Quick Opinion and Authentication Questions.

Q: How much does the Quick Opinion service cost?
A. The cost is £14.95 per signature. If the item has two or more signatures  then you pay twice (£29.90), so your maximum payment for one single item with multiple signatures would be £29.90. If you want 2 separate items checked, then you pay for each item.

Q: If my item passes the Quick Opinion, can i then obtain a COA for that item?
A. In most cases yes. You would need to post the item to us via Royal Mail Special Delivery, as only then can we confirm the signature/s as authentic and issue a COA at a further cost. There are some items that we are unable to accept for full authentication and these include Funko Pops, most 3D items, any framed item or anything containing glass. Once you have posted via the Royal Mail Special Delivery service, you will be able to track the item, and you will see when it is delivered to our door.

A.  It is not possible to offer any kind of  drop in or "while you wait" service for authentications, as each one can take varying amounts of time. In order to keep the costs for these services we need to keep to some kind of timetable, and visitors would simply slow the whole process down.

Q: Why can i not simply send my item in for full authentication and a COA?
A. Most of the items we see are not authentic (around 75%) and therefore if you were to send in items you would have to spend far more on postage than the item is worth. In addition, the Quick Opinion service allows you to have an item checked before you buy it (always a smart move !) thereby possibly saving you money.

Q: How long does it take for you to check an item via the Quick Opinion service?
A.  In most case you will receive an answer within 12 hours, often less, but never more than 24 hours. 

Q: What is the cost for a full authentication and a COA?
A. The cost depends on the item as some signatures do require more research etc. But the basic cost starts at £29.95 plus the return SD postage again. When you request a Quick Opinion, and the item should pass, you will receive an email confirmation and a quote for full authentication of the item/s.

Q: Do you issue a COA with a hologram etc or do you have an online database?
A. We only issue a COA with attached hologram, and also add a matching numbered hologram to the verso of the item (unless requested otherwise). We do not use an online database as we have seen a number of these simply disappear in past years, whereas a proper COA is yours for all time. The COA has our full contact details on it, an image of the item and states that Garry King has personally examined it and confirmed it as authentic. We do not attach holograms to the front of an item as we believe that this can detract from image and reduce the value of the item, especially if the item is small or has a high value. 

Q: If i send an item in how long does it take before it is returned?
A. We try and work on a 7 day turnaround, and in 90% of cases we do achieve that. Items are only ever returned to you via Royal Mail Special Delivery, which is both tracked and insured (up to £2500) and that is a 24 hour service. 

Q: Do you offer a discount if i have multiple items i want authenticated?
A.  Yes, they will of course need to go through Quick Opinion First, but we are happy to offer a reduced price for multiple items. 

Q: Are there any items that you will not accept for Quick Opinion or Full Authentication?
A.  We will not offer opinions on signed football shirts or any signed football related items. This is simply down to the very high number of fakes that have been created by forgers some of which are of a very high quality. There are genuine signed items out there, but they can be very hard to find. There are certain other items that we will not give an opinion on or certify, but its simply not possible to put a full list on here. If you request a Quick Opinion and we are unable to offer an opinion on the item, or we cannot render a positive opinion one way or the other, then your payment is refunded in full.

Q: How do you authenticate a signature?  
A.  Firstly, the Quick Opinion service can only ever tell you if an item is "likely" authentic, as its simply not possible to be certain if an item you have sent to us as a scan or image is not printed etc. That is why we can never say an item is "authentic" simply from your scan or image. If you then send the item in for "Full Authentication" then we start by examining the item itself to ensure that it is signed and not printed, this is done simply by magnification of the signature, and by doing that we can then see if it is "live ink" as the Americans like to call it, or is somehow printed. There are many different ways to add a printed signature to a card, photo or item and we know how to spot them all. Others talk about hi tech equipment and the latest technology etc, but in truth and in 90% of cases all you need is a decent range of magnifying glass's !

Once an item has passed those first tests, it then comes down to comparing your signature/s with known genuine examples. This is where our 30 plus yeas of experience comes in, as we have a vast database of signatures to compare with plus dozens of specialist reference books to check though. The 30 plus years experience also includes a great deal of knowledge of how a forger works, the tools of his trade, and often his signature style or trademark, so we are often able to not just tell you its a forgery, but also who forged it ! 

If we fail an item during Quick Opinion, we will normally tell you how you might be able to get a refund, or perhaps advise on your next move regarding that seller.  

Always remember that there is a difference between an opinion and an authentication. An opinion is normally based entirely on what someone might think of that signature at the moment in time, often without making any comparisons with known authentic examples. But an authentication is where an expert has taken the time to make those comparisons to the point where he is "beyond reasonable doubt" that is the same as a jury has to do when asked to make a judgement in any criminal trial, and the same standard when we are asked to create an expert witness report for an autograph fraud case, which we have done numerous times. That expert witness report can be pulled apart by the legal team on the opposing side in court, so it has to stand up, and so is never simply an opinion.

And who is considered an expert?  "An expert in legal terms is a qualified professional - possessing specialised knowledge, training, or experience beyond that of a layperson - instructed to provide independent, impartial, and objective opinion evidence to a court or tribunal, rather than just factual testimony"  We have over 30 years of full time experience in selling and dealing in autographs, as well in person collecting as well providing expert witness testimony in a court of law.