Gfa......stay away

[darin223]

If you are a new collector and like players such as Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, Mays, and so on, dont let sites such as UBID AND AT AUCTION Rip you off. They sell Ton of CRAP, that looks good and is Cheap. Most of their Products is Authenicated by GFA and the Great Steve Rocchi, LOL. This type of Crap tickes me off and kills this wonderul hobby!!! BE CAREFUL

[Fuddjcal]

G F A, J S A, P S A


Maybe these guys can explain it a little better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Y6UKMp8Qw

[darin223]

Thats too funny

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

G F A, J S A, P S A


Maybe these guys can explain it a little better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Y6UKMp8Qw

yep gfa, psa, jsa, one's as good (or bad) as the other,

6 on one side and half a dozen on the other. interchangeable alphabet certs and runaround. no end to the madness. If only one of them started with a W we might be saved.

[RichardSimon]

Don't forget the highest ranking card in the 52 card deck.

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by travrosty

yep gfa, psa, jsa, one's as good (or bad) as the other,

6 on one side and half a dozen on the other. interchangeable alphabet certs and runaround. no end to the madness. If only one of them started with a W we might be saved.

So you are stating that PSA and JSA are the same as GFA? GFA, the bogus company with no valid contact information that has certed what appears to be 100% fakes?

Just wanted to capture your statement and confirmation this is what you are publicly asserting.

[shelly]

I had no idea.

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by travrosty

yep gfa, psa, jsa, one's as good (or bad) as the other,

6 on one side and half a dozen on the other. interchangeable alphabet certs and runaround. no end to the madness. If only one of them started with a W we might be saved.

This is just not true. If I see GFA, I won't even consider the auto. Not worth my time. Even if it is an authentic auto, I don't want to support them or anyone getting their autos certed there. Same with Morales, ACE, and a few others. If I see JSA or PSA, I will take a closer look at the auto itself.

[shelly]

I have no idea why there is anything to argue over. You pick you poison and you live with it. Yes we all know how bad most of the people are that authenticate.Just look at every cert handed out by man. It states " it is our or my opinion that this item is authentic". What does that mean ? If I have to tell you I will now start selling shares to the Bridge to Nowhere
Yes stay away from the people that are discussed over and over again on this site, but not one person on here is perfect.(David you dont have to say it.) I can tell you that GAI never met a B&J Dimaggio ball and many other items they didnt like.

[kengoldin]

http://gfaauthenticated.com/history/

I will be contacting GFA. It certainly appears to me that GFA is subtletly trying to put 'my favorite player' and 'B+J' in the same category as 'Upper Deck ,Score Board and Tri Star ' "The Big Four". Seems like a set up to authenticate M F P and B+J product as 'authentic' doesnt it? Reads like revisionist history based on their inclusion with legitimate companies that signed players to contracts and sold only authentic material. There never was a 'big four' and B+J was never a player in the autograph business. I used to tell people 'If you see a shrink wrapped ball, stay away because it sourced from B+J and is likely fake (except for the few good ones that were occasionally salted in with the bad).
I have no problems telling this board that when i started my own company in the late 1990s early 2000s i was offered well in excess of $100,000 cash to 'bless' Posada items and I told him to F off. Then, later, those items were magically certed by GAI...all worth less then the blank photos they ruined.

I know GAI 'authenticated' thousands of items for MFP i wouldnt wipe my ass with....because I wouldnt want my ass to be effected by the bad ink on them.

I do not beleve fighting forgers is a 'lost cause' nor do i believe it is fruitless to go after storefronts who routinely sell that product. I just think its necessary to bring back some of the tactics that were successfully used in the 1991-94 era to do so.

[shelly]

I just think its necessary to bring back some of the tactics that were successfully used in the 1991-94 era to do so.[/QUOTE]

I would love to know just what those tactics where and how would they work in today's world.

[kengoldin]

CIVIL LAWSUITS SHELLY
CIVIL LAWSUITS..since you asked
get a TRO
then get a permanent injunction

Just like the Feds didnt get Al capone on murder, they got him on tax evasion....
Get them civilly, and enforce it. You need companies who have the money and will to spend to do it, but i think there are a few left that care and will do something if walked thru the process from start to finish.

