certification
When you get something signed, you get something unique. But how can you be sure that the signature is actually genuine?
To dispel these doubts, we, the team at autogramme.de, provide a certificate of authenticity for each item.
There are 3 types of certificates of authenticity in our range:
- 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 also 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, there are usually pictures of the item being signed. Sometimes notaries are even sent to private signings, where they accompany each individual signature by a star and document and attest to its authenticity.
One of the most well-known 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 sport 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 providers and sometimes book pre-orders before the signing sessions take place or add items to our sales inventory after these signings.
- certificates from authentication companies
The certification is carried out by companies that do not work with us in any way. It is therefore objective and independent. As with our own certification, only genuine signatures are certified. The verification here also goes through a complex process:
The expert examines the structure of the autograph or autographs in detail.
The type of ink or pen used is checked. Ink or pen color may have penetrated the surface of the signed object to different depths, which can be compared with the age of the object.
The line work is examined in detail. Here you can see whether the signature was applied in one piece (similar to handwriting analysis).
Every letter and component of the signature is closely examined. Details considered include starts, stops, letter angles, style and signature flow.
To rule out attempts at fraud, tools such as ProScope microscope cameras and so-called "Video Spectral Comparators" are used, which are also used in forensics and work with ultraviolet light.
For example, erased or wiped-away parts of the signature can be identified, which could have been left by autograph forgers and which would not be visible to the naked eye.
Authentication process:
Reputable authentication service providers employ experts and notaries who deal exclusively with the verification of signatures and also confirm this via certificates.
Items are sent in, methodically examined and verified to ensure expert impressions match. Each signature is compared to the world's largest autograph sample library, which helps confirm authenticity. Authenticators use a grading system for the final determination of an item's authenticity. Certified items are then given a registration number and an authenticity label. Items that do not meet the rigorous inspection standards for certification are returned with a failure letter.
We predominantly sell items that come with the authenticity features and documents from 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 authentication companies, which was 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 authentication as a 4-step process. After verification and authentication, the security features, the hologram and an invisible ink with a synthetic "PSA/DNA structure" are applied.
You can check all items with PSA/DNA Authentication directly online using the respective ID here:
https://www.psacard.com/cert/
Beckett:
Launched in November 2016, Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) is the newest addition to 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 many years of experience with autographs from all genres and eras to the BAS. Steve Grad is known, among other things, from the TV show "Pawn Stars". They have authenticated some of the rarest and most valuable items in the industry, some of which have been auctioned for several million dollars, another 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 an individual QR code that leads directly to the Beckett online database and identifies the respective article.
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 the footsteps of his grandfather and father, founder James Spence Jr. began as an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Autograph collecting became a business as he traveled the country attending major conventions and buying and selling memorabilia. His passion for autographs led him to conduct extensive research and build an autograph sample library that is unmatched 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 began using 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 vastly expanded scene of autograph and memorabilia collectors. Today's database includes approximately 700,000 entries of genuine autographs, which serves as the basis of the authentication process.
The JSA experts are booked worldwide to verify objects that bear the signature of a famous person. James Spence also issues "Signature Debut" certificates for signings by rookies.
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 company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a market leader in the sale of licensed sports and merchandise and sells its goods online and has been on 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 addresses, such as Paris Saint-Germain or the US Olympic team. The authentication of every single signature on Fanatics items is organized in-house. The security of the authentication 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 approach to certification!
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Your team from autogramme.de