More additions at PSA Autograph Authentication

[Lordstan]

Seems so.
Unfortunately.

[shelly]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

Seems so.
Unfortunately.

I would rather have two people that I can trust. Versus all the bs that has been out there for years.
Look at all the people that have trusted Psa Jsa they are up a creek without a paddle.
I hope people will now realize that the good guys finally won.

[Lordstan]

I agree shelly. I meant it's unfortunate that the others are leaving as they were also among the trustworthy sellers who didn't need a cert to sell and back up their goods.

[Klrdds]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

I agree shelly. I meant it's unfortunate that the others are leaving as they were also among the trustworthy sellers who didn't need a cert to sell and back up their goods.

I also agree and it makes you wonder why not 1 but 3 of the most trustworthy and best dealers in the hobby would get out like this in such a rapid fashion and simultaneously . Maybe money really does talk ...unfortunately it never says much to me !

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

I also agree and it makes you wonder why not 1 but 3 of the most trustworthy and best dealers in the hobby would get out like this in such a rapid fashion and simultaneously . Maybe money really does talk ...unfortunately it never says much to me !

Perhaps you don't speak money?

I think it could very well be a strategy on PSA's part. If they hire 3 of the most prominent auto dealers and make them PSA advocates it ads to the cache os PSA and therefore reinforces the idea that a cert is needed.

What the TPAs are obviously good at is marketing. After all PSA's website lists Premium price and liquidity, Confidence, Certified for Life, Verification, PSA's covert DNA strand, and recertification as the reasons for using their service. I wonder why accuracy is not there and why confidence is second? One would think the accurate eval of the auto in questions is reason number one to get something authenticated. No?

This move could easily be just more marketing or righting the ship, so to speak, to make up for Grad leaving with some controversy.

They made them a deal they couldn't refuse.

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

One would think the accurate eval of the auto in questions is reason number one to get something authenticated. No?

Actually, no. The first thing mentioned by just about everyone who speaks up here in favor of TPAs is resale value. Right or wrong, if PSA says it's real, it's worth more. Hell, half the time they post a pic here to be assured it's real. Then they submit. No point wasting your authentication budget on a forgery.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

I also agree and it makes you wonder why not 1 but 3 of the most trustworthy and best dealers in the hobby would get out like this in such a rapid fashion and simultaneously . Maybe money really does talk ...unfortunately it never says much to me !

With the advent of the TPAs, one aspect of the expertise by which these guys made a living--being able to judge whether an autograph is good or not--became less and less valuable to them as dealers and more and more valuable to the TPAs. As a result, in the last 15 years, as the marketplace came to embrace, then require, TPAs, those lines have crossed for one dealer after another, and this latest flood of dealers becoming authenticators feels like some kind of demarcation. With everything slabbed at shows now, after all, dealers need only the ability to find and buy autographs at less than a price guide tells them they can sell it for, no other talent required, they could be vendors of anything. Auctions and eBay bypass the dealer altogether. For a guy like Keating, being a dinosaur in this new age got to be more and more frustrating until they finally made him an offer he couldn't turn down, and he went with the flow.

[Scott Garner]

Hank,
I appreciate you checking in and explaining this to us.
The fact that you are close friends with Kevin is helpful.

[Maddog]

I don't think this bodes well for the hobby.

Sure, PSA NOW has a team of real experts for authenticating but as we know, not everyone is a fan of slabbing and paying for a TPA.

Damn there were only 5 dealers I really trusted, now I'm down to 2?
Guess all I have now are Rich & Jim's next listings By the way, some Vintage Football autographs please

Does anyone see the possibility of someone filling the void? Hate to sound cynical (which I often am ) but I don't see too much professionalism or integrity in the hobby these days.

What is the average collector to do? We all know the amount of bad stuff out there and it's not limited to just the high $$$ items anymore. We want to bring new blood into the hobby but how can they learn if all the teachers are gone?

Thank Heavens for Net54.