[eyeamjames]

I have a mini helmet signed by thirteen players from the 2010 season including Bruce Bochy. (Posey, Lincecum, Ross, Etc.). It is already authenticated by All-American Authentication, but would you suggest getting it authenticated by a higher ranking authentication service? Also, if so, who do you suggest going through? I've thought about PSA/DNA, but $100 is kind of steep for me right now.

Any advice helps, thanks!

[patricksb4]

Is it for your PC? If it is then there is no point seeing as how you got the autographs and you know they are real.

[whodeyalltheway]

To be honest the cost of authentication from anywhere out ways that of the item. It has to make a big difference or be a BIG dollar item to make it worth your time/money.

[eyeamjames]

Is it for your PC? If it is then there is no point seeing as how you got the autographs and you know they are real.

I didn't get the autographs myself, for a great price. I wouldn't be selling it, but having a better authentication service might make it a nicer piece for my collection.

[patricksb4]

Well since you didn't get them yourself then maybe you should get them authenticated. Also, like the other guy said it has to make a big difference. If you yourself wants to make sure they are real, you could always compare them to other autos they have on cards, etc.

[TheEvilEmpire]

If it's already authenticated, then I wouldn't worry about it..A lot of shops or businesses pay the managers/players to come in and do a signing and make up their own certification...When looking on Ebay, the difference between a ball certified by another company compared to DNA/PSA and JSA doesn't sell for less or more really..

If it didn't come w/ a certification, I would possibly send it into PSA/DNA or JSA...Remember, even top-notch authenticators have made mistakes such as JSA here recently..

[eyeamjames]

It came with an authentication, I was just thinking I might feel happier with a PSA/DNA cert. I have spent hours comparing it to other signatures and they all seem to match up, so I suppose I will just relax and enjoy it.

[ny sports teams]

As was stated earlier EVERY and ALL authenticators make mistakes. EVERY and ALL authenticators have deemed in-person (IP) auto's to be fake and forged auto's to be authentic. As you can see I believe ALL authenticators are a joke. The best of the joke authenticators is PSA/DNA. Also stated earlier, to be worth the money to authenticate, it needs to be a higher dollar item. I have two 16x20's and a glove autographed by Muhammad Ali. They were IP graph's at a show but if I ever decide to sell the extra 16x20 I would need to get it authenticated by the joke authenticators even though I saw it signed.

Since you have compared the graphs to other known authentic auto's and they match up IMHO I believe getting them authenticated would be a waste of money, especially if you are keeping them for your PC...Rick


EDIT: I have over 300 in-person auto's and ONE auto that I received that was authenticated by PSA/DNA. I was talking to my insurance agent discussing a rider on our insurance policy for collectibles. Insurance companies like items authenticated. I told him that out of all my signed collectibles the only one that I could have any doubt with being authentic is the one that is authenticated by PSA/DNA. All the others I know are authentic because I saw them signed with my two eyes...

[TheEvilEmpire]

As was stated earlier EVERY and ALL authenticators make mistakes. EVERY and ALL authenticators have deemed in-person (IP) auto's to be fake and forged auto's to be authentic. As you can see I believe ALL authenticators are a joke. The best of the joke authenticators is PSA/DNA. Also stated earlier, to be worth the money to authenticate, it needs to be a higher dollar item. I have two 16x20's and a glove autographed by Muhammad Ali. They were IP graph's at a show but if I ever decide to sell the extra 16x20 I would need to get it authenticated by the joke authenticators even though I saw it signed.

Since you have compared the graphs to other known authentic auto's and they match up IMHO I believe getting them authenticated would be a waste of money, especially if you are keeping them for your PC...Rick


EDIT: I have over 300 in-person auto's and ONE auto that I received that was authenticated by PSA/DNA. I was talking to my insurance agent discussing a rider on our insurance policy for collectibles. Insurance companies like items authenticated. I told him that out of all my signed collectibles the only one that I could have any doubt with being authentic is the one that is authenticated by PSA/DNA. All the others I know are authentic because I saw them signed with my two eyes...

How does the insurance work with collectibles such as our hobby? I haven't the slightest clue since I'm a college student, but do they go through and put values on every item or do you or what?

Thanks