Authentication Services
The Australian Memorabilia Association (AMA) provides independent, professional third-party authentication services for autographed memorabilia and collectibles.
Our authentication team comprises experienced professionals with extensive knowledge of the memorabilia and collectibles industry, representing more than 70 years of combined experience. In response to the widespread counterfeiting, forgery and unauthorised reproduction of autographed collectibles, the AMA provides an independent professional opinion regarding the authenticity of submitted items.
Our authentication process considers a range of factors, including the characteristics of the signature, the item itself, the writing instrument, known examples, provenance, supporting documentation and other relevant evidence available to our specialists.
Submitting an Item for Authentication
If you have a signed item that you would like to have examined, please contact us using one of the following methods.
Online Authentication Review
Please email a large, clear, high-resolution JPG image of the item to:
Where available, please also provide as much supporting information as possible, including:
- Where and when the item was signed
- The history or provenance of the item
- A copy of any existing Certificate of Authenticity (COA)
- Details of the person or organisation that issued the COA
- Any photographs, receipts, correspondence or other supporting documentation
- Any other information that may assist with the authentication process
Following our initial review, we will respond with further information regarding the authentication process and advise whether the item is suitable for a more detailed examination.
Physical Authentication
Where a physical examination is required and following our initial online assessment, we will ask you to carefully and securely package the item and send it to:
Australian Memorabilia Association
PO Box 283
Rose Bay NSW 2029
Australia
Items should be securely packaged to minimise the risk of damage during transit. Please do not send glass or framed items unless specifically requested by the AMA.
If the item is being sent by post or courier, the owner is responsible for all postage, courier and return delivery costs. Additional insurance for the item while in transit may also be arranged at the owner’s expense upon request.
AMA Authentication & Registry
Where, following our examination, the AMA determines that an item is consistent with genuine/authentic examples and suitable for certification, the item will be photographed, documented and registered in the AMA Online Registry.
Each authenticated item is assigned a unique alphanumeric registration number, allowing the item to be independently verified through the AMA website.
The item’s online registry profile records relevant information, which may include:
- The identity of the signatory
- Description and type of item
- The type of writing instrument used, where determinable
- A digital image of the authenticated signature
- The unique AMA registration number
- Other relevant authentication and provenance information
This creates a permanent digital record that can assist with verification should the item be sold or transferred to another collector in the future.
Certificate of Authenticity
For items that receive a positive authentication determination, the AMA issues a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) bearing the same unique alphanumeric registration number as the item’s online registry record.
A corresponding registration number is also affixed to the item, where appropriate, creating a direct link between the physical collectible, its certificate and its online AMA Registry record.
This provides collectors and future purchasers with an additional means of verifying the item’s authentication history.
Authentication Fees
- 1 autograph on one item: Starting at $90+GST
- 2–5 autographs on one item: Starting at $110+GST
- 6–10 autographs on one item: Starting at $135+GST
- More than 10 autographs: Fee on application
Discounts may be available for multiple items, larger collections and bulk authentication submissions.
For rare, historically significant or particularly complex items, additional research may be required. Where this applies, any additional fees will be discussed and approved by the client prior to commencement.
Important Information
AMA authentication is an independent professional opinion based on the evidence and information available at the time of examination. While every authentication is undertaken using professional knowledge, experience and established examination practices, no authentication service can guarantee that an item will never subsequently be disputed.
The AMA Registry is designed to provide collectors, owners and prospective purchasers with a reliable reference point for items authenticated by the Australian Memorabilia Association.
Mark Handel – Memorabilia & Collectibles Expert
Originally from Philadelphia, USA, Mark Handel began collecting baseball cards in 1968 establishing a lifelong passion for sports memorabilia and collectibles. Over the past five decades, this passion has developed into extensive professional expertise across sports memorabilia, autographs, trading cards, model vehicles, vintage print media and historical collectibles.
Mark has owned and operated successful memorabilia businesses in both the United States and Australia. In 1999, he developed Sports Online/Wide World of Sports Memorabilia which became Australasia’s largest online sports memorabilia retailer and established major partnerships with Channel Nine, News Limited and leading sporting organisations.
During this period, Mark coordinated exclusive signing sessions with some of the world’s most iconic sporting figures, including Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Joe Frazier, as well as members of Australia’s 2003 and 2007 World Cup-winning cricket teams.
With more than 25 years of professional industry experience, Mark has assessed and valued thousands of individual items and collections. His expertise includes autograph authentication, signature analysis, trading cards, model vehicles, vintage print media and a broad range of sporting, entertainment and historical memorabilia.
Mark has specialised expertise in handwriting and signature analysis and provides independent professional opinions regarding signature authenticity. His assessments consider signature structure, flow, consistency, natural variation, known examples and available provenance and supporting documentation.
Mark has also acted as an Expert Witness, providing formal reports and independent opinions for legal, insurance and dispute resolution matters involving memorabilia valuation and signature authenticity.
Following the sale of his business interests in 2012, Mark transitioned to providing independent valuation, authentication and advisory services in Australia and internationally.
Mark is currently Head of the Australian Memorabilia Association, where he continues to provide specialist expertise and independent authentication services to collectors, dealers, insurers and other clients across the memorabilia and collectibles industry.
