How Do I Trust PSA/DNA After All Of This?

[Therion]

Autograph Alert News

PSA/DNA has authenticated the following just off of their first page:

Martin Van Buren secretarial signature
Cy Young spelled Cy Yooung
Mary Pickford stamp
Bo Jackson preprinted on a book (Yes, they authenticated a pre-print as authentic)
Andrew Johnson stamp
Teddy Roosevelt secretarial signature
Danny Thomas authenticated as Danny Kaye
Dwight Eisenhower secretarial signature
George Romero authenticated as G.A. Laurell (someone that likely doesn't even exist)
Lamar Hunt authenticated as Leon Hart
Franklin Roosevelt secretarial signature
Cyril Chadwick authenticated as April Chadwick (another fictional person)
Willie Mays authenticated as Hank Aaron (seriously)

 

[boomo]

awesome, just awesome.
my george romero signed NOTLD poster may be fake.
ooh vay...

 

[Pete14Rose]

WOW. Really makes you wonder about all the PSA/DNA authenticated autos.

 

[A_Pharis]

Nice.

 

[Therion]

It goes further though. How many political autographs inserted into Topps/UD stuff was authenticated by PSA/DNA? So all of those 1/1s might be worth nothing.

 

[nyc3]

Autograph alert is a great site for me the casual autograph collector. That site is what has made me laugh at "cut signatures" put into products, psa needs to get their stuff together fast because the counterfeiters know about their weaknesses and are exploiting it full force.

For instance you see a check with a persons name and autograph on it and think it has to be real right? Well not any longer, they use chemicals to remove the original name (old checks had zero anti counterfeiting technology we see today since it was not as big of a problem) and print lets say as an example "Ty Cobb" on it now it appears to be authentic check with an autograph on it. Some of these companies placing these in cards need to be very careful since their reputation could rely on these "cut autographs" being authentic, and I dont think they realize how flooded the market is with fakes as they scour ebay for autographs for their next cut signature card.

 

[phillyfan0417]

Not to defend PSA/DNA but how many auto's have they authenticated? I'm still looking for a business that gets it right 100% of the time...

 

[Therion]

Not to defend PSA/DNA but how many auto's have they authenticated? I'm still looking for a business that gets it right 100% of the time...

Of course mistakes happen, but how do you authenticate signatures as those of people that don't exist? That isn't a mistake.

And honestly, how do experts certify a Willie Mays as a Hank Aaron?

 

[nyc3]

Not to defend PSA/DNA but how many auto's have they authenticated? I'm still looking for a business that gets it right 100% of the time...

You are 100% correct, but when you have a business and people working for you are making mistakes with your product don't you get rid of them? They seem to not care and keep the same guys authenticating. And lets not forget the obvious that psa was created just to grade and encase "the card" which shows their business practices are a bit sketchy at best.

 

[js0000001]

I have a multi signed ball with full LOA for PSA and instead of Brooks Robinson they said signed by Jackie Robinson.

They make these kind of "small" mistakes all the time.

 

[wideright]

This just adds to the looming shadow of doubt across game-used pieces as well. What is really being inserted into products? Half authentic, half fake? How are we to know? Who cares, right? We just keep on a-buying this stuff.

 

[Therion]

I have a multi signed ball with full LOA for PSA and instead of Brooks Robinson they said signed by Jackie Robinson.

They make these kind of "small" mistakes all the time.

Do you have scans of that? I'm sure they'd love to add that on their site.

How do you mistake Brooks Robinson's auto for Jackie Robinson's auto?

 

[js0000001]

I have a multi signed ball with full LOA for PSA and instead of Brooks Robinson they said signed by Jackie Robinson.

They make these kind of "small" mistakes all the time.

Do you have scans of that? I'm sure they'd love to add that on their site.

How do you mistake Brooks Robinson's auto for Jackie Robinson's auto?

I can scan tonight.

What I was miffed about was this was a full letter not an auction house letter, so "this is what I paid extra for"?

 

[i43770]

Wow, I have heard horror stories before, but some of those are down right crazy.

I think it was 2007 Donruss National Treasure football that had some cut autos that were stamps on checks.

Where would you send this item to get a COA from if you were going to get one:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u41/ ... NOT%20ASK/

 

[andyduke86]

PSA has been a joke for a while.

 

[MattinglyAlexander]

I agree with the opinion that there are going to be mistakes, but some of them, if actual mistakes, are HUGE mistakes to make.

 

[RL24]

PSA has been a joke for a while.

That's what I was thinking! Somebody trusted PSA before this?


I guess some people don't realize or forget or block it out or something, but... the first card they graded was trimmed, and they graded it anyway.

 

[andyduke86]

PSA has been a joke for a while.

That's what I was thinking! Somebody trusted PSA before this?

Seriously. I thought people knew this already, it's old news. PSA's "authentication" service has been suspect to say the least for a few years now. They've got a "D" rating from the Better Business Bureau from a while ago.


http://www.helium.com/items/292295-the- ... ss-in-2007
http://www.richardsimonsports.com/hofauto2.htm

 

[jeremy]

Not to defend PSA/DNA but how many auto's have they authenticated? I'm still looking for a business that gets it right 100% of the time...

Of course mistakes happen, but how do you authenticate signatures as those of people that don't exist? That isn't a mistake.

And honestly, how do experts certify a Willie Mays as a Hank Aaron?

someone just put down the wrong name? ive seen cards w/ the wrong year or name on the flip

 

[predatorkj]

To everyone bashing PSA...do you have another authenticator in mind that we all use?I know they have made mistakes and I read the entire page that Therion posted a link to bust seriously guys...who else should we use?Are you telling me that on all accounts that you yourselves would be able to do just fine without them.How many people here are autograph experts.

Granted this comes from somebody who only owns 5 authenticated items out of my whole collection...the rest are all IP...but you get the point.I myself would definitley not feel comfortable buying anyone's auto unless it was Bagwell's and that only because I have seen a zillion of them and kinda have a handle on it to a degree.But for the most part...I would be dead in the water on a lot of items!Its hard...especially with all of the forgeries out there.

I am not sticking up for PSA.I like to get my stuff in person since I don't sell...I could care less if anyone else thinks its real.But a lot of you are acting like we have a more viable authenticator to choose when buying autos of people we cannot get anymore.I'd rather trust PSA than my own uneducated eyes when trying to do this.