W600 Signed Cy Young - Now Authentic?

[Bicem]

there's no way to know if it's legit or not so really the only question is how much faith do you put in JSA's opinion. Personally, I put very little but again, that's just me.

[calvindog]

Maybe Sal Bando signed it instead?

[Rob D.]

Jeff, that would be foolish.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Bicem

there's no way to know if it's legit or not so really the only question is how much faith do you put in JSA's opinion. Personally, I put very little but again, that's just me.

Actually, I think the main question is whether the resale value of JSA-authenticated autographs will continue to support the final sale price of the Young for the duration of the ownership of the card; and, if not, whether PSA-DNA or the next hobby-accepted autograph authenticator will authenticate it.

[T206Collector]

I think Rob Lifson's explanation for authenticating autographs and why REA uses JSA is worth a read for anyone who is interested in collecting signatures that they did not obtain themselves. You can read it here:

http://blog.robertedwardauctions.com/?p=83

I specifically found the reason they use JSA as informative, and have pasted that section below:

At REA, we utilize the services of James Spence Authentications (JSA) to review all signed items. We think very highly of their service. This doesn’t mean that all other autograph authentication services are not good. This is what we have chosen to do because we believe that JSA offers the best authentication service in the business. That doesn’t mean that they are perfect, that they have never made a mistake, or that their opinion could not change on a given item. Some other services and individuals may be very good at providing authentication services. We find that almost 100% of the time (not 100%, but almost 100%) that if a signed item is consigned to REA with a letter from certain companies (such as PSA) or certain individuals, that JSA has the same opinion. We also find that when items are consigned with letters from certain other individuals and companies, approximately 100% of the time JSA is not OK with these items. Obviously, this is not a coincidence. Statistically, that would be impossible. When a signed item is consigned that is already accompanied by a letter of authenticity, the item and letter are separated by us before being presented to JSA for review. At REA, JSA has no idea if an item has previously been reviewed by any other service before being presented with the item authentication review. We have even had cases (very rare, but it has happened) when JSA has told us they are not comfortable writing a letter on an item previously authenticated by JSA. This is very rare but knowledge increases over time, and opinions can sometimes change over time.

[Bicem]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

Actually, I think the main question is whether the resale value of JSA-authenticated autographs will continue to support the final sale price of the Young for the duration of the ownership of the card; and, if not, whether PSA-DNA or the next hobby-accepted autograph authenticator will authenticate it.

true, who cares if it's real or not as long as the resale value is there and PSA-DNA is accepted by the hobby.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Bicem

true, who cares if it's real or not as long as the resale value is there and PSA-DNA is accepted by the hobby.

Well, that's it in a nutshell. If a card is trimmed but makes it into a graded holder, everything is cool.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by calvindog

Well, that's it in a nutshell. If a card is trimmed but makes it into a graded holder, everything is cool.

Jeff put it a bit cynically, but I believe this actually does reflect the state of the hobby. And, I believe that the potential for trimming, even in slabs, affects the market value of cards in a way that is similar to the potential for authenticated forgeries. The risk is built into the price.

Put another way, before I'd spend crazy money on a PSA graded card with minty sharp corners, I'd want at least one other market-accepted expert to look at it first (i.e., SGC). It's the same way for me and autographs, albeit it with higher risk associated with forgeries.

I always assume that PSA and SGC and JSA and PSA-DNA will be defunct or unaccepted by the hobby in 30 years from now (or quite probably much sooner). One had better have a safety net if you are considering selling these little treasures beyond the expected lifetime of any of these companies. For the time being, that means having your best cards/autographs dual-graded or dual-authenticated, which I actually do.

[Bicem]

agreed, the faith that people put into grading is almost as crazy as auto authentication.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Bicem

agreed, the faith that people put into grading is almost as crazy as auto authentication.

The way I look at it, the highest bidder on that Cy Young will be the bidder who was willing to accept the most risk that the item isn't real. But at every price level, every autograph that is sold carries risk with it. If you are not interested in making leaps of faith, both small and large, then autograph collecting isn't for you.