Frustrated with 3rd party authen. But not an autograph expert. Your thoughts

[packs]

You guys always rail against TPG but I don't see a real solution in what you guys offer up instead. A single person being an arbiter of authentication is extremely risky. If Bob Johnson is the single highest authority on autographs and Bob Johnson runs into some financial trouble as an individual person, he's liable to make some quick cash by authenticating his own bogus materials and capitalizing on his reputation. The same can be said for any single person. I'm all for better systems but the reality of the hobby is that PSA and JSA have a high standing with the collecting community at large, though serious collectors have issues with them. You can't deny that a PSA or JSA letter doesn't boost the value of an item vs. the same item without one.

[megalimey]

Originally Posted by packs

You guys always rail against TPG but I don't see a real solution in what you guys offer up instead. A single person being an arbiter of authentication is extremely risky. If Bob Johnson is the single highest authority on autographs and Bob Johnson runs into some financial trouble as an individual person, he's liable to make some quick cash by authenticating his own bogus materials and capitalizing on his reputation. The same can be said for any single person. I'm all for better systems but the reality of the hobby is that PSA and JSA have a high standing with the collecting community at large, though serious collectors have issues with them. You can't deny that a PSA or JSA letter doesn't boost the value of an item vs. the same item without one.

100% correct , the hobby has had many bad things happen especially during the 1990's hey day , hence the massive growth of submissions to PSA and JSA , and their continued recognition as being the best solution available
to know within a very high probability that you have the real deal
not just some old dude telling you his grand daddy owned it with no back up provenance

[RichardSimon]

Some will just keep drinking it.

[packs]

But what do you propose as a solution? How would you solve the issue of authentication accuracy and still meet demand of thousands of submissions in any one day?

[RichardSimon]

Many, but certainly not all, have a blind adherence to authenticators.
That is wrong. These authenticators are hardly infallible.
Just one very small example fyi, I could list others. I had an autograph album page with a very early example of well known signatures. To confirm my belief in the authenticity of the item I sent a copy of it to the best dealer that I know in the hobby and also to one of the very top collectors here on Net54. Both confirmed my thoughts, that the item was authentic.
One of the leading authentication companies turned it down. My customer kept it after I told him what had happened because he trusted my judgment and my other two sources.
I don't really know what could be done now but I know a system that is beyond corruption and one that is much more transparent would be at the top of my list for improving the current system.

[Klrdds]

When authenticating autographs for profit came into the hobby as a SOLE business model not as an adjunct to collecting or buying / selling autographs corruption also entered with at the same time. Also at the time their God - like infallible attitudes closely followed .
Trust dealers using 1 set of trained eyes NOT companies using multiple sets of untrained eyes .

[Lordstan]

MegaLimey is an employee of PSA I think. He said so in a thread about authenticating a 32WS Called Shot ticket last year.
He is obviously biased as his livelihood depends on them.

Richard and Kevin have said it the best. I can recall many really embarrassing moments for them that can be explained by either incompetence, laziness, or corruption. FOr example how about a 30K Ed Delahanty auto that was certed by both PSA and JSA where the name was misspelled. That is right a 30 thousand dollar auto that was misspelled but passed. Or an 1860 boxer that was certed by both without either having an exemplar(BTW, It was shown he was illiterate as he signed an official document the year after with an "X"). All true.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

When authenticating autographs for profit came into the hobby as a SOLE business model not as an adjunct to collecting or buying / selling autographs corruption also entered with at the same time. Also at the time their God - like infallible attitudes closely followed .
Trust dealers using 1 set of trained eyes NOT companies using multiple sets of untrained eyes .

+1 Well said, Kevin...