Certification
With something signed, you get something unique. But how can you be sure that the signature is actually authentic?
To dispel these doubts, we, the team at autogramme.de, provide a certificate of authenticity for each item.
We offer three types of certificates of authenticity:
- Our own certification
We issue these certificates in the knowledge that we have obtained the autographs personally or from 100% reliable sources. Before we offer a signed item, our team additionally checks it for the authenticity of the signature(s) and marks it with a hologram sticker (there are some exceptions to this, such as rare documents, but in these cases the sticker is on the certificate).
- Certificates from booked autograph sessions (private signing sessions)
Stars are booked for autograph sessions. Therefore, pictures of the item being signed are usually available. Sometimes notaries are even dispatched to private signings, where they oversee each signature by a star and document and attest to its authenticity.
One of the most renowned organizers is Icons and A1 Sporting Speakers, whom we would like to briefly introduce to you:
Icons and A1 Sporting Speakers have been representing and booking the biggest stars in sports for over 20 years. They have worked with stars such as Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo, Maradona, Pele, Neymar, and Sir Bobby Charlton. We work with these suppliers and sometimes pre-order before the signing sessions take place or add items to our sales inventory after these signings.
- Certificates from Authentication company
Certification is carried out by companies that do not cooperate with us in any way. It is therefore objective and independent. As with our own certification, only authentic signatures are certified. The verification process here also goes through a complex process:
The expert examines the structure of the autograph(s) in detail.
This involves checking the type of ink or pen used. The ink or pen color may have penetrated the surface of the signed object to varying degrees, which can be compared with the object's age.
The strokes are examined in detail to determine whether the signature was applied in one piece. (Similar to handwriting analysis).
Every letter and every component of the signature is examined closely. Details considered include starts, stops, letter angles, style, and signature flow.
To prevent fraud, tools such as ProScope microscope cameras and so-called "Video Spectral Comparator" are used, which also used in forensics and which work with ultraviolet light.
For example, erased or wiped-away parts of the signature can be detected, which could have been left behind by autograph forgers and which would not be visible to the naked eye.
Authentication process:
Reputable authentication service providers employ experts and notaries who are exclusively concerned with verifying signatures and confirming this via certificates.
Items are submitted, methodically examined, and verified to ensure expert impressions are consistent. Each signature is compared against the world's largest autograph sample library, helping to confirm authenticity.Authenticators use a rating system to make the final determination of an item's authenticity. Certified items are then assigned a registration number and a tamper-evident label. Items that fail the strict certification testing standards are returned with a failure letter.
We predominantly sell items that come with the authenticity marks and documents of the market leaders to ensure that we offer 100% genuine autographs.
We would like to briefly introduce you to these authentication companies:
PSA/DNA Autograph Authentication Services:
The so-called market giant among the Authentication company that originally dedicated to grading trading cards and has now graded more than 40 million pieces with a value of more than 1 billion US dollars.
PSA/DNA is a subsidiary of PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) and describes the authentication as a 4-step process. After verification and Authentication is followed by the application of the security features, the hologram and additionally an invisible ink with synthetic “PSA/DNA structure”
You can check all items with PSA/DNA Authentication directly online using the respective ID here:
https://www.psacard.com/cert/
Beckett:
Founded in November 2016, Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) is the newest member of the Beckett Media portfolio. Since 1984, Beckett has been the industry standard for price guides, card grading, and now, with the launch of BAS, autograph authentication.
World-renowned autograph experts Steve Grad and Brian Sobrero bring their extensive experience with autographs from all genres and eras to BAS. Steve Grad is known, among other things, for his work on the TV show "Pawn Stars." They have authenticated some of the rarest and most valuable items in the industry, some of which have sold for several million dollars at auction, further testament to their expertise.
Since spring 2021, physical certificates have been replaced by a digital version. Newly verified objects are equipped with a new type of hologram that includes a unique QR code that leads directly to the Beckett online database and identifies the respective item.
You can check all items with Beckett Authentication directly online using the respective ID here:
https://www.beckett-authentication.com/verify-certificate
James Spence Authentication:
Following in his grandfather's footsteps and his father's footsteps, founder James Spence Jr. began as an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Collecting autographs became a business as he traveled the country attending major autograph conventions and buying and selling memorabilia. His passion for autographs led him to conduct extensive research and build an autograph sample library that is unparalleled in the autograph industry today. James Jr.'s reputation in the autograph world caught the attention of major auction houses across the country, who then utilized his authentication services for their upcoming auctions. Thirty years later, James Spence has earned a worldwide reputation as the world's leading autograph authenticator, providing security to the rapidly expanding community of autograph and memorabilia collectors. Today's database contains approximately 700,000 entries of genuine autographs, which serves as the basis for the authentication process.
JSA experts are booked worldwide to verify objects bearing the signature of a famous person.James Spence also issues “Signature Debut” certificates for rookies signing.
You can check all memorabilia with JSA Authentication directly online using the respective ID here:
https://www.spenceloa.com/verify-authenticity
Fanatics:
Unlike Beckett, JSA, and PSA/DNA, Fanatics Inc. is not a pure authenticator. The Jacksonville, Florida-based company is a market leader in the sale of licensed sports and merchandise, selling its goods online, and has been in the market since 1995.
The company contractually operates the e-commerce websites of all major US sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, PGA, MLS, and UFC), as well as many other well-known brands, such as Paris Saint-Germain and the US Olympic team. The authentication of every single signature on Fanatics items is managed in-house. The authentication security is also at a very high level.
You can verify all memorabilia with Fanatics Authentication online here:
https://www.fanaticsauthentic.com/verify-authenticity/x-391716+z-95228376-3107284990
You can see that we pay attention to the accuracy and transparency of our certification process!
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Your team from autogramme.de