BEWARE

OF DEALERS WHO ALSO DO AUTHENTICATIONS & OTHER SO-CALLED UNQUALIFIED &/OR INACCURATE EXAMINERS

It is logical and expected for autograph dealers to examine and attempt to authenticate merchandise they are buying for future resale, after all this has been done for years.

It is illogical and unethical, If not deemed illegal, for any dealer to examine, for a fee, any of their competitors autographs. Just think of the possible everyday occurrence that could lead to the impropriety where your Babe Ruth autograph is deemed to be not authentic but they just happen to have an authentic one for you at thousands of dollars of profit to them; or do they down grade it and offer you a fraction of what it is worth? Does a diamond dealer take his diamonds to one of his competitors for grading and appraisal? Does Ford submit a Mustang for road testing to GM? Would you submit your autographs, for examination, to one of your competitors? Of course not, it would be ludicrous!

THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS MIND BOGGLING FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE!

Even today, politicians are not allowed to vote or be involved in legislation in which they have a vested interest.

If they buy & sell and also conduct authentications on their competitors autographs there is nothing stopping them from taking over your customers and putting you out of business! WHY NOT? Over time the autographs in their inventory will be worth even more than market price. After all, only they have the real thing, right?

If you make a legitimate living selling autographs and/or historical documents, or are just a collector, you must be aware of the realities of the situation.

Remember an autograph dealer that also does authentication work is not an independent 3rd party. There is a definite conflict of interest that cannot be denied!

It is your money, ask them these questions. Can they answer ALL of these correctly, honestly and can prove it?

WHICH CATEGORIES DOES YOUR AUTHENTICATION COMPANY FALL UNDER?

Do they sell autographs and COMPETE with your business? You have to be either a dealer or an examiner. YOU CANNOT DO BOTH, JUST AS A JUDGE DOESN'T PRACTICE LAW OR ACCEPT CASES.
Do they SELL autographs under ONE company name but AUTHENTICATE under another with the SAME owner(s)?
Do they LIBEL Forensic Document Examiners without differentiating the good ones from the few bad ones? NOTICE HOW THEY LIKE TO MENTION PAST ERRORS BY THE UNETHICAL- INACCURATE SO-CALLED OR SELF PROCLAIMED EXAMINERS BUT DO NOT MENTION THE ETHICAL OR QUALIFIED FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINERS. YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHY AND WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO GAIN?
Does a dealer conduct authentications at trade shows WITHOUT the use of an exemplar library, laboratory or proper time and also sells autographs out of their own sellers-booth? THEY ARE MAKING MONEY AT BOTH ENDS, WHICH, OF COURSE, IS AT THE VERY LEAST UNETHICAL.
Do they have an EXTENSIVE exemplar library, not just on baseball autographs, but ALL other sports, celebrity and historical?
Do they CONSULT with other dealer-authenticators on autographs to reach an opinion? This has never been ethical and is outright COLLUSION. Examinations must be performed independently, as has always been done.
Do they have a PROPER laboratory to conduct high-magnification, ultra-violet, infrared or other scientific techniques for their examinations?
Do they have in their library, not just autograph books & signature facsimiles but books from the questioned document legends, i.e., Osborn, Hilton, Harrison, Wigmore, Conway, Sudak or even Hamilton, etc.?
Have they been deemed Board Certified by any of the top Forensic Examiner groups and can also prove they deserve to stay there?
DO THEY EMBELLISH OR MISREPRESENT THEIR CREDENTIALS? DO THEY STATE THEY ARE CERTIFIED IN FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION WHEN THEY ONLY TOOK A FEW MAIL ORDER LESSONS? OUR EXAMINERS FULL CREDENTIALS ARE CLEARLY SPELLED OUT ON THIS WEB SITE.
(SEE OUR EXAMINER'S ICON)
Are they members of the autograph dealer/collector associations, such as the UACC, IACC/DA or the Manuscript Society. Though these are excellent dealer/collector groups, they do NOT, in any way, train or qualify you as an independent and accurate Forensic Document Examiner.
Have they ever APPRENTICED under a qualified examiner?
Have they ever been deemed Court Qualified as an EXPERT by a Judge
and if so how many times? NONE, ONCE, TWICE? A.A.U.HAS BEEN COURT QUALIFIED MULTIPLE TIMES.
Have they taken ANY examinations, either written or verbal, by a qualified examiner and not just beginners lessons that were mailed to them?
Will it take them 20 or even 30 days to render a conclusion and mail back your merchandise?
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A 10 WORKING DAY TURNAROUND!
Do they use ANY scientific methodology in rendering an opinion OR DO THEY USE THEIR INTUITION? INTUITION IS NOT ACCEPTED IN A COURT OF LAW.
DO THEY CONDUCT EXAMINATIONS BY MEMORY AND NOT BY THE TIME TESTED SCIENCE OF COMPARING QUESTIONED SIGNATURES, SIDE BY SIDE,TO KNOWN SIGNATURES?
Will they REFUND your money on an autograph if they do not have the proper exemplars for an individual and the proper time period of the autograph?

Do they have qualified examiners on staff?
Do they have their laboratory and exemplar library on the PREMISES?
Have they ever been retained as an EXPERT by Federal or State Government Agencies.
You must be aware that being a witness in a court action does NOT make you an expert witness that has been qualified by a judge. A.A.U is COURT QUALIFIED, AS EXPERTS.
Do they make ridiculous & empty CLAIMS about their experience? BEING AN AUTOGRAPH DEALER FOR 10 OR 15 YEARS DOESN'T MAKE YOU A TRAINED, INDEPENDENT & ACCURATE 3RD PARTY FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINER.
DO THEY REACH AN OPINION OR CONCLUSION BASED UPON WHO THEIR CUSTOMER IS? A.A.U. isOBJECTIVE AS EACH SIGNATURE MUST STAND ON ITS OWN, NO MATTER WHO OUR CUSTOMER IS.
ARE THEIR CREDENTIALS OR C.V.'S PUT OUT LIKE A PRESS RELEASE AND IN AN UNPROFESSIONAL FORMAT?
HAVE THEY TAUGHT OR CONDUCTED LECTURES ON THIS DISCIPLINE?
Were they credentialed in the past as a Forensic Document Examiner, yet
are now disgraced and out of business? ( AT A.A.U, WE ARE NOW THE OLDEST FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION COMPANY IN THE NATION DEDICATED TO THE EXAMINATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF SPORTS, CELEBRITY AND AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS!)

ALSO REMEMBER, AS THERE ARE GOOD LAWYERS AND BAD LAWYERS, THE SAME IS TRUE ABOUT FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINERS

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IT ALL COMES DOWN TO HOW WE CONDUCT BUSINESS VS. HOW THEY DO.

DO THEY CLAIM TO BE A FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINER, YET CAN'T ANSWER ALL OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS CORRECTLY OR HONESTLY?

At A.A.U. we conduct ourselves in a professional manner. We take one autograph at a time and do not play favorites. We conduct our business in an ethical manner.

A.A.U. THE FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION COMPANY

A.A.U. THE FINAL CHOICE!