PSA/DNA news

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Posted By: Jeff O

I don't think this "release" has been covered here before... makes for some interesting reading.

http://iada-cc.com/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=99

Jeff
http://www.seattlehockey.net

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Posted By: warshawlaw

But I don't watch them because I don't like their politics.

Sounds like PSA/DNA really has its troubles...

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Posted By: jay behrens

I think it got touch upon lightly when the story first aired, but the thread didn't develope much. Personally, this is exactly why I stay away from autographs unless it is something I obtained myself. The fact I used to be able to do a decent job of faking sigs also makes me leery of spend money on old sigs.

The best adivse I ever got about autographs is, buy cancelled bank checks. The best trick I used to use was to send a check with the autograph request. Even if the player never answered, they usually deposited the check. Nowdays, this doesn't work since you don't get your checks back from the bank.

Jay

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Posted By: hankron

Buy from people who are knowedgeable and trustworthy.

Safe things to look for: celebrity personal checks, contracts, items with the person's mailing envelope.

Long handwritten signed letters!!!! (Labeled as ALS) It's one thing to forge 'Al Kaline,' it's another to forge a 4 page handwritten letter on Kaline's personal stationary.

Long handwritten signed letters with the original envelope and the player's business card!!! In the old days, US Senators and Nobel Prize winners (working at a University) often had their signed photo or 3x5s sent with a personalized letter on personal official stationary detailing that the photo was included and in a personal official mailer dated and postmarked. Talks about a great display combination!

Significant provenance: You might someday buy a varied collection from a Senator or actors' personal estate, including his business card, snapshots, award, programs and official documents with a few signed.

As there are secretarial signatures and autopens, the collector will still have to judge the signature (does it look like his or something by his secretary). But, if you have a ALS with personal letter that you got as part of a the Senator's personal items, you likely won't have to be Mike Gutierrez to judge the authenticity.

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Posted By: Anthony

Here is a related thread- seems submitting to them might be a bit pointless.....
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=37&threadid=295615

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Posted By: hankron

There is an inherent problem when trying to combine authentication and McDonald's-like production numbers. The more one is rushed and the tighter the schedule, the worse the judgement. Sometimes, you need a walk in the woods to think about the issues. Sometimes you need two walks. Seriously.

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Posted By: Rob L

They are horrible at authenticating current autographs. I had a jersey signed by the Angels, collected as the players left the stadium. I thought a PSA/DNA letter would be helpful to sell it. They indicated that the letters were uneven and that several blotches indicated that the writing speed was off. Well no **it that the lettering was uneven, signing a loose and unflat item like a jersey while you are leaving the ballpark will cause that. Besides that, I lost all faith in them when I heard that they had authenticated a bunch of DiMaggio balls, but when they heard that they had come from a suspect dealer in Florida, they changed their "opinion".

Gutierrez or Simon seem to be better, but it is still best to educate yourself before buying an autograph.