Alphabet Soup Coin Flip
 

So about six months ago, I brought a piece to an alphabet soup to get their stamp of approval, as I knew I was going to be moving on from the piece at some point. I am pretty darn sure the signature is good. HOF baseball player. Not a top tier value wise...if there are 6 tiers to HOF autograph value, this player is maybe in tier 4. The media is 100% unique. Absolutely the only one that exists.

Hear back about a month later that it didn't pass. Whatever. I figure I will eventually just get it to an auction house and just have them submit to another of the alphabet soups.

So I chose the auction house and sent it to them a bit ago. I told them that I had taken it to XYZ TPA, and that they did not pass it, but that I am sure it is good so please submit to ABC TPA. Auction house tells me they only use XYZ. Whatever. Figured would be an interesting experiment.

It passes.

Same item. Unique one of a kind signed item. Same alphabet soup tpa. Six months apart.

Either it really can be just a coin flip or auction houses get preferential results.

Or both.

That's ridiculous. You think they would recall such a special item. Soups kinda suck, verify laser signatures, rubber stamps.

I've gotten auto's in person at the National and didn't want a TriStar sticker on the cards so brought them to the PSA booth for encapsulation and two were rejected (out of 25+) lol. I had photographic evidence (and I think my dad had a video) of them signing my exact card with the inscription they made lol.

Just another example of the ludicrousness of the TPA companies and the blind faith that people put in them. I too have experienced that authentication inconsistency. Unfortunately it also speaks possibly of the power of the AHs to influence the TPAs to authenticate items by blind faith and to exert undue influence on the TPAs by their strength in the collectibles market . Is it collusion between the AHs and TPAs ? Who knows , and we will probably never find out unless someone comes forward .

Excellent post, but really, is anyone surprised??