Certificate of Authenticity (aka COA)…
Are they worth the paper they are written on?

I am writing this Certificate of Authenticity, COA Guide because i recently purchased an "Autographed" Rookie Baseball Card off the Internet that came with "genuine" COA papers; but when I received it, I wasn't mad--I was only disappointed with myself for not doing my research first. Well, in the future, i will do my research before I bid on or purchase an item that comes with a COA. 

Certificates of Authenticity or COA for short, sure sound like a good idea, doesn't it? Sure. I mean, after all, you have your item in front of you and a piece of paper that says, "The following autograph of....on this baseball card (or product) is genuine." This alone should give you of peace of mind. Right? Now you can sleep well knowing that you now have a genuine Rookie Baseball Card with an Autographed Signature from your favorite player in your possession. Think again.

Software products or programs these days can produce counterfeit COA documents, which can be accessed online from your computer along with a decent printer. With all these fake COA makers out there, you or your seller…(Hmmm) can create a Certificate of Authenticity for any product or item you or he/she wants to sell in a matter of minutes. By including a COA to the buyer of a product or item, they are stating that the item is authentic, which only the seller can verify; therefore, the seller with the COA document may not be able to verify for absolute certain that the product or item they are selling you is actually authentic.

So before you run to your computer and click on 'Place Bid' button for that Autographed Rookie Baseball Card shouting, “HEY, LQQKA ME, I’M AUTHENTIC...I EVEN COME WITH A GENUINE COA DOCUMENT...,” please do keep in mind what I have written here for you and DO NOT be shy to ask the seller how they came about obtaining the COA for the item--if you are serious about authentication, please keep this advice in mind:

- Always Read, Understand, and Verify for yourself the full text of any COA before you buy or bid on an item.

- If the item is for sale online, request and review the entire COA--front side & back, and not just a portion of it. Ask the seller if he/she can either FAX it to you or send a clear, legible, and complete digital image.

- Any conditional statements found in a certificate of authenticity such as: "in our considered opinion..." or "we believe that..." are only warning signs that the item may not be genuine. A valid COA usually states that the item is unquestionably by that person who has actually signed it.

- A valid COA should contain documented proof or evidence as to why the item is genuine.

- If you have any questions about a COA, contact the individual or entity that authored it, (assuming that person is not the seller), and ask those questions before you buy the item.

- When the contact information on the COA is no longer valid or out-of-date, contact a current authority on the player and determine whether the old COA was authored by a legitimate authority and if the seller can provide adequate proof that the item is in fact genuine.

- A statement claiming that a sport’s card (with a signature) is genuine is NOT valid unless it was made by a respected & knowledgeable authority on the player--that person's qualifications should also be stated on the COA.

- A COA without adequate contact information for the person or company making the statements, or with only an unidentifiable signature should not be considered valid.

- Anytime a COA does not meet at least 90 percent of the criteria listed here, consider yourself at high risk of fraud, especially if you are bidding on or if you have already bought the “Autographed" Rookie Baseball Card that shouted to you earlier in this guide.

• For more information, read eBay's Using Authentication and Grading Services before purchasing items that claim to be Authentic.

• View this list of respected companies on Authentication to learn what they have to offer.

By the way, if anyone is interested in bidding on this COA guide, I have genuine COA papers to go with it--Wink Wink

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