This item is for any signature collector or someone who wants to simply purchase an autographed copy of any item from a book, painting, historical object, photo or anything hand signed. As part of the incentive to buy, you will likely be offered a COA or Certificate of Authenticity or LOA, Letter of Authenticity. It is a document that establishes that the item is genuine. In other words, it was signed by hand. It could be a baseball signed by Mickey Mantles or a record autographed by Elvis Presley. Without one, you only have a signed item. But with it, you now have a signed article and a piece of paper. Now don’t you feel better? You do not?
There is a reason. Suppose you just spent $500 to buy an autographed photo of John Wayne on eBay. The dealer or seller explains that they get their autographs from other reputable dealers and they issued the COAs. Let’s just say it came from Honest-To-Goodness Collectibles of El Paso, Texas. They have a PO box as an address. The COA says they guarantee the photo is hand-signed and genuine for life. Sounds pretty good right? Mistaken! Let’s look at that again. A PO Box is not really an address. And they say it was signed by hand, but by whom? John Wayne or the store owner? Finally, a lifetime warranty refers to whose life? What if you find out it’s fake? Who are you going to call? Autograph hunters?
See my point. This pretty piece of paper that can be created in seconds on any computer is a security blanket with many loopholes. As someone who has been taken advantage of in the past, let me explain the facts of life for any autograph collector. This is a real example. I bought a signed item a while back with a COA. After doing some of my own research online, I became convinced that the signature was fake. I called the company that issued the COA and this is what happened.
Me: The signature is fake and I want my money back.
Them: Can you prove it?
Me: Yes, I have an opinion from a reputable forensics group.
Them: Is it in writing?
I do.
Them: Is it from one of our renowned experts?
Me: You mean you have your own list of experts?
Them: Yes, and it has to be one of ours. It has to be in writing and it has to state that they are one hundred percent sure that it is not real and that they could state that fact in a court of law.
Me: Nobody would do that. No one could be sure of anything unless they saw it personally signed.
Them: Exactly. So unless you have conclusive proof that it wasn’t signed by the celebrity in question, we don’t have to do anything. And have a nice day.
That was the conversation. I would imagine any other company issuing COAs would take the same approach. You must be able to prove beyond a doubt that the signature is false. However, no one can guarantee that an autograph is real unless it has been witnessed in person. Thus, the burden of proof is lifted from the COA issuer and placed squarely on the buyer’s shoulders. The same is true for a Picasso painting or an original phonograph built by Thomas Edison. The guarantee of authenticity is only as good as the reputation of the original seller or issuer. That’s not to say that all COAs are worthless, but it’s like the US dollar. When it was backed by gold, it was solid. Now that it’s backed by a Federal Reserve pledge, its value is now based on the financial condition of the US and that can be good or bad, at any given time.
So, a word to the wise: do your own homework on the article and sign up first. Then make sure the item is priced fairly. For example, an original Neil Armstrong moonwalker signature for twenty dollars is an obvious forgery considering his signature can be worth thousands. Then assume that the COA is completely useless, no matter whose it is, because even “experts” make mistakes all the time, both for and against autographs. So buy it because it’s great to own and not as an investment. Because, in the future, you may find out that you are not what you seem to be, and that will be a pretty sad day for you. But it’s also a fact of life in the autograph game. Hope this helps and happy collecting!