We are always being asked how we grade cards and authenticate autographs. On this page, I will talk about some of the different tools we use everyday.
Knowledge
The most important aspect of grading and authenticating is information about the subject. We recommend to do your research. Know the card/autograph from known forgeries to authentic examples. Some books we have in our collection that we highly recommend are:
All books by Charles Hamilton; he authored numerous books on autographs, and all of them are an interesting read with a lot of great information.
Baseball Hall of Fame Autographs: A Reference Guide by Ron Keurajian. The is the best book we have found on hall of fame baseball autographs with numerous exemplars and known forgeries.
The most important aspect of grading and authenticating is information about the subject. We recommend to do your research. Know the card/autograph from known forgeries to authentic examples. Some books we have in our collection that we highly recommend are:
All books by Charles Hamilton; he authored numerous books on autographs, and all of them are an interesting read with a lot of great information.
Baseball Hall of Fame Autographs: A Reference Guide by Ron Keurajian. The is the best book we have found on hall of fame baseball autographs with numerous exemplars and known forgeries.
Exemplars
Another important aspect in grading and authenticating is to have a comparable. For trading cards, we use a collection of common cards from the same set. This allows us to compare paper, color, and cut with a genuine example. For autographs, we have built an extensive collection of authentic examples. Every autograph we have authenticated has been imaged into our database.
Another important aspect in grading and authenticating is to have a comparable. For trading cards, we use a collection of common cards from the same set. This allows us to compare paper, color, and cut with a genuine example. For autographs, we have built an extensive collection of authentic examples. Every autograph we have authenticated has been imaged into our database.
Magnification
The final important tool in grading and authentication is proper magnification. We use a variety of levels of magnification, but for the general collector, we recommend a simple 20x lighted loupe. For autographs, a ProScope digital magnifier will help to analyze the ink to detect printed/stamped signatures.
The final important tool in grading and authentication is proper magnification. We use a variety of levels of magnification, but for the general collector, we recommend a simple 20x lighted loupe. For autographs, a ProScope digital magnifier will help to analyze the ink to detect printed/stamped signatures.