[shelly]

Ken, some of the people on here have gone through just that. I find it hard to think that anyone wants to spend the money to go after people and then the State or Government lets them go bankrupt or just throws it out. Roger Epperson was sued by Morales. Two years latter and god knows how much money nothing. Richard HBO and Spence where sued by the Donald. Spent lots of money. Case thrown out.
You had law suites against Tony you won he lost. SB is gone he is back in business You where sued by Uda and you sued them not over forgeries but it was still a civil suite. Who won. The only person that wins in a civil case is the attorney. No offence to the members of the bar. I have said that a class action is the only way to win but you cant get ten people on this board to agree ,how are you going to get five thousand.
I am not trying to be a bad guy here. I think that you believe you are saying this from your heart.
I have what I think is a good question for you. Who would your first suite be against? How much do you think it would cost and even if we win do you really think it will stop anyone else?
Ken, you do what you think is best for you. I think that the big players like Steiner, TRI Star and many other just don't care. They sell there products and really have no interest if the public gets hurt. I am really being honest. if you think you can help what is happening out there more power to you.

[kengoldin]

You might be right. I hope i fnd out that you are wrong (and i assume you hope you are wrong too...as it will benefit all).
I hope that the big guys in the industry give a damn and are willing to spend a small percentage of their revenue on protecting the market place....i really do hope that.
I can tell you i will find out for sure though!
good night

[Fuddjcal]

"yep gfa, psa, jsa, one's as good (or bad) as the other,

6 on one side and half a dozen on the other. interchangeable alphabet certs and runaround. no end to the madness. If only one of them started with a W we might be saved."

Originally Posted by mighty bombjack

This is just not true. If I see GFA, I won't even consider the auto. Not worth my time. Even if it is an authentic auto, I don't want to support them or anyone getting their autos certed there. Same with Morales, ACE, and a few others. If I see JSA or PSA, I will take a closer look at the auto itself.

I agree with the second part of Travis's interpretation of 'Swingin the Alphabet" and Mighty Bombjack hit it spot on! You would Never bother giving a second look at a GFA. You KNOW it's a forgery. At least with PSA & JSA, you have a chance of it being right and that's all a collector needs for the warm and fuzzies.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by kengoldin

http://gfaauthenticated.com/history/

I will be contacting GFA. It certainly appears to me that GFA is subtletly trying to put 'my favorite player' and 'B+J' in the same category as 'Upper Deck ,Score Board and Tri Star ' "The Big Four". Seems like a set up to authenticate M F P and B+J product as 'authentic' doesnt it? Reads like revisionist history based on their inclusion with legitimate companies that signed players to contracts and sold only authentic material. There never was a 'big four' and B+J was never a player in the autograph business. I used to tell people 'If you see a shrink wrapped ball, stay away because it sourced from B+J and is likely fake (except for the few good ones that were occasionally salted in with the bad).
I have no problems telling this board that when i started my own company in the late 1990s early 2000s i was offered well in excess of $100,000 cash to 'bless' Posada items and I told him to F off. Then, later, those items were magically certed by GAI...all worth less then the blank photos they ruined.

I know GAI 'authenticated' thousands of items for MFP i wouldnt wipe my ass with....because I wouldnt want my ass to be effected by the bad ink on them.

I do not beleve fighting forgers is a 'lost cause' nor do i believe it is fruitless to go after storefronts who routinely sell that product. I just think its necessary to bring back some of the tactics that were successfully used in the 1991-94 era to do so.

I love ya Ken and I'm always happy to hear your vantage points, especially where Tony "don't call me Jorge" Podsada & "My Favorite Forgeries" are concerned.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

I know ACE is very bad. A few of you may know that I was employed by GAI/ACE for a while with certifying specific players, but not all. I left them because of what my research showed they were certifying examples that weren't authentic (which many of you have pointed out), and this went against my personal beliefs that I didn't want to associate myself with that and tarnish my name,

Though I will say that I know you may not trust an ACE cert, it might be worth your while to look into it further in regards to authenticity. I did so when I left and have had a decent sample size with an ACE cert be authentic that I got for a seal.

[johnmh71]

Originally Posted by HOF Auto Rookies

I know ACE is very bad. A few of you may know that I was employed by GAI/ACE for a while with certifying specific players, but not all. I left them because of what my research showed they were certifying examples that weren't authentic (which many of you have pointed out), and this went against my personal beliefs that I didn't want to associate myself with that and tarnish my name,

Though I will say that I know you may not trust an ACE cert, it might be worth your while to look into it further in regards to authenticity. I did so when I left and have had a decent sample size with an ACE cert be authentic that I got for a seal.

