Certificates of Authenticity - What YOU need to know!

Interesting things Certificates of Authenticity!

It seems everyone has a view on their value and relevance.

A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is an official document stating an item is genuine and authentic.

A COA is not legally binding. There are no universal standards for a COA.

There are however some key features that an astute buyer will look for.

The seller credentials are very important. The best reflection of a sellers credentials are a transparent display of buyer feedback, company history generally via a website and the longevity of the company and its key staff in the autograph and memorabilia business.

The COA document should be signed, include the name of the person issuing the certificate plus company details, address, phone number, website, and email.

Businesses that will not transparently display these details either on their website or on the COA are generally not trustworthy and are avoided by the discerning buyer.

There are only a few reputable signature authentication companies in the world, several being PSA and Beckett who charge a fee for their staff to cross reference their records with your signature and give an opinion as to authenticity.

Should any purchaser further check a purchased signature from a dealer and PSA or Beckett give a negative written authenticity report, a reputable dealer will provide a full refund, minus shipping.

At hindsight collectibles, we go to great lengths to accurately describe and photograph all items before they are presented for sale including detailing the history and provenance of the collectible.

We have been operating for over 20 years, have an impeccable seller feedback history on eBay and our website and COA issued is absolutely transparent - as is our commitment, that should either PSA or Beckett provide a negative authenticity report that contradicts our COA - we will issue a full refund minus shipping upon the return of the item with eBay receipt.

This applies within 12 months of purchase of the item.

It seems that some COA’s are worth the paper they are written on !!