Guide
How to Organize Sports Memorabilia Authentication & COAs
Certification numbers, grading details, and certificates of authenticity are only useful if they stay attached to the right item. Here's how to organize them.
Why Authentication Records Get Lost
A certificate of authenticity is easy to set aside "somewhere safe" when an item arrives — and just as easy to lose track of a few years later, once "somewhere safe" has spread across several drawers, folders, and a shoebox. The fix isn't a better filing system for the paper. It's keeping the documentation attached to the item's own record from the start.
Three Fields That Matter Most
- Authentication or grading company. Select from PSA, BGS, SGC, JSA, Beckett Authentication, or enter a custom authority if it's not one of the major names.
- Certification number. The single most important field for graded or authenticated items — it's the unique identifier that lets anyone independently look up and verify the grade or authentication, and it significantly strengthens any insurance or resale claim.
- Grade or authentication designation. Record it exactly as it appears on the label or certificate, whether that's a numeric grade or a plain authentication designation.
Attach the Physical Certificate, Not Just the Number
Recording the certification number is necessary but not sufficient — a photo of the actual certificate, slab label, or hologram gives you (and anyone reviewing the item later) something to check against. Photograph the certificate at the same time you photograph the item, and attach both to the same record.
How Relic Roster Helps
Relic Roster stores the authentication company, certification number, and grade directly on each item's record, and lets you attach photos and documents — including COAs and purchase receipts — to that same item. Nothing lives in a separate folder you have to remember to cross-reference.
FAQ
Common Questions
A COA (certificate of authenticity) is a document from an authenticator or the item's source attesting that a signature, item, or piece is genuine. It matters because it's often the primary evidence backing up a claim of authenticity — for insurance, resale, or simply your own confidence in what you own. A COA disconnected from its item is far less useful than one attached directly to the item's record.
Yes. In Relic Roster, you can attach documents and photos — including certificates of authenticity (COAs), purchase receipts, and other provenance documents — to any item in your collection, alongside its authentication company, certification number, and grade.
Grading companies like PSA, BGS, and SGC are best known for assessing card condition and assigning a numeric grade, though several also authenticate autographs. JSA and Beckett Authentication focus specifically on autograph and memorabilia authentication rather than card grading. Which authority is relevant depends on the item — a signed jersey is typically authenticated rather than 'graded' in the card sense.
More questions? Visit the Help Center
Keep It Together
Attach Authentication to Every Item
Record certification numbers, grades, and COAs directly on each item's record — not in a separate folder.
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