How to recognise an authentic match-worn shirt
Match-worn, match-prepared or replica: the differences, the details to check, photo proof and provenance.
Memorabid guides
Spot the real thing, before you buy
The memorabilia market is full of fakes: store shirts sold as match-worn, imitated signatures, certificates that certify nothing. These guides gather what our team checks every day, lot by lot.
Sports autographs: how to tell if a signature is genuine
Photo and video proof, direct provenance, Beckett, PSA/DNA and JSA certificates, handwriting experts: the checklist.
Fixed price or auction? How to choose the right way to buy
Fixed price or bidding, right of withdrawal, reserve, auto-bid and timer: what changes and when each one makes sense.
How an online auction works
Starting price, reserve, auto-bid, timer and real costs, with an example of what you actually pay.
Why we write them
A market full of fakes, an obsessive team
The problem
Online you can find «original» shirts and autographs for a few euros. Often they are replicas with a signature added, sold with a home-printed certificate and no verification behind it. Buyers struggle to tell the difference, and dishonest sellers take advantage.
A piece is worth as much as its true story. That is why we check everything, even what nobody else would look at.
How certificates work- Proof, not promisesEvery autograph has a photo or video of the signing, direct provenance from the athlete or the club, or a Beckett, PSA/DNA or JSA certificate.
- An expert when neededIf one of these proofs is missing, the piece is examined by a court-appointed handwriting expert. If doubt remains, the lot does not go online.
- A final check, alwaysEven lots uploaded by collectors come through us before they leave for their winners.
- A guarantee that lastsA certificate with two NFC tags and a digital version: authenticity stays with you, even when you decide to resell one day.
On the shelf
Coming next
- Coming soonGenuine autographs: the three proofs we ask for and the handwriting expert
- Coming soonHow to win an auction: starting price, reserve, auto-bid and the last minute
- Coming soonCOA, COO and NFC chips: how to read a Memorabid certificate
- Coming soonThe collector's glossary: match worn, match issued, photo proof and more
From theory to practice