How To Avoid Buying Fake Autographs On eBay
How To Avoid Buying Fake Autographs On eBay
Collecting autographs is a really fun and rewarding hobby but to keep it fun you need to take a few precautions. Unfortunately there are a lot of fraudsters out there looking to make some quick and easy money by ripping off genuine collectors. However, if you follow these simple tips and spend some time educating yourself before bidding then you can be successful when purchasing autographs online. Of course, you don't want to part with your hard-earned cash just to be disappointed with a fake so make sure you are always on your guard and soon you will become wise to fraudsters!
Firstly you need to educate yourself about all things memorabilia related. When you are buying on eBay make sure that you read the auction description completely and be on the lookout for words like preprint', reprint' or copy.' These phrases are basically saying that the item is not authentic and there are many sellers of these illegal duplicates on eBay, so don't be fooled!
Do your research before buying. Make sure you are familiar with autograph collecting websites for helpful hints and tips. Join collecting forums so you can ask professional collectors lots of questions and get some sound advice. You might want to buy a book or two on autograph collecting just to try and make sure that you don't get caught out by fraudsters.
Most items of memorabilia will come with a Certificate of Authenticity but it is not as simple as to take this documentation as official. It is very easy to mock up a COA at home and many fraudsters do so to trick collectors into buying their products. Of course there are some exceptions to the rule but you need to learn to keep your wits about you. The credibility of the dealer is usually what makes the item legitimate or not therefore make sure you check through the history of the dealer and any comments that other collectors have written about the quality of the service on the seller feedback feature. If you have any questions then do not hesitate the get in contact with the seller as an honest seller will have nothing to hide and should be happy to answer any of your queries.
Beware of low prices autographs; always remember if an item seems too good to be true then it probably is! Also beware of items being sold in bulk for low prices as this may be a sign that a seller is looking to get rid of items quickly.
Once you feel you have protected yourself as much as possible you may decide to go ahead with the purchase. Once the item arrives you will want to analyse the autograph to make sure that it is not a preprint. You can do this with photographs by holding it at an angle to a bight light. An authentic ink signature will be on the top of the photo whilst a pre-printed autograph will reflect exactly the same as the photo and will look as though it is actually part of the photo.
You will need to think about the age of the autograph and what was used to draw the signature. For example, any autograph that dates back to before 1960 will be in pencil or pen.
Finally, if you are still unsure then use an authentication service. PSA/DNA will do this for you and will give you their opinion on the possible authenticity of the item for a small fee.
If you don't want to have to worry about whether or not your memorabilia is authentic then try buying from Genuine Memorabilia. Unlike eBay where anyone can sign up to the site, post a few pictures and become an autograph seller Genuine Memorabilia only features 100% authentic pieces of memorabilia. That way you know you'll never be disappointed! For more information click here!