Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams photos with a GFA COA are counterfeits be careful!!!

[casper99]

Hello all,

I just recently purchased or managed to win an auction for a Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams 8x10 autographed pictures that had been authenticated by GFA (Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators) with an accompanying COA. I was sceptical as the price was too good to be true and GFA offered a full refund if you prove it to be non-authentic through another third party authenticator, etc. So, I asked a few questions from the seller and he shared that it was bought from a big lot from another hobbyist, etc.  Anyhow, I managed to win and thought ok I will get it in and make my own mind up as truly the price was too good to be true, as I would think and average cost of Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle autographs should go for $500 to $1000+ and be depending on what in fact has been signed, etc. So when I got the item in the very first thing I noticed was it was on regular cheap inkjet paper. Then I knew it was not authentic, as they didn't have an inkjet printer back in 1995 which was the earliest it could have been signed as Mantle passed away in Aug of 1995. Also, it should have then been printed onto regular conventional photo paper, which as stated above it was cheap inkjet paper with a glossy side. I thought to myself, how could a company like GFA even remotely miss that one? I noticed it and was expecting conventional photo paper stock for this photo before it even came to me but somehow GFA missed it. So, I suspect they are worth the paper their COA is written on but I couldn't help notice that they do offer on their website a full refund if the item they put their COA on is found to be a counterfeit. So I contacted eBay and shared with them everything and they instantly agreed it was counterfeit and have since fully refunded me (Thank you to eBay) for the cost of the item. So I share this warning that GFA and their COA isn't worth diddly squat, so avoid them, as they either were in on the scam or they totally missed an easy tell-tale sign that should have been part of their forensics investigation and to me that isn't very good business!

So anyone else out on eBay that has purchased something like what I have explained and comes with a GFA COA, have a close look at and remember it should have been a photo on conventional photo paper, not printed on cheap inkjet photo paper.  

Cheers all!

Casper99

[maxine*j]

Good for you for knowing your stuff, and for trying to share it. 

Most people who come here to complain about fakes have never taken one moment to educate themselves, do nothing else to protect themselves, and are surprised to learn there are no free lunches. 

I'm also glad to hear that eBay was responsive to your complaint.

[casper99]

Thank you, Maxine. I just wanted to try and reach out to the others that purchased these similar items as they too are most likely counterfeit. I don't want anything like that in my collection and take a lot of pride making sure what I do buy is authentic. Also making sure that companies like GFA have done their job and when they haven't, especially in a case like this one where making sure that the photo paper was, in fact, something from the early 90's would have been a key forensic thought, or at least it was for me! :)...making sure that these companies are called out on their mistakes or in this case a total screw up!

Cheers!