Authenticator Help!

[deltacards]

I've been an autograph collector for a while now, but my collection only consists of items I've gotten signed in person, through the mail, or pack pulled certified autographed cards... I've been looking at buying a few signed baseballs from ebay and a few other sites and I need help with who are good authenticators.... Specifically is JSA (James Spence Authentication) a reliable authenticator? I have heard of this company but wondering if anyone can give me any feedback on how reliable they are. Also, are there any major(reliable) authenticators that you could recommend other than PSA/DNA and Steiner

**Please note (if it makes a difference) that I am looking at buying memorabilia that is already signed and authenticated, not looking to get my IP autos authencated

thanks for any help!
Nate

 

[abeabe]

I guess the 1st thing I'd say is ebay is certainally not the most reputable place for autos. Not saying there arent plenty of real autos, just saying there are plenty of fakes. I would only deal with someone with very high feedback. Now onto authenticators, 1st thing is make sure its a COA not just an LOA. An LOA is a Letter of Authenticity, which means the items appear to be real but no thorough authenticating was done. A COA is a certificate of authenticity and is much more desirable. I have no problem with any of the 3 companies you mentioned. I would put JSA 3rd on that list though. I have seen questionable JSA authenticated items. Most of Steiner's stuff has been signed in their private appearances, so I have no doubt their stuff is real. PSA/DNA probably is best 3rd party authenticator, what PSA lacks in card grading, they seem to make up in authenticating. A sticker attached to the item with a corresponding #, that can be looked up in their database is how you can check if item was really authenticated by them. Hope this helps.

 

[deltacards]

Here is the first item i purchased....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320600163851&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Its a Pete Rose autographed 8x10... It has a JSA #'d hologram sticker and comes with the corresponding COA.... I also checked the JSA website and entered the # and it does show it as a Certified Pete Rose autographed photo... The seller has 99.5% positive feedback with 25,000 sales so he seemed pretty reliable... I also checked with my unprofessional eye and the signature does seem to match, but with the prices I pay for packs and boxes $25 for a certified pete rose autograph seems cheap to me and leaves me feeling a little uneasy about it... I'm new to the whole purchasing autographs (that arent' pack pulled cards) and I guess if I don't get it in person myself then I can't ever be 100% certain, but i just want a few more experienced opinions on whether I made a good purchase and went about doing my homework in the correct way before I continue with my new collection.... I'm watching a few other items over the next week that are PSA/DNA certified and I just need a little feedback about the best way to go about this.... If ebay isn't a great opition, where are some other sources for reliable certified items.

thanks for any help!
Nate

 

[aspoe093]

That Pete Rose looks good to me. I look for sellers that are companies. They have had private signings and have a lot of great stuff they put on ebay. The Rose is 25 because it autos are easy to obtain plus not everyone is interested in it. I picked up a YA Tittle auto mini helmet for $23's with AAA and JSA. It's all about demand

 

[DaNotoriousNIC]

JSA is as good as PSA, James Spence actually is the one that started PSA from my understanding. Do some research of your own also though, just because its authenticated from a major company doesn't mean that its real. Yes majority of the time they catch all the fakes but a few slip through now and then. Usually on photo's you can get a good deal price wise. Not everyone wants photos. I can tell you right now myself personally, I won't buy a signed photo over a ball/puck or a card unless its a sweet deal.