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How reliable is the PSA/DNA "Quick Opinion" service on eBay?

AccordAccord Posts: 7
in Autographs Forum
I have found perhaps the holy grail of autographed baseball memorabilia on eBay, the person selling it made numerous spelling mistakes in both the title of the auction and the description and also listed it in the wrong category so not too many people will see it even if they search for it, so I potentially can get this for very cheap.

I just spent the 7 bucks or however much it costs for the PSA/DNA quick opinion service and no more than 20 minutes later I received an e-mail from PSA/DNA with the result that after inspecting the auction they have found the item to be "Likely Genuine".

I'm prepared to spend big money on this item if I have to, and PSA/DNA considers it to be "Likely Genuine" but I don't want to buy this, send it to PSA/DNA and then have them tell me it's a fake.

So my question is, how reliable is the PSA/DNA Quick Opinion service on eBay? Has anyone ever received a "Likely Genuine" response and then submitted it to PSA/DNA only to find that it was fake and the quick opinion service was wrong?

I think I may call PSA/DNA tomorrow and ask them about this.

Thanks a lot

Comments

  • magikbillymagikbilly Posts: 6,780 ✭
    Be Careful! PM me if you like.

    Billy
  • magikbillymagikbilly Posts: 6,780 ✭
    Hi,
    "Holy Grail on eBay" is not a good sign. Would you list such a wonderful item in the wrong category? That with the fact that perhaps 94% of most desirable sports autographs sold online are forgeries makes me wary and I don't even know what you are buying. What are this sellers other auctions - more incredible deals? Is his feedback inflated artificially? Is the opening bid reasonable for what it purports to be? Do you think the signature is genuine? Do you have 10-15 known genuine exemplars of this signature to examine along with the item for sale? If the answers to these questions are "I don't know" or "no" and the info below is a surprise you probably should stop buying and start educating yourself as you will most certainly wind up losing money along the line, if not in this sale.

    Even if you spend the $$$ for a full PSA/DNA evaluation (very, very different than the quickie opinion) nothing is guaranteed - and I quote from the site:

    "Q: Do you guarantee that the autographs you certify are genuine and those you do not are fake?

    A: No. We do not guarantee autographs under the Vintage Certified program. By using this program, you are paying for the opinion of the top experts in the world, using state-of-the-art examination tools and techniques."

    That is why I say 2 things:

    "read before you bleed" and "it's not a deal if it's not real"

    Best wishes and PM me if you want my opinion of this seller/auction/signature (I don't go NEAR sports as so much is bad (so I won't steal your "find"), but I will give my opinion for free as I always do) image

    Billy



  • AccordAccord Posts: 7
    The guy has been registered on eBay for something like 5 years, but only has a feedback rating of 3 and hasn't made an ebay transaction in something along the lines of 2 years, this is the first item he has ever listed. I do believe the signature is real, after examining the signature myself and comparing it with 100% genuine signatures from the same athlete, there are little nuances that I noticed he always signed and these nuances are present on the item i'm looking at. The signature is SLIGHTLY faded and on a small piece of paper that looks very old.

    It's almost as if the guy is totally clueless as to what he is selling, I sent a question asking if there is any sort of money back guarantee if it fails PSA authentication and he replied telling me that he is 73 years old and obtained this autograph in person when he was 12 years old... since he claims to be 73 he's probably not very good with computers which explains why it's in the wrong category and whatnot.

    Thanks a lot!
  • magikbillymagikbilly Posts: 6,780 ✭


    << <i>The guy has been registered on eBay for something like 5 years, but only has a feedback rating of 3 and hasn't made an ebay transaction in something along the lines of 2 years, this is the first item he has ever listed. I do believe the signature is real, after examining the signature myself and comparing it with 100% genuine signatures from the same athlete, there are little nuances that I noticed he always signed and these nuances are present on the item i'm looking at. The signature is SLIGHTLY faded and on a small piece of paper that looks very old.

    It's almost as if the guy is totally clueless as to what he is selling, I sent a question asking if there is any sort of money back guarantee if it fails PSA authentication and he replied telling me that he is 73 years old and obtained this autograph in person when he was 12 years old... since he claims to be 73 he's probably not very good with computers which explains why it's in the wrong category and whatnot.

    Thanks a lot! >>



    Hi,
    so the guy has 3 feedbacks in 5 years, no transactions for 2 years and this is his first auction. He claims to be clueless and 73 years old and is giving the "in person story" and no return policy? His story me be true or not - anything is possible - but I would not bid heavily to find out. I assume you know that the vast amount of forgeries of vintage items like this occur as slighlty faded signatures on cuts on small bits of old paper which you can get in any library. How long have you been studying and collecting this signature? "Nuances" can range from the subtle authentic pressure change or loop to absurd characteristics placed specifically to fool a novice by a forger. If you PM me I would gladly have a look at the signature and give you my opinion. From what you stated in both posts this sounds likely to be a forgery, but anything is possible (something sellers rely on buyers thinking BTW). That PSA/DNA said perhaps for $7 would not be enough for me to feel comfy bidding strongly. Google and try Richard Simon in NYC - he will render an opinion for a fee from a good scan and he has credentials that are impeccable - I know of no better person to ask. The opening bid - is it anywhere near the value of the item? Is there a reserve?

    Good luck!
    Billy
  • magikbillymagikbilly Posts: 6,780 ✭
    Hi,

    I hope you post some pics of this item after the auction ends. Did you seek any further opinions? Did the seller give a return policy in writing and a receipt?

    Best,
    Billy
  • AccordAccord Posts: 7
    He e-mailed me and said that I can get a refund if it fails PSA/DNA authentication. He also gave me his phone number and I talked to him for about 30 minutes regarding the item and just baseball in general, he really is 73 years old. I am completely confident that this is the real deal. The auction ends tomorrow and i'll be sure to post the link to it and also pics of the item as soon as I win it image.
  • magikbillymagikbilly Posts: 6,780 ✭
    Hi,
    well - good luck! I am always concerned with eBay autograph transactions (esp sports) - only because I have seen so many people get ripped off. I hope your item is indeed authentic image my interest was and is only trying to help protect collectors, nothing more.

    Best and good luck with your auction,
    Magikbilly
  • magikbillymagikbilly Posts: 6,780 ✭
    ???
  • AccordAccord Posts: 7
    Well it turns out that I lost the auction, too bad some other people were had the same idea as me image. Here it is... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5171023790

    I'm kind of glad I lost the auction though, because I then went and used that same money to buy this, an item already authenticated by PSA/DNA... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5171388108
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