G.O.A.T Authentics, the autograph authentication company that verifies only Michael Jordan signatures, is making room in the stable for another GOAT.
The company announced Tuesday it will now be authenticating the signature of Tom Brady.
G.O.A.T. co-founders Wesley Gretah and Eric Pace personally issue letters of authenticity for Jordan. The Brady opportunity comes from a partnership with Brady collectors and autograph experts Greg Nazareth and Fran LaFlash, who originally wanted to start their own version of G.O.A.T, Gretah said.
"We were very much on the same page, and that is to protect the integrity of the community for the collector," Gretah said.
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While there have always been specialists in autograph authentication — Frank Caiazzo for The Beatles, Steve Zarelli for astronauts to name a few — sports autograph authenticators have always been mass evaluators.
That was until Gretah and Pace came along with G.O.A.T. Authentics in January 2024. Longtime Jordan collectors, the two had gained a reputation of having good eyes on Jordan fakes, sifting out counterfeits on a Jordan Facebook page.
"I don't believe the general collector actually considered wanting authenticators who focus on one particular athlete," Gretah said. "But if you own a Ferrari, do you want a general mechanic to fine tune it, or do you want a mechanic that focuses on Ferraris to do it. That's what we are doing and when you look at it from that perspective, I think it really opens the eyes of collectors."
Gretah is particularly aggressive in the business. He frequently contacts auction houses when he believes they are selling fake Jordan autographs.
"I don't think it's fair for a buyer or seller to purchase or sell an item with something that has any doubt," Gretah said. "It's also why we always have two people now for every athlete, so that we could sit down and discuss the examples and feel truly confident in our decisions."
G.O.A.T. charges $10 for a quick opinion and $125 for a letter of authenticity, which comes with a unique fingerprint and an authenticity code that can be cross-checked on its website.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.