Quote:
Originally Posted by Tabe
As for trusting TPGs, I am reminded of a story I read once regarding PSA. There was some card show where PSA was setup for on-site card grading and autograph authentication. Someone at the show got an autograph from a guest at the show, walked over to PSA, and tried to get the autograph authenticated. PSA rejected it as not real.
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While this goes to show the flaws in their opinion, this is actually a bit comforting (where really no comfort can come from this thread).
I get a few autos every year at the MAB show in Cooperstown. You go through the hotel, come out the back, then go to the front of the building again to get a cert from JSA. They didn’t watch the item get signed, they don’t ask for proof of the signing ticket, and they only look at the item to verify the signer and inscription. This process takes less than a minute to complete and is an excercise in book keeping rather than authentication. Whose to say that a guy signing at that show has a high price (Randy Johnson) and someone walks up with 5 decent fakes. Those are all most likely getting stickers and a cert card.
When I got my Montana Jersey signed at Shriners I brought it to PSA. They did bring the jersey out back for about 5 minutes and then it came out with a cert. I didn’t watch what they did but the process was super quick.
Point being as an autograph collector these types of things are concerning and essentially certs can be handed out on items that don’t even go through a process. Even if these processes are flawed (as we see they are).