Why our autograph experts are often silent

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Keating isn't generally considered a TPA. He buys and sells autographs, so there is an obvious conflict-of-interest. Autograph collectors don't generally want to get on the bad side of a legitimate autograph seller, especially a respected one.

Also, I don't recall ever seeing anyone question the ethics or opinions of Keating here on this board. I'll search and see what I can find, but I think I would remember - you and I discussed him at the National, and I don't remember anything negative as far as ethics.

The main problem I had with your post was the title, which you changed, and also the implication that this was without doubt a forgery, and if it had a legitimate Keating LOC he therefore must have OK'd a forgery, intentionally or not. Seems to me the premise that the ball was a forgery is far from a foregone conclusion, and in fact is no more than your opinion. As I stated, I will take his opinion over anybody's. I've seen Spence and Grad walk too many items over to Kevin at shows to ask him what he thought of them to think anything else. As for Net54 posts, I do recall a thread questioning his opinion on an Addie Joss item, and several others I remember forwarding him to see if he wanted to respond, so I assume those were negative in some way, also, maybe they were just about his prices, I can't remember. I also remember lots of Net54 threads involving apparent errors by JSA and PSA and not too many saying how great they were. I would actually encourage you to keep raising questions about possible fraudulent activity in the hobby, it needs all the vigilance it can get, but just be more careful about it. And I can assure you that NOBODY hates forgeries and frauds more than Kevin, since his entire business depends on the overall reputation of the hobby among collectors. In fact, he has devoted an enormous amount of his time in the last 15 years working with the FBI's Operation Bullpen and others to try to eliminate it.