WHERE TO SEND YOUR AUTOGRAPHS FOR AUTHENTICATION

As demand for card grading services has surged, so has the demand for autograph authentication. It makes logical sense: Many card collectors also collect autographs, and some of the largest and most prominent card grading services also have divisions that authenticate and grade autographs. Still, there’s good news here – delay times for authenticating autographs have never been nearly as bad as they got in the past couple of years for card grading.

Even better news – there’s no complicated analysis to figure out which authentication company to use. All three listed below are great, and all three have liquid markets for autographed items that carry their seal. Some may get better pricing than others for specific signers – check eBay for that data. In general, though, you can’t go wrong with any of these three.

Here is my list of the top autograph authentication and/or grading companies

- PSA/DNA

o SUMMARY: This is my first choice if I’m mailing in autographs for grading and/or encapsulation. The PSA/DNA brand generally pulls in the highest sale prices.

o My Review: PSA is the market leader in card grading, so it follows that they would be a big player in the autograph authentication business. PSA/DNA is the autograph authentication brand of PSA and its parent, Collectors Inc. (formerly Collectors Universe), and the level of service is similar to what you’d expect when grading cards. The process is similar, the timelines are similar, etc. Recently, PSA announced a new approach to dual card/autograph grading, in which the auto can be graded for an extra $10. This will increase dual grading volume substantially, but with constant growth and expansion, PSA remains the go-to choice for many collectors. Full Disclosure: I’ve submitted autographed cards to PSA for both authentication and grading, and I own many PSA/DNA autographs in my collection.

§ Company Description From Website: “PSA is the largest and most trusted autograph authentication service in the world. With over 35 million collectibles certified, PSA authenticates a vast array of signatures, ranging from sports to history and entertainment. Combining decades of experience with cutting-edge authentication techniques and a passion for the hobby, PSA continues to deliver a service collectors prefer.”

o Learn More About How To Authenticate Autographs With PSA at https://www.psacard.com/services/autographauthentication

o How Much Does It Cost To Authenticate An Autograph With PSA/DNA (varies by signer – look for the “check price” button): https://www.psacard.com/services/autographauthentication

o Which Autograph Authentication Services Does PSA/DNA Provide?

§ Will PSA/DNA Authenticate Sports Autographs? YES

§ Will PSA/DNA Authenticate Non-Sports Autographs? YES

§ Will PSA/DNA Grade Autographs? YES

§ Will PSA/DNA Encapsulate Authenticated Autographs? YES

§ Will PSA/DNA Encapsulate Autographed Baseballs? YES

§ Will PSA/DNA Authenticate Memorabilia? YES

o Submit Your Autographs To PSA/DNA Now at https://www.psacard.com/onlinesubmissioncenter

- Beckett Authentication Services

o SUMMARY: This newest autograph grading service from longtime industry player Beckett Grading Services is comparatively new and gaining ground. Beckett-authenticated autographs pull in solid sale prices, though often not as high as PSA/DNA. Beckett is a solid choice.

o My Review: Beckett Authentication Services seems like the sort of thing that would’ve been around for a long time, right? After all, Beckett has been grading cards for decades. But in the autograph business, the credibility of the business is tied to the credibility of the individual graders – so to make a big splash, Beckett hired away arguably the most prominent grader in the business, Steve Grad, from PSA. Fans of the TV show “Pawn Stars” will recognize Steve’s name – he’s considered an authority on even the most obscure and risky autographs. When Beckett hired him, they created a new autograph authentication business around him, and that’s how we got BAS. It’s definitely growing, and Beckett-labeled autographs are appearing much more frequently in my circles. Full Disclosure: I have not submitted autographs to Beckett for grading, but I do own some Beckett-authenticated autographed items in my personal collection.

§ Company Description From Website: “Established November 2016, Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) is the newest member of the Beckett Media portfolio. Since 1984, Beckett has been the industry standard for price guides, card grading, and now with the inception of BAS, autograph authentication. World renowned autograph experts Steve Grad and Brian Sobrero bring their vast experience with autographs from all genres and eras to the forefront of BAS. They have authenticated some of the rarest and most valuable items in the industry, a testament to their level of expertise. With a full range of services for your autograph collection, Beckett Authentication Services is the only authentication company you'll ever need.”

o Learn More About How To Authenticate Autographs With Beckett at https://www.beckett-authentication.com/services/authentication

o How Much Does It Cost To Authenticate An Autograph With Beckett (varies by signer): – https://www.beckett-authentication.com/pricing

o Which Autograph Authentication Services Does Beckett Provide?

