FBI Investigating National Authenticating Companies

[sammy]

This is a very good sight to learn from.

http://haulsofshame.com

Babe Ruth's granddaughter, in regard to JSA and PSA/DNA authenticated high end Babe Ruth "autographed" baseballs.

Said Ruth-Tosetti, “I can’t believe how these crooks have lined their pockets forging my grandfather’s signature. It’s a shame and it needs to be stopped. I’ve made my concerns known to an agent at the FBI and I hope they will be able to put an end to this. In my opinion, the authenticators are as bad as the forgers, it’s ridiculous. I can even tell that Babe didn’t sign most of these.”

The following link will be a 10 part series on the proliferation of high-end Babe Ruth forgeries so check back if you want to learn more.

PART 1) http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=8280#more-8280

PART 2) http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=10406

JSA ) http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=6635

OTHER'S THOUGHTS
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=144475

[ironmanfan]

I guess we can add Babe Ruth's granddaughter to the list of autograph experts now....

Who knew that "Sammy" had a dog in this fight?

[trsent]

I guess we can add Babe Ruth's granddaughter to the list of autograph experts now....

Who knew that "Sammy" had a dog in this fight?

Why is this same exact post found in both the Autograph Forum and in the Vintage Memorabilia Discussions? Why?

Here is my reply from the Autograph Forum:

To be accurate, the FBI isn't investigating the authentication companies that we know of.

Peter Nash (haulsofshame) and the crowd at Autograph Alert/Autograph News Live are lobbying for this. Both have a long history of bashing TPAs, as I am sure you are aware.

Seems to me, if the FBI was going to investigate anyone, they'd be going after the actual forgers first and foremost.

Secondly, in all due respect, Babe Ruth's granddaughter hardly qualifies as an autograph expert. Nash is using her for the PR and her name.

Good points. The major autograph authentication companies are giving an opinion. No one can prove that they are intentionally authenticating items they know to be forgeries - They are giving an opinion if they feel an item is good or bad.

Sammy, aka Steven Kocshal, who writes Autograph Alert without signing his name and owns his own 3rd party authentication company is on a smash campaign against other 3rd party authenticators for jealousy reasons among others.

I don't understand why Game Used Universe would allow Sammy, aka Steven Kocshal to come on here an blatantly attack 3rd party authenticators, especially PSA/DNA as 8D Auctions trusts PSA/DNA to give an opinion on the autographed items in their last auctions.

Rightly so - Everyone who isn't jealous knows that PSA/DNA's opinions are the most valued in the industry.

[sylbry]

Rightly so - Everyone who isn't jealous knows that PSA/DNA's opinions are the most valued in the industry.

Still just opinions none the less.

[trsent]

Still just opinions none the less.

Right, that is all 3rd party authentication is and no one is perfect, but how the comments that the 3rd party authenticators are being investigated by the FBI confuses me.

Is there any proof of intent to defraud or just a smear campaign by the mysterious Sam Johnson?

[sammy]

Joel,

I appreciate you giving me credit for exposing this stuff once again, but as usual you are wrong.

If you would actually read some of these articles instead of just engaging your mouth and not your brain, you will see at the top of each page is the actual person who wrote and researched these exposes, and yes, he did sign his name: By Peter J. Nash

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Quote:
Originally Posted by sylbry
Still just opinions none the less.

Quote:
Originally Posted by trsent

Right, that is all 3rd party authentication is and no one is perfect, but how the comments that the 3rd party authenticators are being investigated by the FBI confuses me.

Is there any proof of intent to defraud ......

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Per your quote Joel, I believe that is the same excuse and reason STAT, Don Frangipani, TTA, Chris Morales, Forensic Document Services (FDS), and others have used to avoid the law and their own incompetence. Nice to see you group your boys in the same category with that useless excuse.

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And you still haven't answered how your boys could and did authenticate the signature and letter of someone who couldn't write his own name, let alone a complete paragraph. What exemplars did they use Joel, when none exist? If they had authenticated the "X" that he used to actually sign his name, then they may have been a little more creditable.

Just one of many, in a very long list from your boys.

As others have stated, this isn't just AutographAlert that has exposed this incompetence, many others are talking and posting about your boys latest act of incompetence.

http://www.autographalert.com/news.html

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Wishing you a very Merry Christmas Joel.
Hope you have a great day on the birth of our Savior and Lord.

[trsent]

Prove you are a real person, Sam Johnson and I'll stop posting the truth about Autograph Alert.

[sammy]

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Joel, let me quote you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by trsent

I don't have to prove anything - I sign each and every post I make because I am a real person.
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[sammy]

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Dang Joel,

Just checked AutographAlert.com and there is a new article up, and get this.........................

KOSHAL ACTUALLY PUT HIS NAME ON THE ARTICLE!!!!!

I guess there goes your one and only argument against AutographAlert.com.

Perhaps now you will actually have to show that the articles are false.

That should be interesting and fun to watch.

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[dcgreg25]

I went ahead and closed this thread for a number of reasons. First, it appears the original post was an attempt to promote another site. Second, it seems that the original poster and others in the thread could not make a point without personal attacks, baiting, etc. This will not be tolerated. If you can not make a post without baiting someone or attacking someone, don't bother.