JSA Team...

[packs]

Not to defend JSA because I have no idea what those people's credentials are, or even if they were certing items. However, I have been a collector for a very long time even though I'm young for the Board. I cannot tell you how frustrating it was to be at a show and ignored, or talked down to simply because of my age. I frequently knew more about the materials in a sellers case than they did.

Like I said, no idea what these guys backgrounds are. BUT, if you think just because you're young you've got nothing to offer, I can't help but be reminded of those old guys behind their cases.

[jgmp123]

It says in his JSA bio that he joined JSA shortly after graduating college to the director role.

There were a great deal of high end items being authenticated that day...I'm not sure about the outcomes, but I saw folks with items signed by Michael Jackson, Gene Wilder, Jeter, Cy Young, etc. waiting to be authenticated.

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by packs

Not to defend JSA because I have no idea what those people's credentials are, or even if they were certing items. However, I have been a collector for a very long time even though I'm young for the Board. I cannot tell you how frustrating it was to be at a show and ignored, or talked down to simply because of my age. I frequently knew more about the materials in a sellers case than they did.

Like I said, no idea what these guys backgrounds are. BUT, if you think just because you're young you've got nothing to offer, I can't help but be reminded of those old guys behind their cases.

it doesnt have anything to do with that. younger people are welcome in the hobby, its just a fact that authenticating a wide range of athletes, etc requires years if not decades of intense study, something that people right out of college would be very unlikely to have. theses companies claim world class authenticators. it takes years and years and decades to become competent in authentication. it's just an experience thing. airline pilots, brain surgeons, many other lifetime accumulation skilled professions are similar to this. you have to build on the knowledge you acquire over many, many years. I did not feel comfortable at all giving my opinion on signatures until i had at least 7-10 years of hard study and around 32 years of age and to look back i still didnt know that much at age 32 compared to what i know now. its an intense thing to do that takes thousands of hours of study. that's the bottom line. you can't substitute a computer exemplar file for the knowledge you pick up over time. Nobody said a young person has nothing to offer. they have a lot to offer.

[packs]

I understand all that but it seemed like many of the comments about these guys are based around their age and appearance. Like I said, I have no idea what their backgrounds are. Reading those comments took me back to my own bad experiences with hobby people while I was young.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by travrosty

it doesnt have anything to do with that. younger people are welcome in the hobby, its just a fact that authenticating a wide range of athletes, etc requires years if not decades of intense study, something that people right out of college would be very unlikely to have. theses companies claim world class authenticators. it takes years and years and decades to become competent in authentication. it's just an experience thing. airline pilots, brain surgeons, many other lifetime accumulation skilled professions are similar to this. you have to build on the knowledge you acquire over many, many years. I did not feel comfortable at all giving my opinion on signatures until i had at least 7-10 years of hard study and around 32 years of age and to look back i still didnt know that much at age 32 compared to what i know now. its an intense thing to do that takes thousands of hours of study. that's the bottom line. you can't substitute a computer exemplar file for the knowledge you pick up over time. Nobody said a young person has nothing to offer. they have a lot to offer.

+1

[packs]

Hey all I was saying was don't discount someone because of their age. We're looking at a photo of people behind a desk and making assumptions about what they do or do not know. Would you feel comfortable looking at that photo if it were just 2 old men back there? Either way you're just guessing at who you're looking at.

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by packs

Hey all I was saying was don't discount someone because of their age. We're looking at a photo of people behind a desk and making assumptions about what they do or do not know. Would you feel comfortable looking at that photo if it were just 2 old men back there? Either way you're just guessing at who you're looking at.

Age doesn't qualify you to know what you are doing, so two old men may or may not know how to authenticate. but two young guys are almost assuredly going to lack the many, many years of experience it takes to authenticate autographs of all categories like they are being paid to do. If it takes many, many years of experience to be good at authenticating autographs, and they don't have many, many years, I guess I cant tell you any more than that.

[Stanesq]

An 18 year old and a 40 year old can both drive a car. When the tractor trailer makes an emergency manuever and comes into your lane, who do you want behind the wheel? The 18 year old with a years experience or the guy who has been driving 23 years and, at least in theory, had encountered similar emergent circumstances that will cause him to make an evasive manuever. In ,y scenario, sometimes its just the grace of God that saves you. In the world of authentication, I wonder how many items pass through the cracks of an inexperience authenticator.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Stanesq

An 18 year old and a 40 year old can both drive a car. When the tractor trailer makes an emergency manuever and comes into your lane, who do you want behind the wheel? The 18 year old with a years experience or the guy who has been driving 23 years and, at least in theory, had encountered similar emergent circumstances that will cause him to make an evasive manuever. In ,y scenario, sometimes its just the grace of God that saves you. In the world of authentication, I wonder how many items pass through the cracks of an inexperience authenticator.

Very good question at the end of your post.
Is a collector paying Spence $250 to have a young boy authenticate Babe Ruth from computer exemplars?

[JimStinson]

I don't think I've ever seen a photo in my life that made me want to LAUGH & CRY at the same time .....

Like watching Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder Play a game of ping pong !!!

They should have never cut corners and tried to save a few bucks on the curtains where you could not see who was doing the authentication.

Seriously If I was boarding a 747 to fly with my family knowing I would soon be flying in the air at 30,000 feet and as I boarded the plane I looked at the pilot and co pilot and saw THAT ...regardless of their , credentials , personalities or other intangibles I would immediately leave the plane and take a bus or wait till the next flight
________________________
jim@stinsonsports.com