[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I don't understand why the Henny Penny "The sky is falling!" people even collect. If that was my mentality, there would be no pleasure left and I'd take up something more calming. As much as I want to see as many people involved with something that has been a lifelong passion for me, this side of the hobby isn't for everyone.

It shouldn't be that difficult for collectors with even the slightest bit of seasoning to discern that a dealer selling a ton of top-name modern players on knockoff jerseys is going to be problematic. Logic, people. Tom Brady and Kobe Bryant did not autograph a bunch of cheap memorabilia, of which these dealers have an endless supply. You don't even have to look at the autographs before realizing there's a problem. You just have to look through the glass at the quality of the jerseys. No ridiculous, tacky, over-the-top framing job can hide a lack of quality in manufacturing. It doesn't take very much time to learn the keys to differentiate between an official, quality, licensed jersey and a $20 Asian knockoff.

But sometimes, the problem is a case of "buy the cert, not the autograph". If that's all you're doing, then you're bound to be faced with issues, even if only periodically. There are already far too many collectors, dealers and flippers who don't care about the autograph(s) as long as it supposedly passed a major TPA's inspection. I don't even feel like I'm on the same planet with that type of hobbyist. Self education will always be the greatest key to success in this hobby.