How to Spot a Fake Autographed Jersey

Know the autograph. When buying an autographed jersey, you should compare it with other autographs by the same person.

Check the authentication. A real autograph should have authentication from someone accredited by one of the major authentication organizations: the Universal Autograph Collectors' Club or the Autograph Fair Trade Association Ltd. Some disreputable dealers will invent official-sounding groups to create false authentication certificates.

Look at the ink. When a signature is rubber-stamped on fabric, the ink is squeezed out to the edge of the rubber, creating darker ink on the edges of the lines. A rubber-stamped autograph will often have an appearance like train tracks, or two darker parallel lines.

Beware of abundance. Many athletes won't sign many items at once for fear it will be resold. A reputable dealer will not have dozens of similar items for sale, simply the items they were personally able to obtain and those gathered from similarly trusted sources.

Look for uniformity. If a jersey is signed by an entire team, the signatures will generally be unevenly spaced, different sizes, and some may even be upside down. Jerseys signed with regular spacing and very similar dimensions should set off a red flag.