This is an open letter to Mr. Ted Taylor of “TTA Authentic LLC.”
First, Mr. Taylor, I’d like to briefly go over your online résumé. You claim to have well over four decades of experience in the hobby. Well, maybe you can explain to us what you mean by the following statement that is on your website: "We will VERIFY that a signature is/or is NOT authentic based on our experiences over the years." What exactly does that mean?
Also, you have written a few books on the Philadelphia A's so I will assume that you a true fan of baseball and a hobbyist. You have have been employed at Fleer and for a very short time (six months) you were employed at Scoreboard (your responsibilities at Scoreboard are not well known). I read somewhere (an auction site) where you were one of the first people to begin the battle against rampant fraud in the hobby. Maybe you can explain to us when and where you began the fight against fraud in the hobby and who you raged the battle against? Do you still maintain that battle?
Now, there is one thing I am very curious about, Mr. Taylor. You authenticate quite a few autographs every month for Coach's Corner. Many of the autographs you authenticate are autographs that one else but Coach's Corner seem to have in infinite supply and being a true hobbyist as you claim you are, Mr. Taylor, do you ever ask Lee Trythall and Scott Malack where all of the rare vintage autographs that you authenticate and they auction off come from?
Every month you authenticate at least one or two Beatles signed albums for Coach's Corner. Knowing just a how rare Beatles signed albums are do you ever question where they originate from? And what Beatles exemplars do you examine to cert those signatures as authentic? Every month, Mr. Taylor, you authenticate quite a few Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig autograph items. As a person and a hobbyist, Mr. Taylor, do you ever question the dozen or more Babe Ruth autograph items listed by Lee Trythall and Scott Malack each and every month? Don't you, Mr. Taylor, as a hobby purist, have an obligation to ask those questions?
Back in December 2009, Mr. Taylor, Coach's Corner listed a Bonnie Parker/Clyde Barrow cut autograph piece. You authenticated the Barrow cut but not the Parker cut and it sold for $236.00. Did you ever ask yourself why a $10,000 item only sold for $236.00? Don't you have an obligation, Mr. Taylor, to ask Lee Trythall and Scott Malack. how every month they have a signed Barack Obama jersey listed every single month for the past 20 months?
As a collector, Mr. Taylor, I have an obligation to write threads like this and to produce the YouTube videos I make as I do my part to try to keep the hobby clean. Your obligation now and remains, Mr. Taylor, is to explain why you have authenticated literally hundreds of Babe Ruth signed items that have been consigned to Coach's Corner. Have you ever questioned (and I apologize for being redundant), Mr. Taylor, all of the Babe Ruth autographed baseballs and bats that have passed through your hands for examination that you have authenticated as being genuine autographs of "The Babe?"
Christy Mathewson passed away in October 1925. His signature on anything is extremely rare, but yet you have authenticated quite a few Christy Mathewson autographed baseballs. One Christy Mathewson signed baseball that you certed sold for a paltry $1,478.00. Awhile back an authentic Christy Mathewson signed baseball sold for $50,600.00. Can you please explain that discrepancy in final bid price, Mr. Taylor. Have you ever wondered, Mr. Taylor, why your Stat Authentic COA is still on Ebay's banned list? I could go on and on, Mr. Taylor, but I will end this by showing another Christy Mathewson signed baseball that you authenticated for Coach's Corner. We would love to hear from you, Mr. Taylor.
Christy.jpg