Jsa and psa/dna

[mighty bombjack]

Those two alphabet companies rule out blatant fakes and are right most of the time, but they make plenty of mistakes as well, some very high profile. Think of them more as marketing tools than authenticators, good for some level of peace of mind but more valuable for resale value IMO.

As has been said here many times, research is a big part of this and should be enjoyable (i.e., part of the hobby beyond owning pieces of history). If what you read about the alphabets disturbs you and you are looking for absolute certainty, I would seek a different hobby.

[mighty bombjack]

And remember this: when it comes to autographs of long deceased people, all we have are opinions and opinions of those giving opinions. You have to research the items but also know who is judging authenticity and for what purpose. Reading certain websites that pick apart the alphabets (coughcoughhaulsofshamecough) can be fascinating and great education, but even those websites are agenda driven and aren't right 100% of the time (especially when, like the alphabets themselves, they aren't naming the authenticators who may have deemed an autograph 'bad'; like many in this hobby, they may be going with the expert who's telling them what they want to hear).

[hawaiian bam bam]

i think we are getting to apoint in this hobby where we will have just two options, either get it ourselves in person or buy factory certified pack pulled autographs. (if that is an option for what you collect)

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by hawaiian bam bam

i think we are getting to apoint in this hobby where we will have just two options, either get it ourselves in person or buy factory certified pack pulled autographs. (if that is an option for what you collect)

Again, if absolute certainty is what you want, than these are good alternatives (and even a few pack-pulled cards have been called into question)

[hawaiian bam bam]

true, but i think the card manufacturers might be alot more likely to be authenticated right versus TPAs..

THIS is the ONLY reason i dont collect factory certified autographs any more!

Someone please tell me that this is NOT the norm and maybe just someones storing or displaying of this card in sunlight that caused this card to fade so bad (and not the actual sharpie)

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by hawaiian bam bam

true, but i think the card manufacturers might be alot more likely to be authenticated right versus TPAs..

THIS is the ONLY reason i dont collect factory certified autographs any more!



Someone please tell me that this is NOT the norm and maybe just someones storing or displaying of this card in sunlight that caused this card to fade so bad (and not the actual sharpie)

Ugh! That sucks man. Is it your card?

It is not the norm in general or for that set in particular. I happen to have that complete set (2002 Topps Finest Moments) because I was the Editor that chose the photos for it!

I worked at Topps in 2001-2002

[hawaiian bam bam]

no, its not my card, just one i saw while looking for cards on ebay. does topps use cheap sharpies? because i swear that 99.9% of the factory certified autographs i had from topps faded over time, the blue sharpie turned into a grey purplish color. i kept them out of the light and stored in the dark and the ink turned this faded grey/purplish color? what caused that?

[egri]

I have a handful of 2007 Topps Heritage autographs, and they're just as bold as when I pulled them. From looking at the Larsen, my guess is one of its previous owners (LCS, maybe?) stored it under a fluorescent light, or somewhere exposed to direct sunlight.

[Ryan1125]

For the most part I will only buy items that I KNOW are authentic, from my own eye, or with the advice of a few people that I 100% trust with certain signatures.

Honestly, learning the signature is 1/2 the fun for me. I enjoy it it, and it's fun "training" my eyes. There are usually "no-brainers" which I feel 100% comfortable purchasing, and I simply pass on signatures that I deem "on the fence", or "fake". Many times people will ask "IS THIS REAL OR NO" and what they should be asking me is "Would you purchase this or not?" because that is how I look at it when judging. If there is ANY doubt, simply pass.

PSA/DNA and JSA both make mistakes all the time, it should NEVER be about the "COA", you should always pay attention to the signature. If you literally have no clue, then yes, you are more likely to get a real signature if you buy one with PSA/DNA or JSA certification, but by no means should anyone believe those are "proof" of authenticity.

The more I collect, the more I realize that autographs I simply buy on eBay do not mean much to me, so I've tried to weed out my collection to mostly items I've gotten signed myself. This is obviously the safest route, but some people are just impossible to get this way. I have gotten a lot of sigs TTM (just gotta be careful about secretarials, autopens, etc.), and I have purchased plenty of pack-issued autographed cards as well.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by mighty bombjack

Those two alphabet companies rule out blatant fakes and are right most of the time, but they make plenty of mistakes as well, some very high profile. Think of them more as marketing tools than authenticators, good for some level of peace of mind but more valuable for resale value IMO.

As has been said here many times, research is a big part of this and should be enjoyable (i.e., part of the hobby beyond owning pieces of history). If what you read about the alphabets disturbs you and you are looking for absolute certainty, I would seek a different hobby.

Bingo in all respects. I finally sent a link to PSA for a 'quick opinion', just so that I would have that when I re-sold the item. Unfortunately the link did not work - they refunded my money, then ignored me when I sent another link. That was my only experience sending anything to a TPA.