Can we finally lay the "Type I" photo BS to rest?

[David Atkatz]

From Henry Yee's latest auction:






The slug dates the photo 10/2/51, right before the start of the 1951 World Series.

But wait! Where are the lights? Lights were installed in 1946, and the concrete bleachers were built in 1937, so the picture was taken sometime between those two years. Oops! That picture was certainly not developed "within approximately two years of when the picture was taken."

[doug.goodman]

It's a scam that most people follow along behind, just like grading.

Doug

[RichardSimon]

More proof that PSA stands for Please Stop Authenticating.
A pat on the back for anyone who can come up with a good definition of DNA.

[Exhibitman]

Did Not Analyze
Daily Naked Avarice
Duly Noted Assumptions
Don't Need Analysis
Dumbness Normally Accepted
Dealers Need Assurances
Dubious Nonsensical Advice
Definitely Not Accurate
Dollars Not Accuracy
Data Not Available
Deny Negate Argue
Doubts Neatly Assuaged
Demands Noncritical Acceptance

PSA:
Paid Silly Analysis
Please Submit Again
Probably Spurious Advice
Presents Stupid Arguments
Plastic Stupidity Antenna
Penis Smallest Always [for the registry awards]
Pompous Smarmy Attitude
Preferred Submitters Abound

PSA/DNA:
Publish Silly Analysis/Deny Nugatory Arguments
Purchased Some Advice/Don't Need Accuracy

[HRBAKER]

David,
It's not about accuracy, we just want an LOA.

[barrysloate]

This hobby is suffering from a bad case of overslabbing. Less plastic would be a really good thing.

Oops...is this photo even slabbed, or does it just have an LOA? Well, either way, there's too much plastic...as well as too many bad LOA's.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by HRBAKER

David,
It's not about accuracy, we just want an LOA.

When I was authenticating for an auction house out West the owner of the auction house got into an argument with another member of the authentication team.
The other member of the team had spotted an error in an item that had a COA from a "leading" authentication company for what was a facsimile signature on a Presidential document.
The owner said "I am an auction house, I just need a COA", whether it was an accurate COA did not matter to him.

[19cbb]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

It's a scam that most people follow along behind, just like grading.

Doug

Well said Doug, well said!

[Ladder7]

1941 Series, only off by one digit.

[drc]

It's an interesting example.

Most N172 Old Judges aren't type 1 photos, as the images aren't technically first generation. But their collectibility is in their being antique baseball artifacts from the 1880s, not the generation of the image. That's just a side note, not a grand moral statement about news photographs. In ways, baseball cards and original baseball photos are apples and oranges. Most, or at least many, know the image of Honus Wagner used on his T206 Honus Wagner was shot several years earlier. That knowledge clearly hasn't affected its collectibility. But, as I said, a baseball card is different than an Ansel Adams photograph. Baseball cards, by definition, were mass produced commercial items for kids. One would be goofy in the head to assume that every Goudey was hand painted and every Topps was an original photograph. They were sold with gum for in grocery stores, after all

[HRBAKER]

I don't think anyone is maintaining that photos aren't collectible. It is not the collectors that are trying to spoon/force feed these items into categories to enhance their value/collectibility based on when they were shot and printed is it?