SGC bowing out

[Bigdaddy]

Maybe I missed it here, but did anyone see that SGC has announced that they will no longer be certifying autographs as of April 1? I wonder if the T206 forgeries and the potential liability had anything to do with the decision?

And will there be any impact in the value of SGC cert'd autos?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Wow, first Tickets now this. Seems like a screwy business model.

Wait maybe it's an epic April Fools joke...

[RichardSimon]

Who else worked for SGC besides Studebaker?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Who else worked for SGC besides Studebaker?

Mike Root did...think he went to CAS now...

[Yastrzemski Sports]

In the past 2 months one of their guys went to PSA and the other went to Beckett. They are out of authenticators.

[whitey19thcentury]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Who else worked for SGC besides Studebaker?

Phil Marks for a brief time.

[packs]

No opinion on SGC or their abilities to authenticate but probably not a great idea to offer cut-rate fees for high dollar signatures before ending your authentication services.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by packs

probably not a great idea to offer cut-rate fees for high dollar signatures before ending your authentication services.

+1

[silvor]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

I wonder if the T206 forgeries and the potential liability had anything to do with the decision?

Could be. But wasn't SGC the one's who wouldn't certify the JSA t206 which kind of started the ball rolling on outing all those fakes?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

All 4 of the largest companies got caught in the T206 fallout but I believe JSA had the most problem cards.

[Runscott]

I had a long talk Tuesday with the head of a major auction house, and I'll repeat one thing I said to him during our discussion: Buying an expensive autograph based entirely on JSA or PSA is foolishness. They are supplemental to your own positive belief that the autograph is authentic. If you don't have such skills (and most people don't), then you have no business buying the item unless you have a trusted proxy to make the assessment for you.

And that would NOT be anyone who has a financial interest in the sale of the item.

I know there are those who disagree with the above, and that makes sense - such thinking is why the TPAs are in business, for better or worse.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Buying an expensive autograph based entirely on JSA or PSA is foolishness.

I got all my money back from four that I owned precisely because they were certified and REA and Hunt made things right. As long as bidders get their money back from the auction houses or the TPAs, I think it may be more accurate to say that it would be foolish to believe that an autograph is real based entirely on SGC, JSA or PSA. But, I don't feel foolish for having bought the cards at the outset.

The fact that SGC should have to cough up some serious coin here certainly can't help their bottom line, and must have been one of the reasons they are getting out of that side of the business.

[Runscott]

Sorry, didn't mean to insult anyone who had carefully thought out an escape plan. I'm glad to hear things worked out in your example.

On the other hand, there are bad certified Ruth balls sitting on mantels all across the USA, and no one will ever be reimbursed for them.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

All 4 of the largest companies got caught in the T206 fallout but I believe JSA had the most problem cards.

Nope. SGC had 13 of the 15, while JSA had 7. In fact, 8 of the 13 SGC authenticated were done without dual certification. PSA had 1 of the 15 - the biggest one (Baker) - but it was done after JSA had previously authenticated it. The only one that JSA authenticated that wasn't dual certified was the Marquard in Clean Sweep, which started it all.

Finally, I think Beckett was left unscathed. So really SGC was the principal company affected (13), with JSA in at second with about half as many (7), and PSA just 1.

SGC Only
1. Bob Rhoades SGC (Hunt)
2. Paddy Livingston SGC (Hunt)
3. Elmer Flick SGC (Hunt)
4. Heinie Zimmerman SGC (Hunt)
5. Larry Doyle SGC (eBay)
6. Jap Barbeau SGC (Hunt)
7. Murray SGC (Hunt)
8. Eddie Cicotte SGC (Hunt)

SGC/JSA
9. Fred Parent SGC/JSA (REA)
10. Billy Sullivan SGC/JSA (REA)
11. Wid Conroy SGC/JSA (REA)
12. Nap Rucker SGC/JSA (REA)
13. Jesse Tannehill SGC/JSA (REA)

PSA-DNA/JSA
14. Frank "Homerun" Baker (JSA/PSA-DNA) (REA twice)

JSA Only (SGC Rejected)
15. Rube Marquard JSA (Clean Sweep)