PSA Autograph Authentication Problems

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The best thing is for the collector to have a knowledge, experience and genuine interest in the material he or she collects. The second is to deal with honest and knowledgeable dealers (and many exist). As Richard noted, a good dealer doesn't mean a person who never makes a mistakes, but that if a mistake is made it is fixed. The third is to have people who can give you knowledgeable second opinions on material (This board is an prime example for Pre-War baseball card collectors).

If a knowledgeable collector thinks something's legit, the knowledgeable seller thinks somethings legit and the collector's knowledgeable second opinion thinks something's legit, the buyer is more than likely making a good purchase.

Whether it's Mickey Mantle rookie cards, original Gia Carangi photos or Charlie Chaplain movie posters, the vast majority of fakes are obvious to to people knowledgeable and experienced with the material. Those horrendous T206 Honus Wagner fakes on eBay are bid on, but not by people who collects and own T206s.

Experienced and knowledgeable collectors are most likely to be fooled (or pay too much) when they purchase something outside their area of experience. This is why it's good to gather a list of good sellers, dealers and people who can give you advice on material. If from past experience you know that Elliot is a trustworthy guy and fair grader when he sold you a pair of T206s for your T206 set, you'll know he's a trusty worthy guy and fair grader he he sells you your first Pre-War hockey card. This is one reason why big reputable auction houses who do a good job offer a great service distinct to the eBay flea market -- a collector can buy with reasonable confidence an Old Judge baseball card and Fred Astair's top hat from the same place!

A key word/concept collectors often dismess or ignore: Provenance (Where something came from/it's history/who owned it/other documentation of history or reliability). And by provenance, I don't mean made up stories (for every forged Ruth ball, there is a forged history) ... A question a collector may have about an expensive unique item is "Where'd you get this?" The second thing this collector might says is, "Prove it." (The third might be, "You're full of sh*t."

Good provenance is not a magic bullet, and is a suppliment to rather a replacement of examining the thing itself, but it is an important factor in judging the authenticity and reliability of the item itself. Good provenance is also something the average collector can sink his teeth into. A collector may be no expert on movie posters, but he will likely feel more confident knowing the 'Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' movie poster he's about to purchase was bought in a Leland's auction and comes with the original Leland's receipt. The Leland's receipt doesn't mean the poster could never ever ever ever be a reprint, but says it passed through good hands.

Simple summary: Collectors who are inteligent, educate themselves and are genuinely interested in the material they collect are the least likely to be fooled by fakes and forgeries. People who do not educate themselves and have little genuine interest in the stuff they are buying are the most likely to be fooled by fakes and forgeries .... Collect what genuinely interests you and enjoy learning all you can about it. Remember, it's a hobby (pronouced "haw-BEE").


(I try to tempor my long, too preachy posts by adding a photo of Jean Shrimpton)