Card doctoring debacle

[Mark]

Originally Posted by benjulmag

In real estate there are the three "L's" -- location, location, location.

In memorabilia, there are the thee "P's -- provenance, provenance, provenance.

I don't care how well something passes a "photo match" test or a "look-right" test. With memorabilia now in 7-figure territory, counterfeiters have taken their craft to a level that IMO can fool even the best authenticators. If the provenance is not there, then forensic examination is the next choice. Without one of these two, I wouldn't touch any "too-good-to-be-true" item of memorabilia.

Fair enough, but how do know, for sure and for certain, that the provenance is legit?