Don't Use The "A" Word ("Authenticators")

Autograph authentication is in such bad odor that people who do it don't like the term. Journalist Rocky Landsverk reported in an article in the April 29, 2005, issue of Sports Collectors Digest; "One thing I've learned about the ongoing 'Authenticating Authenticators' series is that it has a bad name," Landsverk wrote. "virtually every 'authenticator' I've interviewed said they shouldn't be called authenticators."

What do these purported experts want to be called? According to Landsverk they prefer "verifiers" or "examiners." Here's what's up: the people who pass judgement on the genuineness of autographs want a job title that doesn't go too far. In their minds, the most comfortable title carries the message: "Hey, I looked at this autograph sure, but don't hold me to my findings on whether it's the real McCoy or not."

This spin effort, not only with job titles but with the results of the work itself, has been noted elsewhere. In a 2006 article on the IADA-CC.com website, Landsverk asked Stephen Koschal, who operates Professional Autograph Authenticators Services, whether verifications of autographs should be called "authentications" or "professional opinions." Koschal's reply, in part: "It's a technicality; it all means the same thing. The words protect authenticators."

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*excerpt from Autograph Hell by Charles Irion

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Helpful collection websites

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Celebrity Photograph

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