unless you are going to sell the item why would you need a certificate. If you are not an expert or at least an educated collector, why are you buying anything in the first place?
so you have a Babe Ruth Baseball and you want to sell it, where would you go. If you tried to sell it here would you need a certificate?
if you sold it to some schmuck on the street?
where is your market.
Is the cost of the certificate part of your marketing plan?
Certificates, the biggest marketing ploy ever in the history of collecting.
For the past 25 years it has been a joy to watch a person buy a major league baseball at a stand at a show, buy a ticket for an autograph, get the ball signed then as they are walking out of the autograph area there is a friend of the promoter willing for a fee to give you a certificate for another $7 or $8.
So now you have a ball with a certificate that no one will care about so now you have to get another one from one of the"Boys" so you can sell the ball.
So in 1993 you buy a ball $6.00, get Bob Feller to signed it $12.00. Get Eddie's friend to give you a certificate, $7.00 you put the ball away.
So 2011 you see Bob has died, where is that ball, found it, certificate sucks so I need a new one. Go to show $8.00 to get in go get a new certificate a quick one not a full one $35.00
woohoo now I can sell my ball that I have had for 18 years.
I'll give you $35.00 for it
yes we need new blood in this hobby, mainly to suck them dry
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