Babe Ruth?

[T206Collector]

This is evidently where the hobby goes when it wants to eat itself.

Third party grading is where all hobbies will be in the future, particularly ones that rely so heavily on the internet for distribution. The elimination of the big ones would only cause more to sprout up to take their place.

If and when you or your heirs go to the market to sell your autographs, you/they had better be prepared to have them authenticated by whoever or whatever is the market leader at the time for authenticating autographs.

During any period of time when there is no accepted market leader for authenticating autographs, you can expect your items to diminish -- perhaps drastically -- in value.

What I'd like to see more of from the people who challenge the established market leaders are videos of people forging autographs -- outside of the context of an in-show Sal Bando-esque signing -- and then having Spence, or DNA, or SGC, authenticating those autographs.

Frankly, I'll spend thousands of dollars on autographed T206 cards that I don't have. Won't someone please forge one, get it certified by Spence, DNA or SGC, and then sell it to me? I won't tell! Why can't I find any of these on the market over the past two years? Prices have been skyrocketing!!

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

This is evidently where the hobby goes when it wants to eat itself.

Third party grading is where all hobbies will be in the future, particularly ones that rely so heavily on the internet for distribution. The elimination of the big ones would only cause more to sprout up to take their place.

If and when you or your heirs go to the market to sell your autographs, you/they had better be prepared to have them authenticated by whoever or whatever is the market leader at the time for authenticating autographs.

During any period of time when there is no accepted market leader for authenticating autographs, you can expect your items to diminish -- perhaps drastically -- in value.

What I'd like to see more of from the people who challenge the established market leaders are videos of people forging autographs -- outside of the context of an in-show Sal Bando-esque signing -- and then having Spence, or DNA, or SGC, authenticating those autographs.

Frankly, I'll spend thousands of dollars on autographed T206 cards that I don't have. Won't someone please forge one, get it certified by Spence, DNA or SGC, and then sell it to me? I won't tell! Why can't I find any of these on the market over the past two years? Prices have been skyrocketing!!

sure does make a guy wonder what the agendas are of some of the 3rd party(leaders)haters out there...

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

makes you wonder what the agendas are of some of the 3rd party(leaders)haters out there...

Pretty easy - clean it up.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

This is evidently where the hobby goes when it wants to eat itself.

Third party grading is where all hobbies will be in the future, particularly ones that rely so heavily on the internet for distribution. The elimination of the big ones would only cause more to sprout up to take their place.

If and when you or your heirs go to the market to sell your autographs, you/they had better be prepared to have them authenticated by whoever or whatever is the market leader at the time for authenticating autographs.

During any period of time when there is no accepted market leader for authenticating autographs, you can expect your items to diminish -- perhaps drastically -- in value.

What I'd like to see more of from the people who challenge the established market leaders are videos of people forging autographs -- outside of the context of an in-show Sal Bando-esque signing -- and then having Spence, or DNA, or SGC, authenticating those autographs.

Frankly, I'll spend thousands of dollars on autographed T206 cards that I don't have. Won't someone please forge one, get it certified by Spence, DNA or SGC, and then sell it to me? I won't tell! Why can't I find any of these on the market over the past two years? Prices have been skyrocketing!!

Originally Posted by Runscott

Pretty easy - clean it up.

yeah... In never never land

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

This is evidently where the hobby goes when it wants to eat itself.

Third party grading is where all hobbies will be in the future, particularly ones that rely so heavily on the internet for distribution. The elimination of the big ones would only cause more to sprout up to take their place.

If and when you or your heirs go to the market to sell your autographs, you/they had better be prepared to have them authenticated by whoever or whatever is the market leader at the time for authenticating autographs.

During any period of time when there is no accepted market leader for authenticating autographs, you can expect your items to diminish -- perhaps drastically -- in value.

What I'd like to see more of from the people who challenge the established market leaders are videos of people forging autographs -- outside of the context of an in-show Sal Bando-esque signing -- and then having Spence, or DNA, or SGC, authenticating those autographs.

Frankly, I'll spend thousands of dollars on autographed T206 cards that I don't have. Won't someone please forge one, get it certified by Spence, DNA or SGC, and then sell it to me? I won't tell! Why can't I find any of these on the market over the past two years? Prices have been skyrocketing!!

No, the hobby is eating itself OUTSIDE of this forum. This is where we talk about things so that we can avoid becoming food. Other than a few personal feuds, most of the really bad stuff occurs when one of the pieces of outside 'food' joins in and insists that we get eaten as well.

Obviously I agree with your assessment, since we said many of the same things, but I think you already know why you aren't finding T206 cards with forged autographs. I wish you luck locating more of them - it's a great collecting niche and you seem to be enjoying it a lot.

[shelly]

If the big boys go down I really dont believe that there be anyone with enough juice to take there places. It will all go back to the way it was before. Prices will go way down. Auction houses wont be able to get 20 percent buyers fees. The world will be a perfect place to live.
PS. We can then have the M and M boys from Heritage do all work.

[Deertick]

Originally Posted by shelly

If the big boys go down I really dont believe that there be anyone with enough juice to take there places. It will all go back to the way it was before. Prices will go way down. Auction houses wont be able to get 20 percent buyers fees. The world will be a perfect place to live.
PS. We can then have the M and M boys from Heritage do all work.

I think Morales, CSC, etal. have authenticated 100 times the amount the big three have. Maybe they can fill the void?
Call it HSA (Horse Shit Authenticatters)?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Deertick

I think Morales, CSC, etal. have authenticated 100 times the amount the big three have. Maybe they can fill the void?
Call it HSA (Horse Shit Authenticatters)?

I think they would evolve into the same situation - PSA and JSA are in competition, which drives prices down, and unless you have a single trusted TPA that collectors are willing to pay exorbitant sums to because they offer a better product, you will have to keep dealing with this:

When prices get driven down low enough by competition, you have to cut back on service; i.e- due diligence or close examination. If you want TPA's, you have to take shoddy service or embarrass them so badly with their mistakes that they change the way they do business. I will not state as others have, that they are dishonest - I think their motivation is simply 'staying in business'.

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I think they would evolve into the same situation - PSA and JSA are in competition, which drives prices down, and unless you have a single trusted TPA that collectors are willing to pay exorbitant sums to because they offer a better product, you will have to keep dealing with this:

When prices get driven down low enough by competition, you have to cut back on service; i.e- due diligence or close examination. If you want TPA's, you have to take shoddy service or embarrass them so badly with their mistakes that they change the way they do business. I will not state as others have, that they are dishonest - I think their motivation is simply 'staying in business'.

now we have sgc CARD GRADING company receiving, sorting, tagging, data entering, AUTHENTICATING, slabbing, and boxing up your signature for 8-10 dollars per autograph. SWEEEEEET! and they wont tell you who their authenticators are! perfect!!!

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by travrosty

now we have sgc CARD GRADING company receiving, sorting, tagging, data entering, AUTHENTICATING, slabbing, and boxing up your signature for 8-10 dollars per autograph. SWEEEEEET! and they wont tell you who their authenticators are! perfect!!!

I think SGC is making a big mistake, but given that PSA got away with it, who can blame them?

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I think their motivation is simply 'staying in business'.

And staying in business means keeping (big) customers happy.

[shelly]

Originally Posted by Deertick

I think Morales, CSC, etal. have authenticated 100 times the amount the big three have. Maybe they can fill the void?
Call it HSA (Horse Shit Authenticatters)?

At least we know there terrible. Its the others that are getting away with out being questioned.