I agree. Both GAI and ACE were once reputable and legitimate autographs were submitted to them. Deals can be had. But there is definately a buyer beware aspect to their stuff.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by HOF Auto Rookies

I know ACE is very bad. A few of you may know that I was employed by GAI/ACE for a while with certifying specific players, but not all. I left them because of what my research showed they were certifying examples that weren't authentic (which many of you have pointed out), and this went against my personal beliefs that I didn't want to associate myself with that and tarnish my name,

Though I will say that I know you may not trust an ACE cert, it might be worth your while to look into it further in regards to authenticity. I did so when I left and have had a decent sample size with an ACE cert be authentic that I got for a seal.

Sorry I could not resist .

[kengoldin]

PLEASE POST if you have it, a viable address and phone # for GFA. Sent two emails in past 48 hours with no response. I guess i need to use FEDEX.
If you can supply this info, and it is accurate, it is appreciated.
certainly interesting that in 'about us' and 'contact us' there is no phone number and no address listed.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by kengoldin

PLEASE POST if you have it, a viable address and phone # for GFA. Sent two emails in past 48 hours with no response. I guess i need to use FEDEX.
If you can supply this info, and it is accurate, it is appreciated.
certainly interesting that in 'about us' and 'contact us' there is no phone number and no address listed.

Regarding sending them e mail,,,, welcome to the club.

[Mr. Zipper]

They may not respond to inquries, but fear not... there is some activity. They have updated the photo of Jackie Gomez.
http://gfaauthenticated.com/team/

I prefer the previous photo.

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

"yep gfa, psa, jsa, one's as good (or bad) as the other,

6 on one side and half a dozen on the other. interchangeable alphabet certs and runaround. no end to the madness. If only one of them started with a W we might be saved."




I agree with the second part of Travis's interpretation of 'Swingin the Alphabet" and Mighty Bombjack hit it spot on! You would Never bother giving a second look at a GFA. You KNOW it's a forgery. At least with PSA & JSA, you have a chance of it being right and that's all a collector needs for the warm and fuzzies.

yeah, but you also have a chance of it being wrong, and that is worse than being wrong ALL the time, because people who have two brain cells to rub together with stay far away from GFA, but they will still send in their stuff to psa and jsa., talk about mxiing in the good and the bad together. who knows what you will get? that's the most dangerous thing. i would rather psa and jsa either got it right all the time, or wrong all the time, doesnt matter, but some opinions right and some wrong is what is killing the hobby because people still send their stuff in. flip a coin and save your money.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by kengoldin

PLEASE POST if you have it, a viable address and phone # for GFA. Sent two emails in past 48 hours with no response. I guess i need to use FEDEX.
If you can supply this info, and it is accurate, it is appreciated.
certainly interesting that in 'about us' and 'contact us' there is no phone number and no address listed.

Ken, we've been trying to contact GFA (Rocchi) since Sept. 2011, but to no avail.

No "public submissions" for their authentication services and no replies to our emails for the last 16 months.

[kengoldin]

Chris: (and rest of board) get me an address for GFA (or Steve Rocchi) to send them an attorney's letter, and I will do the rest.
I have received support from one of the 'major' LEGITIMATE memorabilia company CEOs who said they will support my efforts to go after forgers of athletes with whom they have invested money as well as protect their name from disparagement in the manner done in 'history' section of GFA web site. But its funny, how can you run an authentication company, post prices (which are high) NOT accept submissions, not post a phone #, not post an address or any way for people to contact you? Doesn't make sense...does it?
The only logical conclusion is that the website is set up for the forgers, who point to it to unsuspecting customers (likely mom and pop retailers, as well as sham online auction companies) and say 'see, this is who stands behind us, and look how expensive their service is'. Setting up a fake web site to justify prices is a crime of a different nature, who knows...maybe some authorities will find interest in that aspect as well.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by kengoldin

Chris: (and rest of board) get me an address for GFA (or Steve Rocchi) to send them an attorney's letter, and I will do the rest.
I have received support from one of the 'major' LEGITIMATE memorabilia company CEOs who said they will support my efforts to go after forgers of athletes with whom they have invested money as well as protect their name from disparagement in the manner done in 'history' section of GFA web site. But its funny, how can you run an authentication company, post prices (which are high) NOT accept submissions, not post a phone #, not post an address or any way for people to contact you? Doesn't make sense...does it?
The only logical conclusion is that the website is set up for the forgers, who point to it to unsuspecting customers (likely mom and pop retailers, as well as sham online auction companies) and say 'see, this is who stands behind us, and look how expensive their service is'. Setting up a fake web site to justify prices is a crime of a different nature, who knows...maybe some authorities will find interest in that aspect as well.

