Authenticator Lawsuit

How reliable are 3rd party authenticators?

clipped from www.nydailynews.com Beatles authenticator at heart of memorabilia suit Strawberry Fields is not a stadium, Penny Lane is not a bowling alley and Norwegian Wood is not a baseball bat. But the Beatles are at the heart of a lawsuit that dredges up questions about how autographed balls and other signed collectibles are authenticated in the fraud-filled world of sports memorabilia: What kind of training and experience are required to become an authenticator? Who is qualified to identify real gems in a world full of fakes and forgeries? Can an authenticator call himself objective if he also buys and sells memorabilia? Do authenticators really know what they are doing?

Brett Favre Memorabilia Will Rise

Packers will retire Favre's jersey this year...

clipped from sports.espn.go.com Packers to retire Favre's No. 4 during season opener GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers will retire Brett Favre's No. 4 during the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8. Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said the legendary quarterback's number would be retired in a ceremony at Lambeau Field during the Monday night game, which will be televised by ESPN. Favre announced his retirement earlier this year, ending a 17-year career. "The season-opening game is always an exciting event, and now we're very pleased to add the retirement of Brett's No. 4 to that evening," said Murphy. "It will make for an electric atmosphere at Lambeau Field, as well as a great opportunity for our fans around the country to share in it while watching the game on the national broadcast.

Sports Memorabilia Card Collecting

This is a great article on sports memorabilia card collecting...

clipped from www.nptelegraph.com Collecting cards is time-honored tradition For many people, collecting sports cards and other memorabilia began soon after they discovered the joys of participating in or watching sports. Over the years — and after countless pieces of thin, hard gum — shoeboxes were filled to the brim with “old” cards. Sometimes those boxes sit in attics for decades. And, sometimes they are tragically tossed out by unknowing moms the collector leaves home to seek his or her own way.

Sports Memorabilia Signed By Clemens AND McNamee!

McNamee is actually doing sports memorabilia signings tagging Clemens memorabilia that was signed by Clemens years ago. Crazy!

clipped from sports.aol.com Precious Memories: McNamee Signs, Then Sells Clemens Memorabilia on EBay If you're Brian McNamee and you've alienated all of your former baseball player friends, not to mention potentially put the President in a bit of a pardoning quagmire, you have a few options to cash in on your 15 minutes / eternity of stool-pigeoning fame. You could write horribly written tell all books and hang up on national radio shows, but that seems a little contrived and most certainly desperate. Besides, it's already been done. In articles that have appeared in at least two newspapers, Brian McNamee -- let's all say it together, 'former personal trainer for Roger Clemens turned accuser' -- is selling Clemens memorabilia he collected in happier times on eBay. A Massachusetts sports memorabilia dealer, Phil Castinetti, is handling the sales. According to the description of the items on eBay, proceeds from the sale will go to charity.

Sports Memorabilia Authentication

Authentication of sports memorabilia is vital, especially if you plan to sell it...see how its done:

clipped from www.gainesville.com On the ball with famous autographs James Spence has never signed an autograph, but no memorabilia collection is complete without his signature. Millions of dollars in autographs have been reduced to scribble because of Spence, who in recent years has become judge, jury and endorser in the autograph business. He’s handled many of sports’ rarest documents and artifacts. Owners and investors travel thousands of miles to show him a piece, hoping for his approval. They know, as do potential buyers, that it isn’t real until Spence says it is. Spence, 48, is the nation’s leading autograph authenticator. He’s handled everything from a 1923 World Series baseball bat used and signed by Babe Ruth to a signed wooden leg once attached to deceased Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck.  Wednesday, Spence was at Home Court Sports, 6450 SW Archer Road, for his first public authentication in the area. Looking for Spence’s approval, collectors traveled from as far as South Carolina to show off their items.

Sports Memorabilia Blog

Sports memorabilia is a tough item to shop for because it is very hard to tell if sports memorabilia is real or not. The best way to tell is if you know the big players in the industry and where the autograph actually come from. Here are a few good resources in the sports memorabilia industry: this is a good sports memorabilia blog and this is a great web page that is all about sports memorabilia.

Watch our blog for more resources as we find them as we'll post them here.

Stolen Sports Memorabilia In Yuma County

People love to steal sports memorabilia! Probably because the value is known even outside the sports memorabilia industry. Check out this story.

clipped from www.kswt.com YCSO Searches for Owner of Stolen Memorabilia The Yuma County Sheriff's Office is searching for the owner of some stolen sports memoriabilia.  Every day hundreds of vehicles pass through the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 8, but when agents searched a car on January 4th, they found some pretty expensive loot. "Things like autographed eight by ten glossy photographs, regular baseball cards, things from basketball, football and baseball," says Capt. Eben Bratcher with the YCSO.  The memorabilia collection also included a signed picture of basketball pro Michael Jordan. Deputies also found a gun, traces of meth, and drug paraphanelia inside the vehicle.  They arrested 26-year-old Michael Martinez and 25-year-old Clint Merrill on drug and weapons charges. In the meantime, YCSO is trying to find the owner of those expensive sports items. "We're putting it out to the media hoping that someone recognizes this and calls to report it. They may not even, at this point, know it's been stolen."