James Spence Autographs

[Juan Gris]

One thing I never understood when I was collecting autographed baseballs was why a PSA or JSA authenticated baseball would carry a premium in the secondary market over autographs authenticated by the likes of Tristar, JMI and Mounted Memories to name a few? I mean these guys witness nearly all their autographs but people prefer the opinion of someone else who didn't see the baseball being signed?

I understand that vintage autographs are a completely different ballgame but for current stars why would anyone buy a Jeter auto that didn't have a Steiner holo? Why would a Steve Carlton auto with a PSA sticker sell for more than one with a Tristar holo?

It honestly speaks volumes on the hobby itself and how much the average collector actually educates themselves about their hobby.

You bring up some excellent points. Two factors I see for this discrepancy are 1) PSA being highly regarded for their authentication of older autographs (those which the "lesser" companies you mentioned could/cannot authenticate in person), and 2) Stories of these "lesser" authenticators letting bogus autographs be authenticated at shows where the signer is actively selling autographs. From what I've heard/read, the authenticators did not always see the items signed at shows and would blindly apply authentication stickers without being 100% sure the autographs were legitimately just signed at the show. These stories may or may not have appeared on this site but I know the rumors are out there and, for some, rumor is enough to ruin a good name.

[sportsnbikes]

I don't trust any of them. Not a single one.