Removing Authentication Stickers?

[Archive]

Posted By: Jon Canfield

Just curious if anyone has ever tried removing authentication stickers from paper, and if so, what process was successful? I have a few photos and letters that I would like to remove the tamper proof sticker from. All can be matted out but I would rather remove than matte over.

[Archive]

Posted By: Mark

I don't have any great advice on this, as some come right off and others are tricky. For the tricky ones, the residue left behind can be worse than the ugly sticker itself.

All I can recommend is to gently work on one edge of the sticker with your fingernail or a tweazers. If it appears to be coming off clean, then gently and slowly keep removing it (little by little). Don't rip it off like a Band-Aid!

If you are getting any resistance, stop at the very first hint of it, and just press the sticker back on. I personally think it is better to mat over the sticker, than to permanently scar the piece with sticky/gummy residue.

PSA and/or Spence will surely be able to advise you best on this... I would call them before attempting.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Don't waste your time calling PSA or JSA. The stickers were designed to stay on the piece and hurt it if removed.

[Archive]

Posted By: Tom Hufford

PSA, JSA, or anyone else who puts these stickers on an autographed item, should be strung up by their boots, shot, run out of town, or receive some other suitable punishment.

The first thing that is taught in Paper Conservation 101 is not to put any sticky adhesive substance, such as tape or a sticker, on the paper. Yet these "authenticators" insist on putting these stickers on everything they can get their hands on.

Lately, I've seen a grouping of 1920's Yankees checks come on the market, each with an authentication sticker on the reverse. Does anyone who sees one of these checks actually have any question about whether or not it is genuine, and if so, will the sticker change their mind?

I'm firmly convinced that the purpose of these stickers is not for authenication purposes, but simply for publicity or self-promotion of the authenticator, who has no concern for presevation of the item. Does anyone really believe that someone who might purchase one of these items 30-40 years from now will have any idea what this sticker means? At least the lettering on the PSA sticker is legible. The Jim Spence signature that makes up the design of the JSA sticker is as illegible as any modern player autograph. If someone in 2045 buys such an item, will they know what the sticker with scribbling and a number on it even is? And even if they do, will the records of these authenticators even survive that long, or be available, so that someone can check them?

If someone must have a Certificate of Authentication, and if authenticators must issue them, the best I've ever seen were issued by Mike Gutierrez several years ago. They were high-quality certificates that included one or more photos of the item being sold (or authenticated). Anyone looking at the certificate and the item in question could tell what was going on - without a sticker defacing the item.

Go ahead and get your autographed items authenticated if you must, but if any authenticator with those stupid little stickers comes within a mile of my collection, I hope I'm not alive to see it (or if I am, I hope I've bought a shotgun by then)!

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard S. Simon

Tom, I couldn't agree with you more if I wrote your piece myself.
==

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Tom,

I was the #&@(@@))#* who placed those stickers on the back of the Yankee payroll cheques--just following orders at the time. Keep in mind that it is up to the customer's discretion whether or not a sticker is affixed to an item. This is a lower-cost alternative to paying a great deal more for full letters of authenticity. I can understand the customer's perspective as well as that of my former employer in this instance. Hypothetically, when somebody submits a very large order to be authenticated, chances are they would like to save as much money as they can. I'm not much in the mood to expand on my thoughts, and am rather tired of defending a company that no longer puts bread on my table.

We're friends--don't point your double-barrel at me

[Archive]

Posted By: Tom Hufford

Jodi,

So YOU'RE the #&@(@@))#*!!

I hope you understand that my vent is against the Message - not the Messenger, so feel free to stop by anytime!

Tom

PS. If The Louvre were to send out The Mona Lisa to be studied, do you think the authentication company would put a hologram or sticker on it?

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Of course! And let it be known that I was never a fan of applying those stickers on vintage material. It was my job, and I did make suggestions to revamp the process which never panned out.

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

The PSA/DNA stickers are designed to not pull off in once piece. This is what makes them tamper evident. I'd leave it on.

I tried to remove a PSA/DNA sticker once. I had a group lot LOA with the sticker on the LOA. After selling all the autographs singly, I was left with the LOA and figured I'd see what it was like to remove the sticker-- I was writing an article on forensic security marking techings at the time, so it counted as homework. One might be able to remove the sticker, but there likely would be an ugly residue left behind. What I did learn was it would be difficult to remove a PSA/DNA sticker from one item to indiscreetly place it on the other-- as the sticker is designed to be ruined if removed. An unsightly blight some might call it-- a lot of game used collectors don't like stickers or holograms either on their bats or jerseys either-- but the tag is an effective forensic marker.

In case you want to know, one of the most practical and effective forensic records is photographs. If you lay out your cards or autographs or memorabilia and take good photographs of them, that would be important record in case of theft, dispute or such. Good digital photos of an autograph baseball can be an even better record than an invisible DNA daub on the ball.

I can also advise that, in case of dispute (theft, ownership dispute, etc), if you were the type of person to well document your purchases-- date diary of purchases, keep receipts or other record of purchases, photograph collection-- a judge or arbiter will be far more likely to believe your recollection of disputed events than someone who kept no records.

[ballparks]

Originally Posted by Archive

Posted By: Jon Canfield

Just curious if anyone has ever tried removing authentication stickers from paper, and if so, what process was successful? I have a few photos and letters that I would like to remove the tamper proof sticker from. All can be matted out but I would rather remove than matte over.

I'm a bit late to this thread, but I had a large company out of New York place a hologram sticker on the front of a 1956 Game 5 ticket signed by Don Larsen. They then told me that it was MY responsibility to let them know beforehand not to do it, even though it was never indicated anywhere it would be done. They then told me that it made it worth more $$ and it was desirable and I was the only one who complained about it ever.

To remove it, I used a hair dryer on a low heat and a scalpel blade. Some very mild residue remained but it was salvaged.

[mrreality68]

I would not buy something that has a sticker on it especially if it was in a location that was not wanted/desirable.

But if I have a sticker on something especially like a photo I would have the matting used to cover it.

I would not attempt to take the sticker off because of the potential it could do to the photo, ticket stub, etc.

I think the potential damage and/or glue residue would look worse than the sticker on it.