New to collecting autos and the forum

[baseball111]

Hello, I am new to the forum and have already learned a lot from everyone here and it has really fueled my interest in the hobby . I started collecting autographs TTM a few months ago and decided to collect HOF single signed baseballs. I don't have many (~30), but had a few questions before I started shelling out a ton of cash without a clue of what I'm doing. I was going to start with the better known, less expensive autos of living HOFers that have frequently signed just to get the ball rolling.

I've heard stories of fakes being passed by JSA/PSA and legit autos being rejected. When shopping on Ebay, is this theory pretty much negatable as long as there is a COA when your dealing with autos are aren't "rare", such as Alomar, Molitor, and Marichal to name a few.?

Secondly, where is your best bet when looking for "high-end" autos? Do you abandon Ebay all together and stick to an auction house?

Thanks for any input it's very much appreciated. Look forward to hearing from you guys!