Estimates are that as much as 80% of the autographs for sale
online are not authentic. So how can you protect yourself from fakes,
forgeries and the like? Here are a few simple steps from a 15 year
autograph seller and UACC Registered Dealer (#RD208).
- Disregard Certificates of Authenticity (COA's). Unfortunately, most are not worth the paper they are written on. This is a little known fact, but COA's generally provide buyers with almost zero legal protection. Insist upon on a hand-signed or hand-initialed receipt that itemizes each autographed item that you purchase. According to court precedent, this is the only way a customer is truly protected!
- Research, research, research! If you are dealing with an
autograph dealer for the first time, research both the company and the
signature(s) you are interested in. Note that autographs can change
significantly over time and can vary according to when and how they
were signed, so look at several different authentic examples.
- Do not rely solely on the opinions of the well-known autograph
authenticators. They can and do make NUMEROUS mistakes. Many of these
mistakes are well-documented and are quite alarming.
- Check out the other items a seller has for sale / has sold. Has he/she sold 10 Joe Montana's, 15 Marlon Brando's, 20 Michael Jackson's? If the seller is selling dozens of the same mega-superstars over and over again, chances are he's signing the items himself! A legitimate dealer's inventory will consist of a relatively small percentage of mega-stars, and a relatively large percentage of lesser stars. If a dealer is only selling one mega-star after another, he/she is probably not legit.
- Find a couple or a few reputable dealers that you can trust. The
higher the number of dealers you're buying from, the more chance you
have of buying some un-authentic material. Find some dealers you can
trust and stick with them.
- Private Auctions. While we personally do not use private auctions, a private auction is not a particularly good indicator that an autograph is not authentic. Some of eBay's most reputable dealers use private auctions. Why? Because there has been an explosion in fake Second Chance Offers and the like, particularly for higher priced items. In order to protect their customers, some sellers have found it necessary to use private auctions.
- COA's. Again, as mentioned above, the vast, vast majority of COA's are absolutely worthless! Insist on a SIGNED RECEIPT and keep it with your autographs in case a problem ever arises.
- Feedback. A high percentage of positive feedback DOES NOT
necessarily mean that a dealer is selling legitimate autographs. All it
means is that he/she is good at getting people their items promptly,
packages well, etc.
Guide created: 05/20/06 (updated 05/20/12)



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