New Beckett BGS & BVG Photograph Authentication Service
 

Hey All,

Just wanted to announce a new service that may be of interest to some of you. Beckett Grading (BGS & BVG) is now open for Original Photograph Authentication and (optional) Grading. For now, pricing is the same as for sports cards (remember that items larger than 3.5" x 5.25" are subject to an $8 surcharge to cover higher slab and shipping costs).

Details can be found at the following page:

www.beckett.com/photos

We'd like to especially thank Net54 Member David Rudd Cycleback for his expertise in this venture!

Mark Anderson
Beckett Grading Services

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...hNewsPhoto.jpg

Congratulations on the new endeavor, Mark!

I have a photo order that should be mailed out to you sometime next week. Also, I send you an e-mail with a photo question if you get a chance to review it for me.

Thanks

Great news and to hear that David's involved.
Mark, Is there an option for an LOA instead of the holder? A couple of us prefer a conventional matte/frame for display. Steve F

Or, I could not be a schmuck and just click the darn link.

Sorry Steve, nope.

The slab is our method of not only protecting, preserving, and displaying the item, but also the security against fraudulent authentication issues. Outside of the sealed holder, we would have to mark the item with something (sticker, invisible ink, etc.), and I'm just not fond of any of those options. See Leon's post a few days ago on Authentication and stickers on items ;)

I agree it would be a cool option to the service, but I haven't thought of any way to realistically do it at this point.

Thanks!
Mark

If anyone has a question about a photo-- whether it looks okay or vintage, the stamping looks acceptable, dating, etc-- you can contact me before sending anything in (my website is cycleback.com).

I'm working as an outside adviser to Beckett (they already sent me a scan of a photo for my opinion on the dating stamps), and I'm sure they' are more than happy for to give advise collectors. I don't personally handle the photos and know the specifics about the 1-10 grading system (obviously, I know 10 is better than 1). I visited Beckett in Dallas a couple of months ago, carrying a brief case full of photo 'exemplars', and met with all the folks.

Lastly, I'm not dealing in photos or other memorabilia (or used cars, etc), so me saying a photo looks good or bad, doesn't benefit me financially. I'm an honest, ethical person so it wouldn't matter anyway. I'm hired specifically to give good, honest advice.

My only cheap advertisement is for my book Guide to Sports Photographs. It covers sports photos of all types from all eras, 1800s to today, tintypes, Polaroids, cabinet cards, wire photos, real photo postcards etc. It shows how to date, authenticate, identify, name and even has a chapter on how to date early baseball photos by the player's uniforms and equipment. The books covers all the types of photos submitted to and holdered by Beckett.

The book can be purchased via amazon, with the link below

Amazon

The Sports Guide is the sports version of 'Judging the Authenticity of Photographs' so there's only need to get the Guide to Sports Photographs. The other book would be redundant.

David, PM sent. Thankyou in advance, Steve

Nice Idea
 

SGC played around with it for a while via its comic book co but only did one group of photos, part of the Culver archive for one dealer. I bought a few and wanted to have some of my photos slabbed similarly but they were not doing it commercially.

I may send in my modest group of boxing items.

Yes, previously there were only two options:

* The CGC press photos, but the drawbacks were that it was not a public service, there were stickers added to the photos, and the "slabs" were thinner than a card saver. They were almost laminated. For the record, I believe CGC and SGC (and NGC for coins) have no ownership connection, just a mutual involvement in the Certified Collectible Group. So I don't think SGC was involved in that Culver Archive "slabbing"/

* PSA/DNA - I have never found info on their site (but may be wrong) that this is a public service they offer either. They definitely do/did not slab them, but rather put a sticker on the photo, and issued a letter of authenticity to match.

Looking forward to seeing your boxing photos!
Mark

From what I saw and guess, the CGC were done for a big dealer. The problem was the photos were basically all labeled as vintage originals. Many were nice originals, but some where later generation and printed later press photos. So there were some big labeling/misdating errors in the lot. As Mark mentions, these photos have big sticker on back and are 'holdered' in a soft plastic sleeve.

As Mark also mentions, I'm not sure if the PSA/DNA was a for public deal. Though, I've looked at the PSA/DNA photos and they appear to be accurately labeled and dated-- so I haven't seen errors in the methods.

The Type 1, Type 2 of the Mastro book and PSA/DNA is their cataloging invention. I've never labeled photos that way. I say stuff like original, vintage, printed later-- which are the traditional and standard terms. The funny thing is before I went to Dallas to meet with Beckett I had to read what the Type 1, Type 2 meant. If a collector says Type 3 to me in an email, I may have to go and look up Type 3 means.

I bought a few of the Culver Photos in the CGC sleeves
 

Not bad at all. They were about 11 x 14 overall size and about 100 mil thick overall. which was thick enough to protect the photo pretty well. Frankly, I liked the fact that they weren't a 1/4" slab of heavy plastic.