1) To say that there were no need for third party authenticators before third party authenticators doesn't necessaily understand that it is a different collecting world with more emphasis on purchasing things through scans and photos, instead of a show or a periodical and there has been a massive increase in fraud.
2) I don't collect because of the fraud and I know a number of people who don't either. Six former collectors. I always wanted a Babe Ruth ball, but since there are so few people I trust, I choose to invest/spend those moneys in other collecting avenues. You say "these guys are good", but those guys are hardly known to the average collector and if PSA/DNA, Jimmy Spece go down, there will be uncertainty with everything they have ever authenticated and nobody will know what is actually good or bad as I find it almost impossible to believe that even a small percentage of the ones offered monthly are good as while the Babe signed, did he sign that much? Not to mention I have heard some horror stories about even the better sellers and wasn't Halper one of the better people in the hobby? So if the two bigger firms go down, everyone will assume that what they have is authentic (which they do anyways even the Morales pundits) and we will be far worse off as a hobby to not have faith in at least someone.
3) I have never purchased an item at fixed rate (eBay) because nothing is rare anymore (it seems) and I will always see it later on or get it cheaper in an auction. Sad to think that way but there all the catalogs I get agree with my assessment of the current state of collecting.
Regards,
Larry
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