Colossal Auctions?

[RichardSimon]

This is on the Colossal website:

"There are some authenticators who cater to major auction houses extensively. They get more visibility and recognition when their company name is listed in the auction catalogs. These auction sites and venues choose
to allow only a few of these selected high profile authenticators to be associated with their collectibles. As such, many collectors are more familiar with those high profile authenticators, and they perceive signatures authenticated by them to be more credible, and therefore more valuable. It is unfortunate that this view is common in the field of authentication, because being a familiar name may enhance the authenticator's reputation, but certainly doesn't mean they are the best in the business. So if you choose to use an alternate authenticator, consider your options and choose wisely.
Please note that eBay policy allows only a select few authenticator's COA associated with autographs sold there.
Most autographed items will be delisted if they don't have the appropriate COA."


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Yet when their return policy was questioned via e mail, Rick Be from Colossal stated in an e mail:

"We issue our own COA with a 100% money back guarantee. If you wanted to get a another third party opinion, we would suggest using AAU, ACE or Morales Forensics. If you got a negative opinion from any 3rd party authenticator you choose, we have the right to challenge that with a different 3rd party authentication also. We would probably choose Morales Forensics."

So they are "educating" the collector about various COA's on ebay yet they would probably choose a 3rd party authenticator who is on the ebay banned list.
To sum it up,, if you buy something from them and you send it to PSA, JSA, me, David, Keating or anyone else and we do not think it is authentic then in order for you to get a refund, you have to wait for them to send the item to someone else. That would probably be Morales Forensics, and if MF says it is authentic then you are the owner of it, along with a COA from MF and a turndown letter from another 3rd party authenticator.

[Vintagedegu]

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[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by Vintagedegu

He also added ACE and a couple others when I asked.

Organized crime. Hopefully something like this will finally get the FBI involved with this ring of scumbags.

[benjulmag]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Organized crime. Hopefully something like this will finally get the FBI involved with this ring of scumbags.

+1

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

we would suggest using AAU, ACE or Morales Forensics.

I'm sure they would!

What a joke.

[travrosty]

Their suspicious behavior and actions notwithstanding, The following paragraph they posted IS true, though.



"There are some authenticators who cater to major auction houses extensively. They get more visibility and recognition when their company name is listed in the auction catalogs.

These auction sites and venues choose to allow only a few of these selected high profile authenticators to be associated with their collectibles. As such, many collectors are more familiar with those high profile authenticators, and they perceive signatures authenticated by them to be more credible, and therefore more valuable.

It is unfortunate that this view is common in the field of authentication, because being a familiar name may enhance the authenticator's reputation, but certainly doesn't mean they are the best in the business.

So if you choose to use an alternate authenticator, consider your options and choose wisely.

Please note that eBay policy allows only a select few authenticator's COA associated with autographs sold there.

Most autographed items will be delisted if they don't have the appropriate COA."

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by travrosty

Most autographed items will be delisted if they don't have the appropriate COA."

That is totally untrue, as we all know.
You do not have to have a COA from PSA or JSA to sell on ebay.

[ruth-gehrig]

yeah as someone has already brought up, if it's worked for another auction company why wouldn't it work for this one?

[travrosty]

A few dealers I know were forced to either get ALL their stuff either certed by one of the three companies on ebay's pre-approved list or else they could not list the items on ebay. either pay for the sticker or get off ebay. it has happened.

[RichardSimon]

I would assume and just guess that those companies might have been selling questionable items and ebay made their selling conditional on approval by one of the authentication companies.
Everybody here knows I have no love lost for the authentication companies but lets keep our facts straight here.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by travrosty

A few dealers I know were forced to either get ALL their stuff either certed by one of the three companies on ebay's pre-approved list or else they could not list the items on ebay. either pay for the sticker or get off ebay. it has happened.

Travis, maybe those "few dealers" you refer to can come here on Net54 and tell us their story.