Collecting Authentic Sports Autographs

In recent decades, the hobby of collecting sports memorabilia has grown quite a bit. Millions of people each year attend card shows or shop for items at souvenir shops, both online and in physical stores. The industry has grown to the point where there are unfortunately a large number of people looking to defraud collectors by offering fake items for sale. For someone who is into this hobby, collecting authentic sports autographs is really the only way you can guarantee that your items are real.

Of course, for most people, if you get an autograph in person at a stadium, arena, or even a card show, you’re pretty sure the item is real since you saw the athlete sign the items himself. However, many people in this hobby do not acquire all of their autographs this way. Sometimes the only way to get an autograph from the player you really want is to try to buy it from another outlet.

Many current players simply receive too much fan mail to offer an autograph in the mail. They may send you a form letter or card apologizing for not being able to do something more personal. However, several of these players participate in signing events for various companies who will then offer their autograph for sale.

The only way to truly know that your item is among the authentic sports autographs of these firms is to have a certificate of authenticity. This certificate provides you with documentation that the signer witnessed these items being signed on a specific date for a specific reason. This helps provide you with proof that the item you are purchasing is real.

The other thing that many companies do now is place a hologram on the item to mark it as authentic. This gives the item a specific identifying mark. If there are ever any doubts about the authenticity of the items, the hologram can reveal information that can be searched and verified to mark it as original.

If you’re thinking of starting a hobby, getting involved in the world of authentic sports autographs can be a lot of fun. You just want to make sure that if you are purchasing any items on the internet or in a store that you double check that proper proof is provided. So you don’t want to risk getting caught and having a fake item.