Ken, I've been in contact with UDA, Steiner, etc., over the last five years, but no one wants to get involved. It's good to know that someone wants to get involved.

That GFA website is one heckuva façade.

http://live.autographmagazine.com/fo...age=4#comments

[djson1]

All of these authentication companies should be viewed as just paying a good amount of money for a Second opinion, nothing more. Granted, sometimes that "opinion" is more of a careless or passing opinion (as we all know due to the ton of authenticated forgeries out there). I would never waste my money on authenticating my collection. Nor do I place any heavier value when I buy or bid on something just because it has one of these PSA/DNA/JSA/GFA, etc certs. The only certificates I would place value on are MLB holograms, possibly Steiner, and maybe some of the player owned company holograms.

Speaking of which, does anybody have opinions on the authentication of these player holograms like Stan the Man, Ichiro hologram (ADA Financial), Reggie Jackson's, Bonds, etc? Would you classify these certifications as reliably along the same lines as the MLB certs/holograms?

[kengoldin]

NoTHING is as reliable as MLB certification. The only error they can make at MLB is a typo entering it into their database (ie mislabeling a photo as a ball, which i have seen). If they dont witness it, it doesnt get hologrammed.
Player holograms depend on the player, their agent, and the control used. While most player holograms i know of are reliable, you cannot immediately assume that each player, agent, or representative has the same level of control over the hologram as another. You pretty much would have to list player by player, and adress each individually. In the 90s, there were only a couple players with holograms, like Cal Ripken and Nolan Ryan and it was tightly controlled. Nothing legit got out without that hologram, and nothing bad could get a hologram. Now, there are likely over 100 different players that have their own hologram...how can you know the controls and procedures in place for all of them?
So, in short, NOTHING beats MLB authentication hologram. Each one is numbered, and the MLB rep has to account for every single hologram. If one is damaged or destroyed, they need to account for that as well. And, 100% is in person only.

[AbejasAsesinas]

Ken,

Wouldn't UDA and Tristar fall under the same level of authenticity as MLB?

[shelly]

Ken, bull is bull stop and smell the bs. You can think you will make a difference but like I told you in this thread stop your just blowing smoke up your a-s. You are just another person who thinks they have the power or the friends to stop this.
These people are looking at this site and laughing at you. Just stop. If you can get something done come back on here and tell us. I know at least twenty people that have tried and failed. I will be the first to tell you are hero.

[kengoldin]

I would put UDA, Tri Star, Mounted memories and Steiner sports into their own category. I trust all in person and under contract items from these companies. They are the best at what they do, which is contract athletes and conduct in person signings.

I do believe however that at least one or more of these companies will certify or hologram a 'purchased' item on occasion, which means it would be impossible for them to witness it, therefore not falling into the category of MLB, which will never hologram an item it didnt witness.

The question was comparing player holograms to MLB. and, because MLB is not a company selling its own items, but providing a service to its licensees, an MLB authenticated item needs to be placed on a different level then even the top memorabilia companies in the business. MLB authentication purpose is simply to witness , authenticate and hologram product.

[Baseball Fan]

Originally Posted by AbejasAsesinas

Ken,

Wouldn't UDA and Tristar fall under the same level of authenticity as MLB?

I'd agree with UDA, but not Tri-Star anymore. Tri-Star has started to put their sticker on things that the company did not witness in person. Not sure why they started to do that, but they did.

[kengoldin]

Wow shelly.
I actually am willing to spend my own money to go after these guys, and spoke to one of the CEOs of the 4 company's i mentioned in a previous email and he will do the same. I was planning on talking to the other three as well. I am sorry you find my comments and efforts fruitless and a waste of time. I certainly did not post them to offend you or anyone else. I will stop posting because i have no interest in getting into an argument with any member of this forum. If something gets accomplished I will send the info to chris williams and he can inform.

[shelly]

want this in a new site.

[AbejasAsesinas]

Originally Posted by kengoldin

The question was comparing player holograms to MLB. and, because MLB is not a company selling its own items, but providing a service to its licensees, an MLB authenticated item needs to be placed on a different level then even the top memorabilia companies in the business. MLB does not sell product, they just witness and hologram it.

With respect, I think you are mistaken when it comes to MLB selling authenticated product.

Check out http://auction.mlb.com/

[Leon]

I will again caution folks that if you give any opinion concerning a person or company then your full name needs to be in your post or edit out your comments....or soon your name will be there without you putting it there. Thanks for your understanding and only keeping with the posted rules...