COA's of items on display at Arena's/Stadiums

[kprst6]

I was at Heinz Field yesterday and noticed a Superbowl 43 display that had a PSA/DNA game used football from the game. You could read the PSA/DNA COA and it clearly stated that the football had been authenticated by PSA/DNA to be a game used football from the game.

Why would the Steelers ever send off a game used football and pay PSA/DNA to authenticate it? Isn't it more probable that PSA/DNA could have switched out the game used football with a game issued ball and or retail replica model that never made it on the field? It's not like anyone is going to question the authenticity of the football without the PSA/DNA COA if the Steelers just put a sign saying game used football from the SB 43 victory. I trust memorabilia like this even less every time is changes hands to someone outside of the organization.

COA's like this always remind me of things like Gretzky's 1851st point puck (http://www.classicauctions.net/Defau...=61&lotid=323). You'll never really know which one was actually used in the game because some shady person switched out the real one with a puck that never touched the ice.

Do you think COA's in these types of circumstances actually lower the value and increase the potential for fake memorabilia even when it's located in the Teams stadium/arena?

[kprst6]

I guess the point I was trying to get across is... Why on earth would you need to get a Game Used item authenticated for a display when the item being displayed was used by your team and obtained directly from the team equipment manager, player, coach, etc?

Sending off the item to get it authenticated only increases the possibility that someone could switch the real one with a fake one so they can make a huge profit years from now.

It's not like fans need proof that the item was game used for an item that is on display in the teams stadium, facility, etc. and the COA doesn't make the item more authentic, it actually raises questions about the item more so than if they just took it off the field and placed it in the display case.

[rdeversole]

Maybe they are trying to prevent a situation where an employee might try to pull a switcheroo. I don't think PSA/DNA is a company to worry about - I'd worry about the Green Bay employees who may have been passed over for a ring.

[rdeversole]

oops Steelers :-)

[kprst6]

Maybe they are trying to prevent a situation where an employee might try to pull a switcheroo. I don't think PSA/DNA is a company to worry about - I'd worry about the Green Bay employees who may have been passed over for a ring.

Well that's partially my point... what if the employee that sent off the item switched it with a fake before they sent it off. PSA/DNA is notorious for authenticating items based on hearsay and would have authenticated a non game-used football as being a game-used football. The more a generic item switches hands after it was on the field, the less likely you will be able to prove the authenticity of the item. A COA seems pointless because unless the authenticator photo-matched the football, they could never really prove it's the real deal, so why even bother getting it authenticated when that just adds another level of potential for the item to get switched out for the real one.

[sctizzle]

PSA/DNA authenticates all of the Super Bowl footballs from what I have read/heard. They are on the field and collect the game balls and they are not sent away by the team for authentication. Instead of a system like MLB has, the NFL uses PSA/DNA to collect items to be sold/auctioned.

[David]

That's what I was thinking. That the NFL used PSA/DNA as a third party to handle the items at the games. As opposed to mailing the balls to PSA/DNA after the game.