How do you verify before purchasing?

[gregr2]

I have some autographs from the early 70s from HOFers like Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson and Rollie Fingers. Now I know these are authentic since I sent letters to these guys asking for their autographs in the early 70s and have held on to them through the years.

Now I am looking to get back into collecting autographs but I'm wondering about all the forgeries out there. When I find autographed pictures from Bob Feller, Stan Musial, Whitey Ford, Joe Dimaggio, etc. on Ebay that are not PSA/DNA certified how do you guys validate the signatures prior to making a purchase? Do I have to find authentic sigs and then make a comparison myself? Or is it ok to buy non PSA/DNA autographs as long as the seller has a good history?

Thanks
Greg

[daves_resale_shop]

Originally Posted by gregr2

I have some autographs from the early 70s from HOFers like Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson and Rollie Fingers. Now I know these are authentic since I sent letters to these guys asking for their autographs in the early 70s and have held on to them through the years.

Now I am looking to get back into collecting autographs but I'm wondering about all the forgeries out there. When I find autographed pictures from Bob Feller, Stan Musial, Whitey Ford, Joe Dimaggio, etc. on Ebay that are not PSA/DNA certified how do you guys validate the signatures prior to making a purchase? Do I have to find authentic sigs and then make a comparison myself? Or is it ok to buy non PSA/DNA autographs as long as the seller has a good history?

Thanks
Greg

I have been playing the autograph game for a few years now. and the best advice i could give is to do your homework and buy from a reputable source. You can buy quality Items that have been certed by the likes of PSA/DNA or JSA, but you will pay a premium... For the most part they are spot on, but they do make mistakes... You can get good deals on uncerted merchandise by doing your homework (investing in Ron Keurajian's book & frequenting the PSA autographfacts page). Yet, I will say that there is no subsititute than buying from a dealer who is reputable, stands behind their product, and adds value to the hobby...

Their are two such gents that are Net54 members & I would highly recommend you reach out to them if you have a wishlist in mind:
1-Jim Stinson of Jim Stinson sports
2-Richard Simon of Richard Simon sports

Both have been instrumental in helping me build my collection, and I would recommend them both to whomever is attempting to take the leap of faith into the world of autograph collecting

Cheers & Happy Hunting!
-Dave

[jgmp123]

I echo Dave. Jim and Richard have been my go to for my collecting needs.

[Exhibitman]

If you are interested in superstar baseball autographs and don't want to pay for certifications, I echo the recommendation for Jim Stinson. My dealings with Jim have been tip top. I've heard good things about Richard too but haven't dealt with him so I cannot opine from experience. I am sure you are fine as well if you want to acquire a signed item directly from a promoter like Tristar that runs autograph shows and the National autograph pavilion. I believe they offer signed merch TTM, and I think they've had all of the fellows you referenced as guests, so odds are they have in stock photos. I think Rich Altman of Hollywood Collectibles [FL] has a lot of signed inventory from signings he did; sure looks that way at the National every year. If you choose to buy anonymously on eBay, you are rolling the dice and dealing with whoever happens to be on the other end of the computer.

One thing you might consider are manufacturer certified insert cards if the goal is the autograph rather than a display photo. I've picked up quite a few HOFers from the 1950s-1960s-1970s on certified insert cards for a fraction of the cost of live signings. A guy like Gibson signs a lot of stuff and has for years, so you can readily pick up an insert card from an older set.

[gregr2]

Thanks for the input. I really am trying to avoid paying the premium for the PSA/DNA certs but don't want to just give my money away for fraudulent items. I really wish the hobby hadn't come to this, but here we are.

I'll look into the recommendations above, thanks guys!

Greg

[Maddog]

Jim and Rich are two of the best there are.
Ron Gordon and Rich Albersheim are also good sources especially for
football items.
Probably 60% of my non IP items are from the above 4.
I make it a policy that any item over a certain $$ value is best bought by one of the above.

[gregr2]

Thanks Maddog, I'll look into those and you're correlation to a $$ amount makes a lot of sense.