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EurekaDave
06-06-2006, 02:21 PM
I have two jerseys would like auhenticated, BP jerseys for Dennis Eckersley and Jose Guillen. What is your recommendation as to the best way to have them authenticated?

sportscentury
06-06-2006, 04:07 PM
I have two jerseys would like auhenticated, BP jerseys for Dennis Eckersley and Jose Guillen. What is your recommendation as to the best way to have them authenticated?

Dave,

I'm not saying MEARS is perfect (and I don't think MEARS would say they are perfect either), but they are the only ones who offer the money back guarantee if a collector buys an item with a MEARS letter and it turns out a mistake on MEARS' part has been made. This separates them from the rest, I believe. With that said, I don't have a lot of experience with different authentication houses, so I'm sure there will be other suggestions and ideas. But the last time I needed an authentication letter, I thought of MEARS and used them with no problem. One thing is for sure - some authenticators are better than others. If you follow this site, you should have an idea as to whom falls in which category. Best of luck with your jerseys. The Eckersley jersey, in particular, sounds like a great piece.

Reid

sammy
06-06-2006, 09:14 PM
I bought a jersey with a Mastro's cert. The COA had the printed signatures of their authentication team at the bottom.

Included among these signatures was Steve Grad for the autograph, and Dave Bushing / Dan Knoll for the game used authentication.

I sent the jersey to PSA/DNA for a separate letter on the autograph. Steve Grad failed it, even though his name was one of the printed authentication team signatures.

I then contacted MEARS, whom Dave Bushing was now working for. I was told to send the item to them for a review.

Once they received it, I was called the next day and asked what I paid for the jersey. Three days later I had a full refund for the jersey and expenses from Dave Bushing.

A mistake was made somewhere, but Dave Bushing stood by his word to back everything he authenticates. Not sure if he had ever seen the jersey, being as the cert only had the printed signatures of the authenticators, but being as his name was on there as the authenticator, he stood by his word.

I would recommend MEARS above anyone else for authentication of game used items. They are as knowledgeable or more, then all the rest.

But the main reason is because they will stand behind their authentication if shown to be wrong.

By the way, there was about a two year difference between when I bought the jersey, and when it was brought to their attention.

sportscentury
06-06-2006, 10:43 PM
Sammy's example is what I'm talking about. I had a similar problem. The auction house (which will remain nameless) did not want to work with me ... they made that very clear. But Dave B., Troy, and LTC Grob took care of the situation immediately and I had my money back in a flash. It was a relief. [as a sidenote, Howard Wolf was a compelling force in all of this as he had detected some problems that were previously unnoticed]. MEARS has made mistakes (as has any authentication house), but the money back guarantee sets them apart. I should not that I'm really not into the whole authentication process, but I realize that it serves one or more purposes for a lot of folks. I should also say that the guys at MEARS are not the only ones who know a lot about game used equipment (Steinmetz, Vari, Specht, Malta, Taube, Esken, and others are also very, very knowledgeable, to be sure), so please don't misinterpret my notes as disrespectful toward other authenticators (although, clearly, there are some "authenticators" who deserve little to no respect).
Reid