Autographs on Ebay

[twobrewers]

I was wondering if you a few people could chime in on their thoughts about buying autographs on Ebay.

I have a few Brewers autographs that I obtained on my own. I would love to add a few more. (Ryan Braun, Hart, JJ and YoGa in particular. Hopefully Laporta someday)

Anyways, I see a few cheap Braun autographs on Ebay. Are they any good? Or likely counterfeits? (Just looking at the seller, they sell SO much autographed memorabilia that it is likely they deal exclusively with this. Or they make tons of fakes and sell them on Ebay.)

Here are a few I am looking at right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220161350428&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250176516297&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=015

[MelGroceryStocker]

The one you listed first looks more authentic than the other ... I say that because I have Braun's sig on a few things. With that said...

 

I have purchased autos on eBay, but I only buy from a) people have a PSA authentication, or b) major dealers

 

Basically if it's not PSA, I buy from only two companies. One is Legends of the Field. Huge company, a name you can trust. They rip you off on shipping on eBay, but the auctions are still MUCH cheaper than buying the same things in their store. The other one is Mitika Sports. They have a website and they bring players in for private signings. I got a Braun ball with an inscription from there. It was $73 total. If you want something guaranteed genuine, you always have to pay a little more.

 

But seriously, would you rather spend $55 on something that could easily be fake, or $80 on something you KNOW is authentic? To me it's an easy choice, and my wallet isn't exactly the thickest around.

 

So yes, eBay is a great place to buy autos, because even the authenticated stuff is WAAAY cheaper than it is in a store. But I stay away from the generic, no-proof autos. It's just way too easy to scribble a name down and sell it on eBay. You can make a fortune doing that.

[PeaveyFury]

I've got to echo that it's either PSA for me, or officially certified (MLB holo, Card Company issued, etc).

 

Everything else for the most part is tossing a coin.

[JimH5]

I've bought some autos on eBay, and have had pretty good luck. I've never bought anything that I thought was counterfeit--though there are LOTS of bad ones on eBay. The only problem I had was resolved by the seller, when he shipped a ball that was smudged, while the picture was one that wasn't smudged. He claimed that he had two items, and only used one pic. I believed that, as we did an exchange, and I got the ball that was in the pic.

 

There are some decent sellers on eBay, you just have to find someone you trust.

[Fatter than Joey]

Everything else for the most part is tossing a coin.

 

I have been collecting autos for a long time now.

 

There are a lot of forgeries on Ebay, but there are a lot of legit dealers as well. The best advice is to be very cautious, and take some time

to learn about the hobby.

 

PSA/Certs are not surefire though -- Recently Upper Deck had a card with 4 cuts on it --Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. It ended up

that 2 of the signatures were forgeries (or claimed to have been) -- Upper Deck forged product

 

Back in the early 90s when signature cards were starting to hit the scene -- it was discovered that players were having their wife/buddies sign the cards

and send them back to the card companies.

 

Now something like Ryan Braun is very likely legit in a cert. these days, as card companies nowadays actually witness signings. There are plenty of legit signatures on Ebay -- just take your time, be patient and be aware of what you are looking for.