§ Will Beckett Authenticate Sports Autographs? YES

§ Will Beckett Authenticate Non-Sports Autographs? YES

§ Will Beckett Grade Autographs? YES

§ Will Beckett Encapsulate Authenticated Autographs? YES

§ Will Beckett Encapsulate Autographed Baseballs? YES

§ Will Beckett Authenticate Memorabilia? YES

o Submit Your Autographs to Beckett Authentication Services now at https://www.beckett-authentication.com/online-submission-form

- JSA (James Spence Authentication)

o SUMMARY: JSA is an accessible, reasonably-priced option that has market credibility. JSA-authenticated items often pull lower prices than Beckett or PSA/DNA simply because of their ubiquity – i.e., they grade a lot of stuff.

o My Review: JSA is perhaps the most visible autograph authenticator in local markets. What does that mean? When your local card shop sends you an email that says, “Come in and get your autographs authenticated!”, it’s probably with the traveling JSA reps that are stopping by. Likewise, when you see an authenticator table in the corner at a card show, it’s often JSA for the same reason – they work to meet customers where they are. It’s a huge advantage, and it has caused JSA item populations to surge in recent years. This depresses market prices somewhat, but not enough to make JSA a bad proposition. They’re quick, friendly, reasonably priced, and probably showing up in your area soon. Full Disclosure: I have submitted autographs to JSA for authentication, and I own several JSA-authenticated autographed items in my personal collection.

§ Company Description From Website: “Autograph collecting is a Spence family tradition that has been passed down through four generations. Following his grandfather and father, founder James Spence Jr. started out as an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Collecting autographs turned into a business as he traveled across the country attending major trade shows buying and selling memorabilia. His passion for autographs led him to extensive research and compiling an autograph exemplar library, which is second to none in the autograph industry today. James, Jr's reputation within the autograph world caught the attention of major auction houses across the country, which then employed his authentication services for their upcoming auctions. Thirty years later James Spence has built a worldwide reputation as the premier autograph authenticator in the world.”

o Learn More About How To Authenticate Autographs With JSA at https://www.spenceloa.com

o How Much Does It Cost To Authenticate An Autograph With JSA (varies by signer): – https://www.spenceloa.com/fees

o Which Autograph Authentication Services Does JSA Provide?

§ Will JSA Authenticate Sports Autographs? YES

§ Will JSA Authenticate Non-Sports Autographs? YES

§ Will JSA Grade Autographs? YES

§ Will JSA Encapsulate Authenticated Autographs? NO

§ Will JSA Encapsulate Autographed Baseballs? NO

§ Will JSA Authenticate Memorabilia? NO

o Submit Your Autographs to JSA now at https://www.spenceloa.com/submit-your-item

- Which Other Authentication Brands Can I Trust?

o SUMMARY: There are several companies that sell reliable, authenticated autographs. To lower your risk of accidentally buying a forged item, always stick with the larger, more well known autograph companies.

o My Review: I buy autographs on the secondary market, and I frequently see specialty, odd, or even obsolete certification marks on my items (if they have certification at all!). Over the years, I’ve found many of these marks to be unreliable – meaning, they authenticate items that turn out later to be fake – so you should proceed with caution when considering any item that’s graded by a company that’s not one of the big brands. THAT SAID – there are some “big brands” in this business that won’t authenticate *your* items, but instead sell their own items with their own certification marks. In my experience these are perfectly reliable if you’re buying to collect or invest. They are:

§ Steiner Sports - https://www.steinersports.com

§ Fanatics - https://www.fanatics.com

§ Tristar - https://www.tristarproductions.com

§ The major card companies (Topps, Panini, Upper Deck, Leaf, etc.)

§ The major sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, etc.)

Where it gets murky: You’ll see numerous authentication marks that are obsolete, and for the most part these represent what is known as “Store Cert.” This means the store that originally sold the item is the one guaranteeing its authenticity. Some people are fine with this approach; I am not. I’ve had several “store cert” items fail authentication at PSA/DNA or JSA. On the other hand, I’ve had success getting JSA to authenticate items that previously were tagged with “store cert” from more prominent stores such as Mounted Memories (the mall chain) and Rich Altman’s Hollywood Collectibles. It’s a risky proposition, which is why these items often sell for less. Bottom line: Proceed with caution, as with everything else in the autograph business. When buying signed memorabilia for your collection, choose whatever gives you the greatest sense of authenticity, because in the end, if it’s not authentic, why bother collecting it?