Say Hey! PSA/DNA
 

The vagaries of autograph collecting! There are a few old threads about Say Hey! stickers. This weekend Quick Opinion returned "Likely Not Genuine" on two examples I considered. I am fully aware this does not guarantee authenticity, because nothing really does! However, one of the examples in question is attached. I had read on this board that there could be a genuine question of authenticity with some of these items. I did go with a PSA/DNA example in the end.

Ive made two threads asking this question and have not bought a item with this sticker because I never got a answer. Maybe it’s a dirty little secret no one wants to talk about. Maybe people are not sure. Maybe there are more fakes then real at this point.

Ball #2
 

Likely Not Genuine according to PSA/DNA. I have noticed, as have others, that the inscribed balls in particular probably need to be double-checked.

My experience is that when people don't respond to a thread it's usually because they don't know. Despite what Alex Jones says, there's no Rothschild/Gliteratti conspiracy going on in the shadows of Net54.

It is believed that these stickers started off good, but somehow, the wrong person got a hold of them and added them to lots of bad stuff. It is also believed PSA and JSA originally passed many fakes, probably based on the sticker alone, but once the alleged truth got out there they are now hedging bets on what comes in.

To me, the sticker and the “wagging tail” (as I like to cal it) at the end of Mays is sign to run away.


Just my 2 cents.

The truth is out there !
 

I think Alex Jones is on to something here. We have a ton of autograph experts on this board. Willie Mays is a all time great and always will be regarded as such.
I’m sure there is a Mays aficionado somewhere on this board that could look at browse the Mays authentications and say YUP something fishy is definitely going on, OR nope nothing going on they seem legit.

I mean people post random pics of of autographed baseballs and with a hour every auto is called out even no name minor leaguers!

OR my favorite.:) When you get something you know nothing about and post a question about it. You get no answers on the forum but the experts all PM you asking to buy it. They are very helpful till you say it is not for sale, then nothing but crickets.:eek::D

From my experience, Willie didn’t put inscriptions on the sweet spot. Always off to the side or on another panel.

Or maybe some of us, me included, don't want to opine as much as we used to.

I know from personal communication with three of my collector friends, they no longer want to opine.....myself included.

One more comment...

I've observed dozens of "Steiner" holograms on Jeter forged baseballs.

They might not want to opine because they don't know or think they know and don't :). Autographs are a minefield. Good luck to anyone collecting them on anything but official docs or without ironclad provenance. That all said, if you don't help your hobby it won't get better.

That is too bad because I highly respect your opinion but I understand. I am the same way pointing out altered cards. Especially when it is obviously bad and the person who asks then wants to argue about it.

Leon, I can appreciate your comment, but it's not about that at all in discussing it with my collector friends.

Thank you, Ben.

And thank you for your empathy.

Yes, I understand we are too open of a forum to share some things. I am positive there are some fraudsters who read the board.

Has zero to do with that.

They can’t handle the truth !
 

So some truth appears thanks Molder. If we can’t talk about here or get to the bottom of it together. Then I don’t think anyone will have a clear idea of what’s going on.( The alterd Steiner autos is news to me). I’m not a big auto collector but I do enjoy adding some graphs. That being said what Leon said echos true if we won’t help each other then no one else will.

Based on what's been discussed before, here is how I approach Mays' autos with the Say Hey hologram: they have been tainted enough for me that I will not touch them. The final straw was comparing two Mays' sigs: one was an in-person that sold via Verkman auctions, the other any of the ones with the Say Hey holo. The in-person one was as shaky as you'd expect for a man of his age and (seemingly) health. The rest? Beautiful and perfect. How is that so?

No thanks, I'll say away. Just like I stay away from any not-early Global, Ace, etc. Maybe I'll actually miss a legit auto, but it's not worth my time and energy.

Ken

PS: I assume you've done searches here on the forum? If so, how much more can be said?

Here are my main points with Say Hey hologram. Early ones are real but most are fake. I haven’t seen one authentic one that has an inscription. All the ones that have an inscription on the sweet spot are fake. Also look at his autograph and there are some glaring differences. Mainly the fake ones have peaks or little mountains for the ‘illie’. The real one look nothing like that. Just my opinion...

I do not know if this is true, but my suspicions are consistent with Matt's.

In my view, the reason for the lack of response on the Sey Hey holograms is that people just don't "know." Lot's of smoke and suspicion, but lacking in enough evidence to make firm assertions.

Something does not seem right with these signatures and there is anecdotal evidence credible authentication firms are failing items with Sey Hey holograms. Are the holograms being counterfeited? Or were real ones stolen? Or is someone else in the organization signing for Mays?

All valid questions in my opinion.

Ditto.

You can routinely find May's signed baseballs from the 80s or 90s with undoubtedly authentic signatures for well under $100.

Why even mess around with these Sey Hey examples?

ahem... 1958 "Blue" Aarons. :D

LOL, yes I had one gentleman tell me I must not know who he is and how important he is in the hobby. I just replied with an OK but you are still trying to sell an altered card.

I have been thinking about selling that card with the description saying how that card saved collectors $ from scammers. I know before my post they sold for a premium. After the mass selloff right after my post I don't see them anymore.:D

Great I have a Mays with a Say Hey that I got a while back. It also has a MRAK sticker on it. Are they legit? I did a google search and they actually put out a forgery advisory. So hoping it’s legitimate. I got it a while back. Here is the link to the article. No inscription on mine.

http://www.mraksports.com/Forgery.htm