Which source of provenance is the better choice?

[yankees24]

Buying game used items, which provenance would you trust most?

- sourced from the league
- sourced from an individual with direct team contacts
- sourced from the player through exclusive deal with memorabilia company

[coxfan]

I strongly prefer buying from the club, with MLB authentication. I specialize in balls, and my surveys and observations suggest an accuracy rate of about 98 per cent, with the 2 per cent errors mainly clerical and usually correctable with your own research.

[Phil316]

A true photomatch trumps all.

If no photomatch available sourced from league would be fine.

[paul457]

Buying game used items, which provenance would you trust most?

- sourced from the league
- sourced from an individual with direct team contacts
- sourced from the player through exclusive deal with memorabilia company

- sourced from the league
This my 1st preference and really one of the only things I trust these days. Or sourced straight from the team.

- sourced from an individual with direct team contacts
I'm assuming this is the guy who has a COA from Jon Doe the equipment manager? Or a COA from Jon Doe's uncle's cousin's stepmother who once knew the player??

IMHO, there's not enough volume here to trust these types of items. Said another way, way too easy to fake a COA in this situation... and honestly, most of the time the accompanying story just sounds made up. I'll bypass this almost every time.

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Everything I own that's game used, has a reputable COA and a no-questions-asked photo match. IMHO, this is the only way to fly in this hobby. And I think you'll see this as a standard going forward - sometimes a COA just isn't enough.

[Steeleraddict]

#1. Photomatch!
#2. Team or league letter esp if photomatch not available.

Ex. That's the trouble with trying to match a Jordan jersey. Just not enough wear to show in pics. But a true charitabulls letter is almost priceless. Then add the Penny Marshall effect and that is prob the reason it went so high. Can't get much better provenance than that other than Jordan handing it to you himself.
...if you look back in that thread Visual called the bulls and did a lot of research to confirm.

#3. Letter from the player. But buyer beware.

Ex, Brett Farve.

No real #4 I'm hesitant with COAs from agents, relatives, some or unfort. a lot of AH's.

BTW...has anyone seen Visual lately?