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Buyer Beware: Ensuring that Authentic Jersey is Really Authentic

You’ve made the decision. You’re about to shell out big bucks for that authentic jersey autographed by Reggie Jackson. It will be the crown jewel of your sports memorabilia collection. Friends, neighbors and relatives will gaze upon it in awe. But wait! Before you drop a few C-notes on it, how do you make sure this is a genuine jersey signed by Mr. October himself? By following a few simple guidelines, that’s how.

First rule in purchasing a bona fide authentic jersey: Always buy from a reputable dealer. Research your prospective vendor first, and make sure that every signed piece they sell comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and is officially licensed by the athlete’s respective professional league.

Also, try and purchase authentic jerseys that come with a photo of the athlete signing the jersey. Some of the more respected genuine jersey vendors on the web—like www.prosportsmemorabilia.com—use reputable suppliers such as Mounted Memories, Steiner Sports, Tri-Star Productions, and UDA (Upper Deck Authenticated).

Most vendors of authentic autographed jerseys will provide independent third-party authentication for every jersey. For example, genuine signed jerseys sold by Mounted Memories are authenticated by an in-person representative from the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. All major suppliers use similar authentication methods for their jerseys as well.

When purchasing a Major League Baseball product like that prized Reggie Jackson jersey, you can rest even easier knowing that the MLB is the only professional sports league using their own customized system for authenticating signed jerseys and other memorabilia. First, a Deloitte & Touche representative will authenticate the jersey as genuine and game-used. The jersey is then given a unique identification number, which is posted on MLB.com for future reference. Finally, the jersey will be affixed with an official, tamper-proof hologram unique to Major League Baseball jerseys and items. Now that, my friends, is an authentic jersey.

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