Posted By:
davidcyclebackI think that the discussion of about the nature of giving LOA's to large lots is legitimate, so I am not damning this topic. My problem is that I think some people try to make authenticity problems where there isn't evidence of one. For example, people are complaining about this one LOA per large lot rule, yet no one has complained about a specific instance where one of these group lots had authenticity problems (The recent complaint was about condition, not authenticity of the signatures).
If you buy a large group lot from MastroNet or Mike Gutierrez that has a single LOA, you can get individual LOAs or COAs for each autograph you want. It's just that it's not free. I beleive Mike Gutierrez charges $30 per extra LOA. (Did you think it would be free?)
If you want to argue that if you buy a lot 1,000 autographs and one of them is secretarial you should get 1/1,000th of your money back, I won't argue with that. If this is another post about suing in Federal Court for pain and suffering and loss of spousal affection because a Micky Moradinie signed 3x5 is bad, I'm tired of the posts about lawsuits.
My feeling is that people should pick and choose what they wish to purchase, and should be particularly thoughtful when purchasing autographs. If a board member or other collector is uncomfortable with these large group lots and their authentication, I would recommend they choose not to purchase them and to choose something they are more confident with. I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with chosing not to bid on something, because you are not comfortable with the lot or its authentication methods. As a collector, your ultimate weapon is to not bid.