Frequently Asked Questions

Q-Do you buy autographs? A- Yes, I've been buying autograph collections since I became a full time dealer in 1982. In fact over the years I've purchased some of the biggest autograph collections in the country most notably the Ralph Winnie collection, Bill Zekus Collection, Robert Duvall collection, The Fred Lieb collection and many many more. If its a large collection I can be on a plane or in my car and on my way within 24 hours to accurately evaluate the collection in person and present a generous offer. The majority of autographs I purchase however are sent to me through the mail. I provide an offer the same day I recieve the item or items and a check is on its way the very same day. I am almost always able to agree on a fair price and in the unlikely event I am unable to match the potential sellers expectations the shipment is returned. However I rarely if ever have to send anything back and in almost all cases am able to arrive at an offer that meets or exceeds the sellers expectations.

Q-Do you accept consignments? A- Absolutely, not only will I sell your item for you but will assist with pricing based on the most recent prices realized. Unlike auctions which charge both a buyers and sellers premium that can run as high as 40% coming and going. I'll offer your item or items at YOUR price and add a modest fee to your selling price to cover the cost of advertising and handling the item or items. For ease in bookkeeping, the consigned items should have an individual retail value of at least $500.00. Consigned items are offered for sale via my weekly e-mail updates and through my web site to an audience of collectors thats numbers in the thousands for maximum exposure. An the average turnaround time on consigned items is 14 days. Meaning when you consign an item to Jim Stinson Sports you have a check for the amount YOU want in your hands usually in less than two weeks with no waiting, no fine print and no complicated contracts.

Q-How can you tell if an autograph is authentic? A- Unfortunately unless an item was signed in-person there is no "magic wand" in determining authenticity therefore the level of experience and expertise of the INDIVIDUAL person examining the autograph becomes invaluable. Along with knowing what an autograph is supposed to look like signed during various stages of a person's life is the first step, The other is having an awareness of certain characteristics regarding writing instruments, ink and whatever surface the signature has been applied to. More importantly there are dozens of "trade secrets" that an autograph expert looks for in determining an autograph's authenticity. Some are better at this than others. It is important to keep in mind that an honest autograph dealer puts his reputation (and his check book) on the line every time he offers an autograph for sale.

Q-Do you provide a "Certificate of Authenticity"? A- A certificate of authenticity or COA is only as valuable as the reputation of the person offering it. For this reason a bill of sale from an established autograph dealer is as important or MORE important than a COA. Since I stand behind every autograph I sell with an unconditional money back lifetime guarantee my bill of sale IS a COA. However should a buyer require a traditional COA I will provide one upon request.

Q- What is your policy regarding refunds? A- Any item I sell can be returned for a refund for ANY reason within 14 days. If the authenticity of any item I sell is ever questioned by anyone regardless of their level of expertise or lack of it and no matter how long ago you bought it you may return the item along with the bill of sale for a full and unconditional refund.

Q- Do you provide an authentication service? A- It has always been my policy to offer an opinion on individual items at no charge to my regular customers. I am available for authentication and appraisals on larger collections. My fee would depend on the time involved and what is required.

Q- How do I avoid some of the "Bad experiences" I've heard about when it comes to autograph collecting? A- First and foremost educate yourself. A useful tool would be the "Autograph Gallery" located on this web site. Familiarize yourself with what some of the autographs you'd like to add to your collection should look like and then deal with reputable collectors and dealers.

Q-How do I know if an autograph dealer is reputable? A-The best way is to ask around. The hobby of autograph collecting is HUGE but the network of "word of mouth" between collectors and dealers in the know is smaller than you might think. Good news and Bad news gets around. A good start would be to ask several collectors or dealers who have been at this awhile for a list of five reputable people to deal with. Assemble several lists from several different people find the names that overlap and do business with those people. Do that and you'll have far more positive experiences than negative ones. Also a good litmus test for autograph dealers is "How long Have they Been in Business?" Good ones tend to stand up to the test of time. Bad ones come and go.

In Conclusion, the hobby of collecting autographs, both buying and selling should be and is....FUN!

Enjoy and Best Wishes in your Collecting pursuits,
JIM STINSON