Autographs 101 · Collector guide
PSA vs JSA vs Beckett: which authentication fits your item?
Which authenticator fits this piece?
Answer four questions (value, what it is, budget and turnaround) for a neutral starting point. The interactive picker requires JavaScript. Without it: for lower-value pieces, compare a low-cost or photo-based opinion with the value of the piece; for higher-value pieces, consider a full in-hand review with a letter of authenticity. Always check current prices and turnaround on each service’s own website.
Options, listed alphabetically and not ranked: Beckett Authentication, JSA, PSA/DNA.
Pre-Screen the signature first: a quick AI opinion before you pay for authentication. Not authentication.
Autographs 101 is independent and is not endorsed by PSA, JSA, or Beckett. Some links to grading and authentication services may be affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This is general information, not authentication.
Which autograph authentication is most valuable: Beckett, PSA or JSA?
A useful answer needs comparable sales, not a blanket ranking. Match the signer, object, size, inscription, condition, autograph quality, certification format and sale period. A graded card and a loose signed photo are different markets even if the signer is the same.
Record the sold price, sale date, source and whether buyer fees or shipping are included. Compare several reasonably similar sales when you can. If there are too few matches or the pieces differ materially, label the evidence insufficient instead of assigning a provider premium.
Before paying to change or add certification, ask the intended buyer or auction house what it accepts. Estimate all extra costs and the uncertainty of the result. Our recommendation is to use item-specific evidence; this guide does not establish that any provider increases your item’s value by a fixed percentage.
PSA: confirm the autograph service you need
PSA lists autograph authentication and separate options including autograph grading. Its submission page also separates the submission price from return-shipping charges. Check the specific service, format and current quote instead of applying a general card-grading rate to an autograph.
If a number grade matters to your decision, confirm what is being graded: the autograph, the object or both. Read the label and service description before comparing a graded item with an authenticated but ungraded item.
JSA: compare certification formats and submission options
JSA describes Basic Certification and a Letter of Authenticity among its services. Check which documentation applies to your signer and item, what is included in the fee and whether a different format is optional.
Use the official submission instructions for the location or event you plan to use. Ask about the item’s eligibility, timing and return arrangements directly. This guide does not rank JSA as universally faster or cheaper.
Beckett: distinguish autograph authentication from card grading
Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) concerns autograph authentication; a card-grading offer is not automatically the same service. Verify what the selected option examines and what documentation or holder you will receive.
Availability check, September 26, 2026: Beckett’s official notice says new BAS submissions are temporarily unavailable and existing orders are still being processed. Recheck that notice before making plans; do not treat a temporary pause as a judgment about an existing certificate.
Beckett official availability and existing-order information
Compare the same requirements before choosing
Write down the signer or signers, item type, expected certification format, any grading or encapsulation requirement, your deadline and the intended use of the item. Send the same description to each provider you are considering.
For each quote, record the source and date checked, eligibility, fee per item, extras, shipping each way, additional insurance, tax, timing and refund or inconclusive-result terms. Leave unconfirmed answers marked unknown.
Use the budget calculator for each quote and save the summaries alongside your research. The cheapest headline fee can lead to a different total once order charges and selected extras are included.
Already authenticated? Check the record and the actual item
Use the issuer’s official verification service and compare the record with the offered item, its label and accompanying paperwork. A matching number alone cannot establish that a seller’s object is the item originally certified.
If a record is unavailable, incomplete or inconsistent, contact the issuer and preserve the questions you still need answered. Avoid turning an unavailable lookup or a seller’s claim into a certainty about authenticity.
Keep photographs, receipts and the provenance you can document with your collection record. Autographs 101 helps organize that information; it does not issue PSA, JSA or Beckett authentication.