When shopping for a team jersey or other sports memorabilia, watch out for fakes. Scammers know that authentic game-used and/or autographed items can fetch big bucks – especially for items commemorating big games. When shopping online, it can be hard to trust that a seller or product is genuine.
Follow these tips when buying sports memorabilia: “Game-used” items are highly sought after. Buyers prize items that saw action on the court or field as valuable parts of sports history. Consumers should be aware that there is a significant difference between “game-used” and “game-issued.”
Autographs are even trickier. With the use of autopen, manufacturers can reproduce ink signatures hundreds of times. Buyers also need to watch out for online listings that describe items as “hand-signed” without specifying whose hand signed it. That could be technically correct but still highly misleading. Outright forgeries can be the hardest to spot, and this issue has plagued collectors for decades.
If you don’t have time to become an autograph authentication expert, but still want to make purchases, here are some steps you can take. Here’s how to avoid merchandise scams.
Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. If the price of an item, collectable or not, is significantly less than what it is on other well-known retailers’ sites, this is a red flag that it might be a scam. Look for contact information on the website such as a phone number or brick and mortar address as well as a robust social media presence to help determine if the company truly does exist. Double-check COAs: Certificates of authenticity (COAs) are the norm for memorabilia purchases, especially for costly items —so it’s likely that scammers will try to provide fake ones. A valid COA should state the qualifications and complete contact information of the issuer.
