Like a lot of you I have a love-hate relationship with TPA's, but like has said, I want them to succeed. I have invested a ton on money on their certification and when you try to do business in a world based on trust such as the autograph hobby/business is, the TPAs word carries a lot of weight. If there was a total breakdown in the confidence of the buying public of TPA's judgement, then let's face it- our collections would lose most of their value and all that money we spent on certification would have been better spent on something else.
Yes, they make mistakes, and it's unfortunate when they do. Slabbing a rubber stamp autograph is a mistake. And I agree it is frustrating when they fail items you know to be good and you send it to another TPA who slabs it as genuine. I have had that happen many times and it has been costly. TPAs should use better quality control, because they have as much at stake in this as we do. If the buying public loses confidence, then their business suffers. I think the hobby has put too much pressure on TPAs and they have not kept pace. Do you recall what the TPA turn around time on most autograph submissions used to be? And what is it now? There is too much work for them and they have not hired enough people or developed the infrastructure to deal with the volume. And when that happens, something suffers, and I fear it is quality of work. That is reflected in wrong calls and mistakes. I hope that changes.
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