Its January 2011 Roach's Time!!!!

[J.McMurry]

Another question on that beautiful Ruth ball that looks like it was made yesterday.

Is there some method available to test the thread and or leather to determine the age of the ball?

[michael3322]

Hi. I too saw the Joss benefit game ball that is authenticated by Chris Morales, who is employed neither by PSA or JSA.

Here is an excerpt from a posting I came across that should make us all pause before we purchase anything from Coach's Corner...

"The other authenticator used by Coach’s Corner is a gentleman by the name of Christopher Morales. Mr. Morales states on his resume that he was employed in the Department of Forensic Sciences at George Washington University, but this claim has turned out to be completely fraudulent, as has the majority of his bio

To put it a little more succinctly, I found the following quotes:

“We will never use Morales,” says Rob Lifson, president of Robert Edward Auctions. “If somebody says they have a piece they want to consign that has been authenticated by Christopher Morales, we choose not to pursue it. I’m not saying it is bad. I’m just saying it’s not a valuable use of our time.”

Lelands president Mike Heffner is even more dismissive: “I can’t tell you that I’ve ever seen anything he’s authenticated that is actually real.”

The marketplace, moreover, apparently also does not value Morales’ opinion. Autographs that Morales has authenticated routinely sells for a fraction of the price similar items authenticated by others fetch.

“A ball signed by Hall of Famer Mel Ott and authenticated by Morales, for example, sold for $2,315 in Coach’s Corner’s February auction; an Ott ball sold by Mastro Auctions in 2004 sold for more than $52,000. A Lou Gehrig autographed ball authenticated by Morales sold in Coach’s Corner for $3,100; less than half the $7,000 a similar ball fetched through Hunt Auctions.”

[GrayGhost]

CCA is an organization that uses BAD authenticators, sells MANY MANY fake autographs, sports, music, politics, historical, you name it.

Plus, a lot of cards they have are graded by "oddball" or "unknown" grading services.

Not to mention, many times they put NO picture on lots or grainy, blurry photos to disguise forgeries.

Its an old story, but those of us on this board and other places don't know how they r still in business.