Help selling a collection

[71buc]

Today I was asked to evaluate a collection of autographs. I explained that I was unqualified to do so. The owner said he trusted me and would like me to sell his collection. He said the signatures were obtained in person or TTM. None have been slabbed or sent to JSA PSA or any other such 3rd party. Most of the collection is organized by player in an album consisting of 50 pages there are over 100 autographs in the collection. The pieces have all been glued to black paper with a single drop of glue. I have scanned 10 of the pages to give you an idea what the collection looks like. My question is should this collection be sold as is, by page, or by player? Should the autographs be removed and sold individually? All of the prewar cards are reprints, the Topps and Fleer cards are originals. To help me gauge the value of the collection what do you think these 10 pages would realistically sell for? I want the owner to get the most possible he is giving me Greeberg, Combs, Hooper, and Haffey autographs as a commission. Thanks for any help or advice you may have.

[MooseDog]

If you want to maximize value I'd suggest submitting them to PSA/DNA when the run a $10 special (maybe it's $15 now).

For whatever reason, people will pay 5x more for these autographs when they are encased in PSA/DNA plastic.

Some of them may not pass, though. I think at least two of the Koufax may be ghost signed, and Goslin, Combs, Faber, and Ruffing all had their wives signing for them after illnesses and strokes. Others on this board will know if these are good or not. The Goslin looks exactly like one I had denied by PSA.

PS. Make sure you get a "good" Combs.

[71buc]

Originally Posted by MooseDog

If you want to maximize value I'd suggest submitting them to PSA/DNA when the run a $10 special (maybe it's $15 now).

For whatever reason, people will pay 5x more for these autographs when they are encased in PSA/DNA plastic.

Some of them may not pass, though. I think at least two of the Koufax may be ghost signed, and Goslin, Combs, Faber, and Ruffing all had their wives signing for them after illnesses and strokes. Others on this board will know if these are good or not. The Goslin looks exactly like one I had denied by PSA.

PS. Make sure you get a "good" Combs.

Thanks for the insight. I know little of the autograph end of the hobby and as the collection is not my own I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the signatures. I hoped to avoid dealing with PSADNA but I don't want to sell an item that may be ghost signed. This is why I typically avoid such transactions. If others concur with your assessment I may just back away and return them to the owner so he may decide how to proceed. Ironically, this note pertaining to the stroke written by Comb's wife is in the collection as well.


Thanks again
Mike

[jimjim]

The Combs and Red Fabers look like they were ghost signed by the wifes.

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by MooseDog

If you want to maximize value I'd suggest submitting them to PSA/DNA when the run a $10 special (maybe it's $15 now).

For whatever reason, people will pay 5x more for these autographs when they are encased in PSA/DNA plastic.

Some of them may not pass, though. I think at least two of the Koufax may be ghost signed, and Goslin, Combs, Faber, and Ruffing all had their wives signing for them after illnesses and strokes. Others on this board will know if these are good or not. The Goslin looks exactly like one I had denied by PSA.

PS. Make sure you get a "good" Combs.

thats not true, you are just wasting your money sending them in to psa or jsa, there are plenty of collectors looking for those signatures who know a good signature when they see one, they dont need psa. why start off in the hole? you can get the same price unauthenticated as you can authenticated.

if i needed a greenberg sig, i would know its real by looking at it and my bid price would be the same authenticated or not. if you want to spend hard earned money sending it in to psa to get the same bid from me, then what a waste. one of the biggest myths in the hobby is the myth that you must send it in to psa or jsa to get the highest price. its untrue. psa and jsa want you to believe that, that is why they started and continue to perpetuate that rumor.

I sold an unauthenticated Rocky Marciano cut autograph for 400, that is what they sell for. authenticated ones sold for 400. only someone had paid 75 plus shipping to authenticate it, so at best they only realized 325 for theirs, I got the full 400 for mine unauthenticated.

i helped sell a few alejandro lavorante boxing autographs, some of the rarest around, and a high retail might be 1500 dollars, a real stretch, the seller wouldnt sell at that price, wanted a lot more, and they sold for 2250-2550 apiece, with NO psa or jsa. if they would have had psa or jsa, they would NOT have sold for more, (probably less), ha! Not that psa or jsa know what one would actually look like anyway?

So don't fall for that old saw that you need psa or jsa. And I practice what I preach and sell them without psa or jsa, and will do again on ebay soon. I am not worried I will get less for them. I will probably get more.

The other rumor and big lie is that the forgers are constantly trolling these boards looking for tips to help out their forgeries, so people shouldnt talk about specifics of any autographs, because the forgers are watching the boards. That's ridiculous too. so remember these two myths and just sell them unauthenticated and don't worry about spending upfront money on something that would be a waste.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by 71buc

Today I was asked to evaluate a collection of autographs. I explained that I was unqualified to do so. The owner said he trusted me and would like me to sell his collection. He said the signatures were obtained in person or TTM. None have been slabbed or sent to JSA PSA or any other such 3rd party. Most of the collection is organized by player in an album consisting of 50 pages there are over 100 autographs in the collection. The pieces have all been glued to black paper with a single drop of glue. I have scanned 10 of the pages to give you an idea what the collection looks like. My question is should this collection be sold as is, by page, or by player? Should the autographs be removed and sold individually? All of the prewar cards are reprints, the Topps and Fleer cards are originals. To help me gauge the value of the collection what do you think these 10 pages would realistically sell for? I want the owner to get the most possible he is giving me Greeberg, Combs, Hooper, and Haffey autographs as a commission. Thanks for any help or advice you may have.

Hi Mike,
The exhibit card of Sandy Koufax is very suspect and I do not believe it is real, FWIW. All of your Rube Marquard's and Jesse Haines sigs look perfect. Others I will not comment on because I'm not that familiar with their sigs.

If it were me, I would sell them individually on eBay. I don't love PSA DNA or JSA, so that is my personal bias. If $10-$15 was all I had to spend to get the higher end sigs authenticated, I might do it. Koufax's signature is worth $70- $125 for an authentic one on a 3 x 5 or an inexpensive card. Definately not worth spending for guys like Marquard or Haines. Their value is perhaps $25- $40 at best. Any collector worth their salt will know that these sigs are real, without needing PSA DNA or JSA.

Tell your friend best of luck no matter how he decides to sell his collection.

[RichardSimon]

Combs and Faber are definitely not authentic. Perhaps though, considering the letter, his wife had him attempt to sign some. There are a couple there that don't resemble her ghosted signature at all.
Selling these on ebay won't be easy. Everything in this group is common and there will be multiple offers of these autographs on ebay.
Good luck with them, it will be tough going.

[johnmh71]

Were these acquired over a long period of time from each player through multiple requests? It looks like there is some good and bad mixed together.

[71buc]

Originally Posted by johnmh71

Were these acquired over a long period of time from each player through multiple requests? It looks like there is some good and bad mixed together.

He put the collection together TTM in the mid to late 70s and show signings in the 1980s

[71buc]

I have receieved a few IMs regarding this collection. For those who may be intereted the remainder of this collection can now be viewed at http://www.net54baseball.com/album.php?albumid=432