You can't believe your eyes – there, on the computer monitor is the best picture of Kelly Slater that you've ever seen and it's autographed to boot! What a great addition to your surfing collection!
But before you tap on that keyboard and lay down that major bid on eBay, you may want to follow a few simple tips to make sure that you're not going to have a wipeout at the end of the day. Spend a few minutes now and enjoy your prize autograph in the secure knowledge that it's both legitimate and a good investment in your hobby and future.
First, let's look at the photograph in question. A lot of autographs on eBay are advertised with a small fact often hidden in the small print – the "autograph" is actually just a photocopy of the original picture. It looks legitimate and is very impressive thanks to the current computer technology that can reproduce pictures almost perfectly, but it's not the same as having the actual man or woman put pen to photograph and mark the actual surface. If what you're looking for is a cheaper facsimile you may want to consider this option. It'll look the same behind glass, but you'll know that it cost a whole lot less than the original product. Most legitimate sellers will make sure this fact is mentioned in the small print on the auction page, but be sure to look for this before putting down a bid.
Next, check out the seller's feedback. This is the number next to the seller's name or nickname used on eBay. When you purchase anything on eBay you have the option of leaving positive, negative or neutral feedback. Thus a rating is created that can indicate whether a seller is satisfying his/her clients or not. Some dealers can have literally thousands of positive comments in their feedback rating. By clicking on this number you can see recent comments from customers and how they either liked or disliked their interaction with the seller. One thing to keep in mind is that over time it's likely that a seller will receive a few negative reviews, either through miscommunication with the buyer or the buyer not understanding the auction in question. You'll have to judge whether the negative reviews are warranted or if the buyer was mistaken in his/her reaction. A good rule of thumb is that if the seller has a majority of positive feedback he/she has a good reputation on eBay and can be trusted to deliver the goods in a fast and reliable manner, with little question of authenticity.
Which brings us to the major question for all autograph collectors – how do you know the autograph is real and not just the result of the dealer scribbling something on the photograph with a thick pen?
Most autograph dealers will provide certificates of authenticity that state that the autograph being sold is legitimate and can be used in court to get your money back if you can prove the autograph is a fake. This is commonly used in the autograph market in order to validate autographs and the certificate travels with the picture, so if you wished to resell it in the future you can also provide the paperwork to prove it's a real autograph. Of course, this will also raise the price of the autograph, so bid accordingly. If the dealer doesn't offer a certificate or some other way of proving that he/she actually went to the beach or exhibition to obtain the autograph, you may wish to pass on that auction until you find one that can pass scrutiny.
Another option is to contact previous customers that have bought from the dealer on eBay. Send an email asking how their experience was with the seller in question and if he/she was happy with the final exchange. Most eBay buyers and sellers will be glad to share their experience, be it good or bad, with other eBayers. Check on how fast the autograph was delivered, the final quality of the photograph, the way it was packed and sent through the postal system or through private courier. Ask how the payment exchange went and if there were any problems that he/she can tell you about. Of course, this is an option only if you have the time before the auction to pursue sending emails and waiting for the responses. This is why the displayed feedback is often the only way to tell if a buyer is happy with the product received and why feedback is so important to both the buyers and the sellers.
As with any auction on eBay try not to get too caught up in the experience of bidding. Many customers find that they've spent more than they planned because they enjoyed the experience of outbidding others for the item – at the cost of emptying their wallet. Set a top limit for what you're prepared to bid and stick to it.
If all goes well and you win the auction, be sure to leave feedback for the dealer, no matter which way you view the experience. Positive feedback will help other potential customers to decide whether to bid or not and negative will alert both the customer and the dealer that the service is substandard and not recommended to the buying public.
Getting that fantastic autographed shot of Rob Machado or Kelly Slater at the X-Games or elsewhere can be easy if you take the time to do a little research – soon you'll have an autographed picture of your surfing hero up on your wall for your friends and family to see!
