|
Author
|
Topic: Certifying astronaut autographs before buying
|
CMikeW
Member Posts: 89
From: United States
Registered: Apr 2013
|
posted 02-25-2016 06:53 PM
  
I'm about to purchase a couple of signed Apollo crew pictures. I'm familiar with the printed photo lithos and autopens. I've got a couple of other photos to check these against, but do I really need to get these checked by PSA? Or should I just go with my experience and gut? A quick scan of the information on the net shows that all of the authenticating services have made errors, some pretty egregious, so is it worth the extra expense to of getting the photos certified? |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 02-25-2016 06:58 PM
Post them here for opinions, that is the way I'd go. |
capoetc
Member Posts: 2169
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
|
posted 02-25-2016 09:36 PM
If the items are very rare and valuable (i.e. Mercury 7 item signed by all seven, Apollo 11 crew signed litho), then for insurance purposes and for eventual sale by you or your heirs it is not a bad idea to get the items professionally reviewed. For modern signed items, a simple opinion here is likely sufficient. If you decide to buy any flown items, keep in mind that the provenance is absolutely vital. If you do not have proof that the item was flown, then in my opinion it should be treated as unflown. For what its worth, I would steer clear of PSA — space program items are not their specialty, and they have been known on numerous occasions to make egregious errors. Also, they place their hologram sticker on everything which, in my opinion, devalues the item. If you need to have a signature authenticated, I strongly recommend Steve Zarelli. He has an excellent website and he has the knowledge and experience to give you confidence in an item's authenticity. Also, should you ever decide to sell an item authenticated by Steve, I don't think anyone in the community will balk at an item that Steve has authenticated. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1193
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
|
posted 02-26-2016 03:23 AM
I second capoetc on recommending Steve Zarelli. If you want the world expert, he's your man. |
woodg2
Member Posts: 133
From: Madison AL
Registered: Feb 2010
|
posted 02-26-2016 05:04 AM
I agree with your comments on Steve's service. I used it a few months ago and it saved me from a $400+ mistake! |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1205
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 02-26-2016 06:48 PM
I would also contact Ken Havekotte for opinions. He is a member of collectSPACE. |
Steve Zarelli
Member Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 02-26-2016 07:11 PM
Thanks for the kind words, folks. Much appreciated.  |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 02-26-2016 11:44 PM
I missed that certification issue. Yes, you can ask for comments here, but Steve's opinion is one you not lightly dismiss. An expert of the first order. |
liftoff1
Member Posts: 235
From: Cumberland, Wisconsin
Registered: Aug 2001
|
posted 02-27-2016 07:50 AM
Steve has prevented me from making a costly mistake on more than one occasion. He offers prompt and easy service, a great COA, and is recognized as the "Go-To- guy in space autograph authentication. |
advertisement