FBI: Over 70% of Autographed Memorabilia Sold Online Fake

FBI: Over 70% of Autographed Memorabilia Sold Online Fake

salbandoautos 300x222The practice of forging and selling fake autographs online has began to reach epidemic proportions.  A quick search for Sports Memorabilia on ebay will bring up thousands - if not tens of thousands - examples of just how pervasive the problem is.  Recently, the FBI released a report that indicated more then 70% of Autographed Memorabilia sold online was fake!  So just what is a collector to do in order to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous memorabilia dealers?

Enter the Autograph Authentication Companies.  The best known Authenticators of Autographed Sports Memorabilia and Sports Cards are PSA, Beckett Grading, James Spence Authentication and GAI.  All of these companies charge a hefty fee to analyze and certify even the smallest piece of Sports Memorabilia.  But what are you really getting from these companies?  Fox News recently did an undercover investigation at a Sports Card Show in Chicago to find out for themselves. This is a video that every Sports Memorabilia Collector needs to see for themselves.

About the Author


Mike Smeth is the Owner of The Cardboard Connection. After collecting baseball cards for much of his youth, he took a 12-year hiatus from the hobby. One muggy summer day in 2006 he unexpectedly came across his childhood baseball card collection while packing up for an upcoming move. With every intention of selling them on Craigslist, Mike set the cards aside and began sorting through them to list. Somewhere between the 3rd and 4th box, he rediscovered his passion for collecting sports cards and memorabilia, and hasn't looked back since.

Leave a Comment: