February Pick-Ups...

[the 'stache]

It's great that SGC is into authenticating autos now, but I have concerns over who is doing it. It's not enough to say "hey, we're doing this now" if the people behind the scenes have somewhat questionable skills.

Mike Root was Director of Authentication at James Spence, and I've read several horror stories as to the accuracy of JSA's "opinions". Authenticating signatures that were later deemed forgeries, autographs obtained in person being opined as a fake. It doesn't matter how many autographs this person has purchased over the years. What matters is the accuracy with which each individual autograph is considered. I don't want to pay somebody $50 bucks for an auto on a $1,000 card if they're just going to look at it and say "ya, that looks right". For the authentication to be accurate, the signature in question should be compared to known, authenticated examples. They need to be looking at the signature under magnification, and I just don't know if this service is spending the time necessary.

The important thing to remember is that when you pay for this service, you are purchasing an opinion. I know that people on Ebay think that having a PSA/DNA, or a JSA authentication is a gold mine. All I'm saying is exercise caution. Never has the phrase "caveat emptor" been more appropriate.