The authenticity of items that raised thousands of dollars for a Guelph charity last weekend is being questioned.
The main item was a Travis Kelce jersey autographed by Kelce and Taylor Swift that went for $21,000.
Several members of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Autograph News Facebook group, plus two of the top professional sports memorabilia authentication services GuelphToday contacted, have said the signatures on the jersey may not be authentic.
Others have also reached out to media outlets after news of the auction item started spreading.
The man who supplied the auction items insists they are and the charity benefiting from the auction says none of the successful bidders have complained.
About $125,000 was raised at Linamar’s Curl for Kids auction. Proceeds from the auction is being divided between the Guelph Wish Fund for Children, the Oakville Fare Share Food Bank and Halton Women’s Crisis Shelter.
A football autographed by Kelce and Swift was also auctioned off, along with signed memorabilia from late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, soccer megastars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and others.
As soon as a story ran about the upcoming auction, several people with experience in the sports memorabilia world took to social media questioning the signatures, commenting on the story and reaching out to area media to alert them the signatures might not be real.
Two of the leading authentication companies in the field also expressed doubts about the signatures on the Kelce/Swift jersey when asked by GuelphToday to review them.
Beckett Authentication Services said it would be “unlikely to pass full authentication.”
Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) said it is “likely not genuine.”
Aaron Logan, the owner of Toronto-based The Heritage Stick Company, has been in the sports memorabilia business since 2005.
When he saw the Kelce jersey up for auction, he immediately threw the flag, part of a growing online group questioning the authenticity of the signatures.
“They’re the biggest names in the world (in) the last six months, since this romance happened,” he said. “And (the auction had) multiple items ... (Kelce and Swift are) the most untouchable people in the world right now, with so much security. They’re not doing that.”
His suspicions grew when he saw the other items up for bid, adding it just doesn't pass the smell test.
“Each (item in that auction) on their own would be the crowning item of a large charity auction,” he said. “And the costs to obtain the items would be in the multiple thousands (of dollars).”
The items all came with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). What form it comes in and who issued it is unknown.
Often items signed by professional athletes will come with a photo, an email confirming it happened or, more likely, a certificate from a professional authentication company or the company the athlete has a business agreement with for distributing signed items.
“Everyone who bought something had the certificates in hand for their winning items,” said Jessica Hill, the interim executive director with the wish fund.
She said Scottie (Nine Toe) Johnston, who deals in sports memorabilia and is affiliated with the New England Patriots, donated the items. Hill added the charity didn’t play a part in the auction, they just benefited from it.
“We’re just appreciative and grateful for all parties involved who have helped making this event a great success, in raising $125,000,” Hill said.
Johnston declined to be interviewed by GuelphToday and referred communication via email through someone he identified as his lawyer.
Johnston did write in a Facebook message response to GuelphToday “my response is ask them to prove it's not real.”
Brett Gallagher, the man Johnston identified as his lawyer, declined to disclose how Johnston acquired the Kelce/Swift jersey, as well as the other items up for bids.
Gallagher did not respond to a request for a phone interview, but in email exchanges declined to provide a copy the COA that came with the items, saying he would provide a copy if GuelphToday paid $75.
The items were arranged for the event through Linamar, who sponsor the charity bonspiel.
In a video posted to social media promoting the event, Johnston is seen with Les Hosszu of Linamar Corp., showing off the items ahead of the auction.
In the video there is mention Johnston has an affiliation with the NFL's New England Patriots. Johnston's Facebook page also said he "works at" New England Patriots.
The Patriots were contacted and said no one by that name works for them. The Facebook "works at" on Johnston's profile has since been changed to say "none of your business."
Repeated requests for comment from Linamar, including questions about the items and the certificates of authenticity provided, have gone unanswered.
GuelphToday also reached out to the management of Swift and Kelce, as well as the Kansas City Chiefs, but did not hear back.
Gallagher, who ignored a request for the name of his law firm, said all items are authentic and come with a COA and the auction items “were forwarded to the children’s wish two weeks prior to the event,” along with the COAs.
The names of the auction winners were not provided by the wish fund.
“Mr. Johnston HAS NEVER refused to hand over any certification,” he said, adding the COAs are from Jersey Sports Memorabilia.
The wish fund said they haven’t possessed the items or the COAs, adding the fund merely benefited from the third-party event.
Items signed by pro athletes and celebs usually come with COAs, a common piece of paper that indicates the item and signature are both authentic.
Hill confirmed the wish fund has not received any complaints from anyone who bought the items. As for Gallagher, he was adamant in an emailed statement.
“There has NOT BEEN one complaint from anyone who has purchased anything at the February 17 auction,” he said.
He said people have a right to question the legitimacy of the items, but at the end of the day, it’s one person’s opinion and the focus should be on the money raised and the good cause it is going to benefit.
“Focusing on the negative and trying to slander an individual and or an organization based on complaints from individuals not directly involved is ludicrous,” Gallagher said.
“All individuals who purchased items have received their COA's or will have them by Monday.”
Kelce is signed on with the company Fanatics as an exclusive dealer of authentic signed merchandise. They did not respond to a request for comment.
Sports memorabilia professional Logan said “memorabilia collectors know the difference” but the less informed might not.
Logan’s business mainly deals with specialized memorabilia, such as the wooden sticks given out by Maple Leafs players during the three stars of the game announcement after a game.
But he also holds autograph signing events with athletes.
When it comes to signatures, he said not all items will be authenticated at a public signing, namely for athletes with not as much name recognition.
Anything he has sold beyond the signings comes with a COA and a hologram on the item.
Logan also noted high-profile athletes have exclusivity deals with organizations like Upper Deck, Fanatics and ICONS, who would all provide COAs with signed items.
Brian Ehrenworth, who owns Frameworth Sports Marketing – the exclusive supplier and distributor of autographed memorabilia for athletes like Sidney Crosby, Carey Price and others – said COAs need to come from the source.
For example, if a signed Messi jersey shows up somewhere, the COA needs to come from ICONS, who have an exclusive contract with Messi for these items.
“Every time we do a signing with Sidney Crosby or Carey Price, we have photographs of it,” he said.
He said on a level like this, “maybe one of them (appeared to do a signing), maybe they got some relative who knows somebody, but not all those different high-end celebrities.”
Brandon Fraser, a private dealer of 15 years, said unless Swift signed a deal with Fanatics for her signature to be on the jersey, there would need to be two COAs (one for Kelce, one for Swift).
