pondered whether it might be best to liquidate my entire vintage autograph collection in the near future, versus holding on for another couple of decades.

My primary concern is two fold. First, the primary focus of my collection is on obscure ballplayer autographs, so the demand is considerably less, than say for a Ruth or Cobb caliber of ballplayer. My items are not the kind of material to interest too many auction houses of the quality and success rate that I would want to sell my collection. Secondly, a large majority of my collection was purchased from dealers with reasonably good/excellent hobby reputations, such as Jim Stinson, Richard Simon, Bill Corcoran, Ron Gordon, Kevin Keating, Doug Averitt, Jim Spence, etc. But most/all of these gentlemen are quite likely to be retired from the hobby in 20 years or so. With the exception of Rhys Yeakley and Jodi Birkholm, I am not overly familar with many "younger" dealers that may still be actively buying in 20 years. I can't help but think that makes for a much smaller marketplace, which would influence how much revenue the sale of my autographs would generate. And I am not even convinced that eBay will remain a viable option in 20 years.

For now, my course of action is to take a deep breath, drink a good whisky, and continue my pursuit for the autographs that elude me.

Your thoughts on the future (20 years out) on the vintage autograph hobby and whether there will be many/any professional dealers ?

As I understand it, Kevin is basically the top of the food chain at PSA, but doesn't work for them directly. He is available for consultation on ones Grad and/or others aren't sure about. Spence uses him for that purpose, too, but without any formal association.

If you're worried about the financial future of your hobby, get out now and you won't have to worry any more. Nobody knows what's going to happen. My guess is that collectibles will follow the economy: if it prospers, they will prosper; if there's a depression, there will be one in those, too. If you enjoy collecting, do it and don't think about the future. Or, as a wise man said: "Today has enough problems of its own--leave tomorrow's for tomorrow."

the old rare autographs are always going to hold their value, but if anyone has a portfolio of autographs that they have assembled purely for the investment, to me that is a carpshoot.

collect them because you enjoy them, if they go up in value, great, if not, dont sweat it.

Even where authenticity isn't a big issue, investing in any area of collectibles or memorabilia is tricky. I've been involved with baseball cards for a long time, and when some newby says "What's a good card to invest in?" I scratch my head. If you have a bar of gold that you're 100% certain is gold, it's hard to predict its financial future. I just yesterday read a newspaper article on gold and a gold dealer said "Predicting the price of gold is a crapshoot."

There will be autograph collectors and autograph collecting in the future. I can guarantee that.

I think you should sell me the ones I'd be interested in, then keep the rest for your own personal enjoyment. I trust those sellers you bought from, but nobody else will!!;)

Ken

-removed-

there will always be professional autograph dealers as long as people are signing autographs.