JSA Story on Autographalert.com

[WhenItWasAHobby]

I'm not a autograph collector anymore. I used to be when HOFs would appear at shows for prices ranging from free to $10 and the promotors used to defend the $10 because he had to fly the guy and his spouse in from out of town and cover their other expenses, etc.

But my whole problem with third party grading is that the graders rarely ever get put to the test. This type of evaluation should have happened the first year these authenticators were open for business.

These types of embarrassing situations have also happened in a less formal way in the card industry where collectors crack-out certain dealers graded cards hoping for a bump-up and they get rejected for evidence of trimming.

It's becoming overtly clear that rigorous self-education and the sharing of information is the most powerful weapon against fraud.