One of the most popular things people like to collect is sports memorabilia, mainly autographs from famous athletes. If you have an item that features the mark of a famous athlete, you might have wondered whether or not the autograph was the genuine article. Consider the following signs that you possess an authentic signature from your favorite athlete.
The Signed Item Matches the Period
There are things that you can do to tell if an autograph is genuine just by looking at the kind of item that the mark is on. For instance, if you have quality wood baseball bats signed by an athlete that played during a time when wooden bats were the only kind of bats being used in professional baseball, it is a good indication that you have a genuine autograph. However, if you have a bat manufactured after the athlete who signed it has passed away, you have a fake signature. It may seem trivial to look for different things such as the material of something or the date that the item was manufactured, but it goes a long way to ensuring the authenticity of the autograph.
The Item Has Already Been Authenticated
One of the best things that you can ask for when it comes to acquiring an autographed item is a certificate of authenticity. A certificate of authenticity shows that the item it comes with has already gone through the rigamarole of being authenticated, which means there is very little doubt that the autograph is genuine. However, you need to be careful when you are looking at authenticated items. Some people might try to fake a certificate of authenticity if they know enough about what they are supposed to look like, so you need to make sure that whatever item you have your eyes on comes with an official, legitimate certificate of authentication.
The Sellers are Vetted and Official
There are a lot of people and companies who market sports memorabilia, and though not all of them sell autographed items, there are a lot of people who will sell them on various platforms. However, this means that there is potential for a lot of scams and a lot of fraud, especially given the lucrative nature of the sale of autographed items. If you are going to buy something from a seller, especially if you are not well acquainted with that seller, you need to make sure that the seller has been vetted. If you do not feel comfortable with buying from a third-party seller, you can always purchase something from an official affiliate with the national brand of the applicable sport.
You Received the Autograph Personally
Another great way to indicate that an autograph is the real deal is to receive the autograph personally. If you are at a football game, and you get your football signed by your favorite team right after the game, there is no question that all of the autographs on the football are genuine. However, that does not mean that everyone is going to believe that you possess authentic autographs.
Something that would help the credibility of the authenticity is to have a picture of yourself and the athlete or athletes that signed the autographed item, with you holding the item up for the camera. Another thing you can do is get your certificate of authenticity. While authenticating it might seem redundant when you were there personally, it will help prevent any argument against the authenticity of your autograph going forward, especially if you plan to pass the autographed memorabilia to your children or grandchildren.
It can be a point of pride to be the owner of a piece of signed sports memorabilia, but it is even better when you know for sure that the signature is genuine. Keep these signs in mind and only select the best-authenticated items to collect and display so you do not run into any issues with authenticity.
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