How to Get Your Autographs Certified Authentic in 2022! Expert Advice from Inscriptagraphs Memorabilia!

Are you looking to get your sports and entertainment memorabilia certified authentic in 2022? Inscriptagraphs Memorabilia will give you autograph industry expertise to help you accomplish your goal this year!

BACKGROUND. First things first, you need to know the basics of how autograph authentication works in today's autograph world, so you know how to approach the best situation that works best for you. There are 3 main types of autograph authentication that exists in the marketplace today. Witnessed Authentication, Third Party Opinion Authentication and Authentication through Contracts. We will explain to you in this informative article about the 3 types, as well as how to take advantage of each based of their provenance and how they were acquired.

The FIRST one we will discuss is first-hand THIRD PARTY OPINION AUTHENTICATION for autographs, which are legitimate companies recognized by the industry that have brand names for authentication. Currently, there are 3 that are considered very reputable heading into 2022 are James Spence Authentication (also known as JSA), Beckett Authentication Services (also known as BAS) and PSA/DNA. These 3 have been staples in the autograph authentication scene for years and continue to be the most trusted amongst collectors. Let us explain how they are generally regarded as 3rd Party Authenticators and how they may apply to you and your needs. Say you meet Sylvester Stallone at your local Starbucks and you have him sign your coffee cup. Well you know it's authentic as you are the one that got it signed in front of you with your own 2 eyes but do others know it's the real deal? Well welcome to 3rd party authentication where these 3 companies have massive exemplar bases of all sorts of authentic signatures from all sorts of figures in sports, Hollywood, music, political, science, socialites, business, e-gamers, Instagram celebs, influencers, pop culture figures, you name it. They give industry recognized, reputable opinions on what they believe to be authentic and fake autographs. Having just one of the 3 authentication companies authentication backing your item considers your autograph "the gold standard" amongst other not so well known companies doing authentication. Sure you pay more money and conveniences of getting your items authenticated might be harder but ALWAYS worth it in the long run! We here at Inscriptagraphs use all 3 companies nearly every month for our own and customers' needs, so if you ever are looking to have your items authenticated by these companies, you make sure to reach out to us to help you through the process as we are experts in dealing with all 3 companies!

Let's discuss now how WITNESSED AUTHENTICATION works. Many celebrity and athlete figures in today's 2022 world do autograph signings as a way to connect the fan closer to the famous people they adore. Many legitimate companies that conduct these autograph signings like ourselves have proper authentication processes in place, so collectors know the autographs they are receiving are the real thing. A way to do this, having representatives of that company conduct the signings right in front of the celebrity to make sure each and every autograph given on the items are actually signed by that person. Many times back in the 1980s and 1990s, companies would have sent items to that celebrity or athlete's house to get autographed on their time because schedules for them get so hectic and maybe a month later those items would go back to the companies as autographed, but really how did they know that their assistant, their mom or their landscaper didn't sign these items? It's scary as back in the day, this happened quite often. Nowadays, these companies have smartened up and said you will come to our venue on our day and at our time to make sure you are there to sign the items directly in front of us if you want to be paid for an autograph signing. This is how witnessed authentication is considered the strongest for of authentication in the industry in 2022. Many companies like our company Inscriptagraphs offer legitimate Witnessed autograph authentication for items, so do your research also to see the steps in the process and chains of custody to ensure their witnessed authentication really is legit and not "just advertised" as being so. If you have a company that offers a quality witnessed authentication program and is recognized in the industry for being so, like Inscriptagraphs, then items' overall values could also see a higher command amount in the marketplace as opposed to unknown companies and their authentication ways.

Lastly, another solid choice for authentication in the sports & entertainment memorabilia industry include authentication under the terms of contracts and affidavits. In today's landscape of the autograph industry. It has become a common element where famous faces sign exclusive autograph deals with select companies to sell and distribute their authentic signature to collectors. These famous faces enter into these agreements for a number of reasons that include:  1) large money guarantees 2) centralizing this "product" into the hands of 1 entity rather than dealing with multiple with different terms in the agreements 2) reduce confusion in the marketplace for the consumer. These factors probably hold the most weight when deciding on how to tackle a celebrity figure's direction they want to go for autographs. Because of this, you get exclusive agreements and these figures will only sign autographs commercially for that company and with that being said, authentication comes into play. Because that person only signs autographs with this company, then you can only get authentic, certified signatures from that company. These companies sign these deals using contracts where the figures guarantee 100% the autographs are legitimate and swear that they promise to provide this level of service to the company as part of the contract, or the figure could lose the contract and lawsuits start brewing. It's really not worth it to the celebrity figure to reneg on this, as they usually lose financially from the loss of not receiving those funds and also the backlash they may come with it from their fans. This type of authentication is also considered very valuable in the marketplace to items as items with the exclusive companies' authentication. An item can fetch a much heftier price as opposed to the same exact time that came with Witnessed Authentication. 

This sums up how authentication in 2022 works! Contact Inscriptagraphs Memorabilia for any of your authentication and if you need any clarity from this article, as we are happy to help as leaders and experts recognized  in the autograph industry!