[prewarsports]

Most people can get most photos right by educating themselves. I will testify that I have seen millions of photos and I learn new stuff about the genre and photography all the time.

There are some very subtle nuances between some Type 1 and Type 3 examples for example. Some high end Type 3 images are VERY clear.

A big part of what PSA does is sift through fakes people buy on ebay. There are more fake Marilyn Monroe photos out there for example than you would think. People buy old stock photo paper from the 1960's-1970's and use high quality printers to make these and they are VERY convincing if you don't know what to look for.

If you have a properly stamped photo from a major new service then yes, you could do it all yourself and if you buy from reputable dealers. There are times though where you need to have a second set of eyes on an image, especially if it is a really high end piece.

Not speaking to the cost at all, just the necessity of experts in the field and Henry does a great job!