(Mark McGwire) This passed PSA/DNA and this (mine) failed the Quick Opinion?

frankhardy

Here's the story. I recently become met and have become good friends with a friend of Ozzie Smith (did you get all of that?). I know that may sound a little corny, but it's true. He has personally known Ozzie for several years. He has even promoted him at shows and different speaking engagements. I recently got to see this some of this man's personal collection with tons of Ozzie Smith memorabilia. He showed me personal checks from Ozzie to him. I may even get to meet Ozzie through him. We plan on trying to get Ozzie in for a card show that we may promote. He hasn't done it in a few years because his wife has been ill, but we are in the planning stages, but I digress. After we met, he told me that he has been wanting to thin out some of his collection and agreed to sell me some things very reasonable. He even has some "one of a kind" things that he is going to let me sell for him just to sort of test out.

Anyway, I bought a few items from him the other day. One of those items is a Mark McGwire single signed baseball. He obtained this through Ozzie Smith during the 1998 season. After I got the ball home, I wanted to see about the prospects of getting it authenticated at PSA/DNA. I found out that McGwire is $50. So, rather than spend the $50 at the beginning, I thought, let's just see about listing it on Ebay and getting a PSA/DNA Quick Opinion. Then, I will send it on to PSA/DNA.

Well, I did that yesterday. I was not too happy when it came back "Likely NOT Genuine."

Now, after that long story, here is my question. How did the following card pass PSA/DNA while my baseball failed the Quick Opinion? Be sure and check the auction of the ball below mine to compare it as well.


McGwire PSA/DNA card


My baseball



















Now compare my baseball to this one that passed PSA/DNA. I think mine looks just as good.

PSA/DNA ball

leathtech

wow I can't even tell that's McGwire's sig... It looks like yours he might have taken more time to sign. The card looks just like he scribbled on it. On the ball his name has nice round letters while the card is very sloppy and straight. If McGwire always signs like he did on the card I could see why they would question the ball.

baseballfanatic

Hate to say it but I agree with PSA DNA.
Marks M usually looks like a W at first glance....

Ironmanfan

Sorry..it's a forgery

frankhardy

<< <i>Hate to say it but I agree with PSA DNA.
Marks M usually looks like a W at first glance.... >>



If you look at the "M" in McGwire, it does look like a "W".

Plus, signatures do vary. I have a really hard time thinking this is a forgery knowing where it came from.

Ironmanfan

<< <i>

<< <i>Hate to say it but I agree with PSA DNA.
Marks M usually looks like a W at first glance.... >>



If you look at the "M" in McGwire, it does look like a "W".

Plus, signatures do vary. I have a really hard time thinking this is a forgery knowing where it came from. >>



Then why did you post this and solicit opinions?

frankhardy

This one passed????

McGwire

frankhardy

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>Hate to say it but I agree with PSA DNA.
Marks M usually looks like a W at first glance.... >>



If you look at the "M" in McGwire, it does look like a "W".

Plus, signatures do vary. I have a really hard time thinking this is a forgery knowing where it came from. >>



Then why did you post this and solicit opinions? >>



Come on. I'm not trying to get into an argument. I'm just trying to make some sense of it have a discussion, and get several opinions.

frankhardy

This one?

McGwire ???

frankhardy

This one passed?

McGwire auto



My point in posting all of these is to show that signatures vary greatly. If I send it in to PSA/DNA will they give it a more extensive examination than the Quick Opinion, or is the Quick Opinion almost always right? Anyone with experience with this want to chime in?

leathtech

None of the ebay sigs really look like yours.

But I bet if you pay PSA/DNA the $50 bucks to authenticate it would come back fine.

jimq112

Just my opinion but I've sent things to psa that were signed in front of me and they were rejected, I've seen obvious fakes authenticated. It's part of the authenticating business that you get most of them right and a few slip through the cracks.

Can't answer about the quick opinion, never used it.

Maybe on your signed baseball they went with the start/stop on the right hand side. If I sign my name to a ball I sign like I usually do and don't start/stop in an odd place. It looks like whoever signed your ball stopped and started a lot.

I hope yours is authentic and that your new friend didn't try to slip one past you.

Ironmanfan

I think you have to understand that the authenticity of a signature has to "stand on it's own two feet," regardless of the story behind it. A good story does not make a bad autograph good.

ebayaddict

That sucks..........i feel your pain, some get through that look like crap and the ones you think look better get rejected.....i had a Bonds auto get kicked to the curb last summer.

frankhardy

<< <i>I think you have to understand that the authenticity of a signature has to "stand on it's own two feet," regardless of the story behind it. A good story does not make a bad autograph good. >>



I understand that. However, as one posted just said, he has had signatures rejected that were signed right in front of him. I guess we would all agree that it is not an exact science. Even if you have something that you know is authentic, you still want the "experts' " approval.

TheMcgwireMuseum

Shane I hate to say it but yours is 100% fake. The others that are PSA/DNA are all real. Ive looked for a fake sig that has been authenticated by PSA/DNA, but so far have only found 1, and it wasnt a forgery, it was rubber stamped. The reason the other ones look different are because they are all from different eras. Mark changed his sig a couple times throughout his career. Yours is an attempt at his later 'Cardinals' sig and there are a couple things wrong with it. Hope I helped but sorry about the bad news.

BobaFett72

the authenticators sometimes seem to have graduated from the Helen Keller school of fine arts and grading techniques.
i have no doubt that a high percentage of stuff incapsulated as authentic is bogus and an equal number that are submitted and rejected are 100% authentic.

ripkenintheminors

Not to rain on the parade but I've met Ozzie twice. He was a jerk on both occasions.

WinPitcher

Unless an item is signed in front of me I have no desire to own any autos. With that said I have no idea if yours is real or not.


The FBI has stated that up to 75% of autos are fakes.


Steve

MuckyMutt

<< <i> I guess we would all agree that it is not an exact science. Even if you have something that you know is authentic, you still want the "experts' " approval. >>



No. Actually opinions are an exact science. That's why we all have one.

I'm sure we see the same inconsistency in authenticating autographs as we see in grading cards. How many cards are resubmitted for a better grade; how many autos are resubmitted because they are real. PSA makes more money that way. What's the mystery???

Ahmanfan

there are so many variables with autographs, I'd imagine it's pretty much a guessing game at psa/dna.

frankhardy

Thanks for all the input, guys. I do know that he would give me a refund, or let me pick out some more stuff if I told him that it did not pass inspection. He is just that kind of a guy, so not all is lost. Even still, I won't be looking forward to telling him that it might not be a real signature.

rube26105

<there are so many variables with autographs, I'd imagine it's pretty much a guessing game at psa/dna>


excatly, depending on mood,speed,all kinds of stuff these so called experts you are sending it to,you are just paying for someones opinion anyways,if a news reporter can get one past james spence,im not real impressed with the whle system myself,if i owned the system, i would love it

DrJ

Ball looks fake, but if PSA says it is real then I guess it is.....real.

J

frankhardy

I do value the opinion of this forum. Thanks for all of the input even though it was not what I wanted to hear. I guess the truth hurts sometimes.

While I'm at it, I might as well bring this one to your attention to get your opinion on this one. I will also start another thread about this one in guess the people who have previously posted in this thread have stopped looking.

What are your objective thoughts on this one?

ripkenintheminors

I've never seen a McGwire sig where the tail draws back like that one does.