One aspect of authentication often overlooked pertains to the genuiness of the comps on which the opinion is based. If those comps are forgeries themselves, then any opinion based on them is worthless. Many valuable signatures/documents are valuable because of their scarcity. This therefore should raise a legitimate concern about how the authenticator (be it PSA/DNA or anyone else) knows the comps are authentic. It is one thing to respect the ability of the authenticator to undertake handwriting analysis. It is quite another to feel they have expertise in baseball history or forensic analysis, tools that are crucial in judging the worth of the comps.
This concern is hardly theoretical. Some great frauds were perpetrated by the forger first creating the comps, then from that point forward having those comps used as the means of comparison.
So for my nickel at least, if someone is looking to sell me a document with scare penmanship, I would need more than a piece of paper from a recognized authentication service saying the signature/handwriting is consistent with other examples. I would also require a detailed description of the comps used and their provenance. And if that is not possible to obtain, then I would make my purchase contingent on my ability to provide the comps.
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