I have some autographs that I purchased 15-20 years ago. I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice about getting them authenticated. I'm wondering who the most reputable companies for authentication are. I'm also trying to save some money. I know you get what you pay for but paying $150 to authenticate an autograph I paid $400 might be a little too much.
I'm pretty confident 99% of the stuff I bought is legit because I bought from dealers I trusted. But there's one piece I'm very worried about. An 8x10 photo with signatures of DiMaggio, Mantle and Williams. I got it at a DiMaggio autograph show in New Jersey from Showcase by Lin Terry. I bought several items from him in the past but those were autographs that he got as a dealer comp for having a table at a particular show. He usually sold special cases for memorabilia and not autographs, but he did sell some autographs with his special frames. I was recently taking the photo out of the frame to clean it and found a certificate of authenticity from another company. The company on the certificate (The Plaques Gallery) has been linked to selling fraudulent items. Not all the stuff they sold was fake but at least some of it was. The date on the COA is 1993.
It's an item I always wanted and I saved up for 6 moths to buy it back in 1994. If it comes back as a fake I would try to get my money back from the company that I bought it from and buy a new one from a reputable source. Any help or advice in regards to getting the photo authenticated or getting my money back if it turns out to be fake would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Scott
I'm pretty confident 99% of the stuff I bought is legit because I bought from dealers I trusted. But there's one piece I'm very worried about. An 8x10 photo with signatures of DiMaggio, Mantle and Williams. I got it at a DiMaggio autograph show in New Jersey from Showcase by Lin Terry. I bought several items from him in the past but those were autographs that he got as a dealer comp for having a table at a particular show. He usually sold special cases for memorabilia and not autographs, but he did sell some autographs with his special frames. I was recently taking the photo out of the frame to clean it and found a certificate of authenticity from another company. The company on the certificate (The Plaques Gallery) has been linked to selling fraudulent items. Not all the stuff they sold was fake but at least some of it was. The date on the COA is 1993.
It's an item I always wanted and I saved up for 6 moths to buy it back in 1994. If it comes back as a fake I would try to get my money back from the company that I bought it from and buy a new one from a reputable source. Any help or advice in regards to getting the photo authenticated or getting my money back if it turns out to be fake would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Scott
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