JSA & PSA in Hall of Shame for $41k Blunder on 1939 HOF Induction Sigs of Babe Ruth, Larrry Lajoie and Others - by Peter Nash

In response to Peter Nash's latest article, I posted the following.....

http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=10958#more-10958


Hi Peter,

Thank you for the article that you published here.  Sadly these "alleged" forgeries are and have destroyed the market.  You can simply see by the prices people are asking that the memorabilia market is near dead.  Some items are selling for 10-20% of their retail and book values.  It is easy to understand why people have abandoned the market and have moved on to other collectibles.  Sadly I see myself so many forgeries continue today and there are many buyers who simply are not educated or simply do not care.  As I always tell people looking for authentication services, the only true way to guarantee a signature is to see the athlete sign the item right in front of you.  That of course does not help with athletes who are deceased.  For those items, people must simply do their homework and at this point, hope for the best.  How sad that it has come to this.  What was once a great market is almost dead, and there are no signs of revival at this point.  The only company I buy from now is Steiner Sports. (No, I am not endorsing them or anyone else.  I am simply stating I trust their services and have had a chance to oversee their operations in New Rochelle, NY on several occasions in person) I cannot say anything negative at all about the company in terms of authenticating items.  I have seen too many items from 3rd party authenticators that are clearly fakes or at the very least "do not look right".  As a huge Emmitt Smith fan and very well versed on his signature and collecting him since his days at Florida, I am amazed at some of the items for sale on auction sites that bear his name.  So many of his "signatures" are not even close!  And still people bid on these items without hesitation.  At this point I tell people getting into the market to get educated about it and learn the "ins and outs" of the business before even purchasing their first item.  It is also sad to see many athletes charge so much for their autographs during signings, but at this point, I can see why.  Atleast you are paying to see the athlete sign the item right in front of you.  Most importantly hopefully you can have a short conversation with him or her and maybe even pose for a picture.   Thanks Peter for your continued articles.  At the very least, it is bringing attention to a subject that needs coverage and exposure.  Maybe it is time to "blow up" the entire industry and start over.  I am not sure that is the answer, but something needs to change and soon before the market as we know it will be dead forever.  This is not the way we would want to honor the great athletes that came before us.  They deserve better. 

Thanks for your time......Brad - www.HistoryOfTheYankees.com