Know Your Autograph Authentication Company

You may realize how important it is to make sure that you buy nothing but authentic signed baseballs. In fact, that already may be the first thing on your mind. But, do you happen to know the ways you can make sure that your signed ball is authentic?

There are many companies and individual sellers out there who claim to authenticate signatures and many people that will sell you signed balls with pictures claiming that those pictures were taken at the time the baseballs were signed. But of course, who is to say that the seller is not making copies of that picture and giving them to each one of his customers?

There are solid, reputable companies who do have the resources to authenticate autographs from every era. They have thousands of exemplars, experienced staff and the tools necessary to offer a certificate of authenticity. Knowing who those companies are is key.

Major League Baseball has an authentication program in which they guarantee that certain items are genuine and signed by actual players. They provide the sales outlet for certain sports memorabilia companies who have contracts with star players who sign a specific number of autographs, often for a hefty price. Yet you don’t have to pay MLB.com prices to get authentic signed sports memorabilia that’s just as solid.

Some of the better names you should look for when shopping for signed baseballs are PSA/DNA, James Spence Authentication (JSA), Steiner Sports, Mounted Memories and Upper Deck Authenticated. If you see a ball that isn’t authenticated by one of those companies, it’s best to look at the seller’s feedback and the circumstances surrounding how the ball was obtained. Some autograph authenticators, including PSA and JSA offer a quick opinion service, where they’ll look at a signature online and give you a non-binding opinion as to whether it’s likely the autograph is genuine or not.

In the end, if you do your research well, you should be pretty confident that your collection is airtight. If at some point you decide to sell, having reputable COAs will make it much easier.


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