Non-Sport Signed Cards

When one thinks of the JSA/BGS autograph authentication and encapsulating service, sports-related cards come to mind.

From an in-person signed card of Joe Montana to that Pujols pack-pulled auto that may or may not have been tampered with, JSA is your first choice for authentication.

What about non-sport cards? Card manufacturers are gearing new products toward a wider audience with the inclusion of celebrity and historical themed cards and autographs. Two sets that first come to mind are the Donruss Americana series and the Topps Allen & Ginter sets. The new Topps Mayo football product, based on the Mayo tobacco issue of the late 19th century, will not only feature football players but also historical figures from the 1890s and celebrities from today.

Topps Allen & Ginter cards provide the through the mail and in-person autograph collector a great looking item to get signed. The card stock and gloss are nearly perfect for autographs.

Non-sport autograph opportunities don’t stop there. Non-sport cards have been around just as long as sports cards and that means plenty of choices for autographs.

A signed card I recently got back is a card from the 1979 Parker Brothers Mad Magazine card game. I sent a card featuring Alfred E. Neuman to the card artist Jack Davis. Comic legend Jack Davis graciously returned the card to me signed and I submitted the card to the JSA/BGS service. I did not want the card or the autograph graded, I simply wanted the autograph authenticated and the card encapsulated.

Other examples of great autograph sets include the 1969 Topps Man on the Moon and the 1990 Space Shots which are popular with the astronaut collectors. There are many music-related sets such as the 1991 Impel Mega Metal and 1992 Collect-a-Card Country Classics for the collector of musician’s autographs. These are a couple of odd-ball examples but with the sets featuring people like Alan Jackson and Jon Bon Jovi, you get a sense of the diversity of choices non-sport cards can offer the autograph collector.

For the TV and movie fan, there is an abundance of choices. From the A-Team to Zorro and everything in-between, chances are there is a set of cards out there that features the person you are trying to “‘graph up with.”

I know there are those autograph collectors who but prefer note cards, or at the least do not mind them. If I am obtaining an autograph knowing I am going to have it authenticated and encapsulated, I prefer a signed trading card.

Sometimes a note card is all you have on hand. When you are going through an airport, you never know who you are going to see. You just can prepare for what trading cards you need to have on hand! Of course, I can have my note cards authenticated and encapsulated as well.

When I have gone to in-person signings and had a non-sport card to be signed, sometimes the person signing stops and checks the card out. Depending on the situation and the environment, I get a response. When I do, the two most common responses are “Wow! I’ve never seen this” or “I haven’t seen this in a long time.”

When you are packing for a trip to the ball park, you don’t think twice about packing cards of players you might see, but the next time you are going to a book signing or an autograph show, remember to check out some non-sports sets for a great looking autograph.

- Andy Broome, BGS Grading

Have a Question?

Q: I have a signed Babe Ruth photo that my father gave me years ago. I see that Beckett works with James Spence Authentication now. How do I submit this item to be authenticated and placed into a Beckett case.

A: The submission of items that need to be authenticated is as easy as submitting cards to Beckett Grading. Simply go to www.beckett.com/jsa. At this site, you will find information about this service and find a submission form. You will need to fill out this submission form and send the items to the address listed on the form. The items will need to go to JSA first to be authenticated and they will then be mailed to Beckett to be placed into a slab. The fees for these services can be found on the submission form. In most cases, the items will be authenticated and returned within 10 business days of receipt.

BGS can now encase items up to 8 x 11 inches. There is a small fee for items over 3 x 5 inches but our new unique cases give us the ability to encase those items that were once not able to be encased and protected.

Have a Question?

Do you have a question about the autograph authentication process? James Spence answers your autograph questions here in the Report Card.