A term used to describe the group of Major League Baseball pitchers who have won 300 or more career games. Currently, 24 pitchers are members of this elite club.
A term used to describe the group of Major League Baseball batters who have hit 500 or more career home runs. Currently, 27 batters are members of this elite club.
A term used to describe the group of Major League Baseball batters who have 3,000 or more career hits. Currently, 30 batters are members of this elite club.
American Basketball Association. Founded in 1967, this professional basketball league merged with the NBA in 1976.
American Football Conference. One of the two NFL conferences, consisting of 16 teams: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Clevelan..
American Football League. Founded in 1960, this professional football league merged with the NFL in 1969.
Baseball’s American League. One of the two leagues that make up the MLB, consisting of 15 teams: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White..
An annual exhibition game that showcases the best players of a sports league. All four major sports have an all-star game that usually occurs mid-season, with the exception of football, which refers t..
A machine used for the automatic signing of a signature. Most notably used for Presidential signatures.
A pen that dispenses oil-based ink over a metal ball at its point.
A certificate of authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services is a small 3x3 square card that is issued in conjunction with our tamper-evident label to signify that the item has been examined by ..
Located in Cooperstown New York, the Baseball Hall of Fame was established in 1936 to preserve the history of baseball and honor its outstanding players. Through an election process by the Baseball Wr..
Beckett Authentication Services assigns a unique certification number to each authentic autograph. This number can be found on the encapsulation label, the certificate/letter of authenticity and the t..
A signature by a bat boy, clubhouse attendant, equipment manager etc. on behalf of the athlete.
Annual Award given to the best pitchers in both the American League and the National League, as voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. This award was introduced in 1956 in honor o..
A signature which has not be genuinely signed, but instead reproduced by a rubber stamp or printed onto the item.
A marker that dispenses ink through a porous tip of fibrous material. Examples include: permanent markers like Sharpies, highlighters, and white board markers.
Located in Canton Ohio, the Football Hall of Fame was established in 1963 to honor the heroes of the game, preserve football history and promote its values. Currently 310 players have been inducted in..
A counterfeit (fake) reproduction of a signature intended to deceive collectors into thinking they are buying an authentic signature.
A pen that dispenses water-based ink that is held in a reservoir through a nib.
Annual Award given to the players that demonstrated the best fielding performance, as voted on by the managers and coaches. Awards are given out to both National League and American League players in ..
An athlete that has been inducted into the Hall of Fame for their respective sport.
Annual Award given to the college football player that is considered the most outstanding player.
Located in Toronto Canada, the Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1943. 392 players, builders and on-ice officials have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame to date.
A special note or phrase added to an autograph such as “Best Wishes”, “To My Dear Friend” or “Sincerely”. It could also be personalized to an individual.
An attempt to remove an inscription from a signed item to give the appearance that it is not personalized. In the autograph collecting industry it is believed that personalized items do not sell for a..
A Letter of Authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services is an upgraded version of our COA which features specific item details and images. Used in conjunction with our tamper-evident label, the ..
National Basketball Association. Founded in 1946, this men’s professional basketball league has gone through many mergers to become the league we know today. There are currently 30 teams in North A..
National Football Conference. One of the two NFL conferences, consisting of 16 teams: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay..
National Football League. Founded in 1920, this men’s professional football league encompasses 32 teams.
National Hockey League. Founded in 1917, this professional ice hockey league consists of 31 teams in both the United States and Canada.
Baseball’s National League. One of the two leagues that make up the MLB, consisting of 15 teams: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cu..
Most Valuable Player. An award given in various sports, to the player that is considered the best on the team or in the league.
A pitcher who prevented the opposing team from achieving a single hit for at least 9 innings. Also referred to as a no-hitter.
A photographic reproduction of an original signed item. The autograph is actually part of the item itself, appearing below the surface, which means it is not a legitimate autograph.
A pen that dispenses water-based ink through a metal ball tip.
A special designation to signify that a particular autograph was obtained and certified before the beginning of the athlete’s second professional season.
An autograph that is actually in the hand of a secretary or other assistant rather than the intended signer. Most notably used for celebrity signatures.
The annual championship game of the National Football League.
The championship trophy awarded to the winner of the NHL playoffs. The Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in existence, with the same trophy being used each year. A portion of the wi..
A term that is used to describe a baseball player who leads his league in three statistical categories, for batters - batting average, home runs and runs batted in and for pitchers- wins, strikeouts a..
A special certification for autographs signed in the presence of a Beckett Representative. Because a member of our staff was there to witness the signing, this is the only certification from BAS that ..
Women’s National Basketball Association. Founded in 1996, this women’s professional basketball league consists of 12 teams.
