Quote:
Originally Posted by slightlyrounded
Why somebody hasn't set up a transparent authentication service that employs a huge database of known transactions + AI (or, Mechanical Turk) is beyond me.
'Lenny and his loupe' may be enough for a grading service, but there are FAR better tools for authentication if anyone cared to use them. I'd love to buy a graded card knowing EXACTLY what databases were searched (examples: ebay sale date range, auction house list, known provenance chain) and if any red flags were raised. |
Also realize that too many collectors and dealers don't seriously care about authenticity. They just want a label or certificate to facilitate resale. Many people on the PSA registry don't care really care if their cards have been altered or misgraded. They only care about the number on the label.
I'm not an autograph person, but my friend is a serious and learned one. He does his own research and studies before, during and after buying-- and will agree and disagree with TPA verdicts--, but also knows the LOAs are useful for resale because many buyers go strictly by the TPA LOA. I also imagine that he thinks it useful to have someone else's (TPA) opinion on an autograph, even if he sometimes disagrees.