James Spence Authentication
James Spence Authentication (JSA) is a US-based third-party authentication service founded in 2005 that verifies the authenticity and provenance of sports memorabilia — including autographs, trading cards, and collectibles — for dealers, auction houses, and individual collectors, and now operates as a subsidiary of Certified Collectibles Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersParsippany, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What James Spence Authentication does
James Spence Authentication (JSA) is a US-based third-party authentication service founded in 2005 and headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company specializes in authenticating sports memorabilia — primarily autographs, trading cards, and related collectible items — providing independent verification of authenticity and provenance to sports memorabilia dealers, auction houses, and individual collectors. Its core service addresses the central risk in the secondary sports memorabilia market: counterfeiting, which undercuts buyer confidence and item values absent trusted third-party verification.
JSA's business model is a fee-for-service authentication offering, charging per item for review and the issuance of a certificate or letter of authenticity. The company's technical and process infrastructure is built around manual expert review rather than software-driven grading pipelines; the input data does not disclose proprietary technology, AI or automation tooling, or platform architecture beyond a standard web presence at spenceloa.com. Customer acquisition and demand appear to flow from the company's long-established brand reputation within the sports memorabilia community, repeat usage by dealers and auction houses, and now from its position within the Certified Collectibles Group portfolio.
Following its acquisition by Certified Collectibles Group (reported in the Market Decipher Collectibles Industry Report 2024–2034), JSA operates as a subsidiary brand within a larger collectibles authentication and grading group whose ownership circle includes The Upper Deck Company, Mattel, eBay, and Fanatics. The company remains in active operating status; no management team, pricing schedule, customer logos, or financial metrics are disclosed in the source material, and headcount is reported only as a band of 11–50 employees.
James Spence Authentication firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- James Spence Authentication
- Website
- https://spenceloa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- James Spence Authentication (JSA) is a US-based third-party authentication service founded in 2005 that verifies the authenticity and provenance of sports memorabilia — including autographs, trading cards, and collectibles — for dealers, auction houses, and individual collectors, and now operates as a subsidiary of Certified Collectibles Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
James Spence Authentication industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Memorabilia Authentication
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autographed Memorabilia Retail (CRAMAOAB)
Keywords
Where James Spence Authentication is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Parsippany
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
James Spence Authentication business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
James Spence Authentication product offering
Product offeringCore offering
James Spence Authentication (JSA) provides third-party authentication and verification of sports memorabilia items, including autographs, trading cards, and related collectibles. The service establishes provenance and authenticity for valuable items to protect buyers, sellers, dealers, and auction houses against counterfeit merchandise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sports Memorabilia Authentication Third-party authentication and verification of sports memorabilia, including autographs, trading cards, and collectibles, for sports memorabilia dealers, auction houses, and individual collectors seeking independent confirmation of item authenticity and provenance.
Companies that use James Spence Authentication
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
James Spence Authentication technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
James Spence Authentication partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Certified Collectibles GroupcoreCertified Collectibles Group acquired James Spence Authentication, integrating JSA into its portfolio of collectibles authentication and grading services. This acquisition positions JSA within a larger ecosystem of industry participants including The Upper Deck Company, Mattel, eBay, and Fanatics.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights3 records
James Spence Authentication competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA): PSA is the dominant third-party authentication and grading service for trading cards and autographed sports memorabilia, directly competing with JSA for the same dealer, auction house, and collector customers. PSA's autograph division (PSA/DNA) is the closest direct competitor to JSA's autograph authentication business.
- Beckett Authentication Services: Beckett provides autograph authentication and grading for sports memorabilia and trading cards, competing directly with JSA in the third-party autograph verification category. Both serve dealers, auction houses, and collectors seeking provenance verification.
- Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC): SGC authenticates and grades sports trading cards and memorabilia, overlapping with JSA's sports collectibles authentication focus. It is a recognized third-party verifier competing for the same hobbyist and dealer customer base.
- Fanatics Authenticated: Fanatics Authentic operates in the signed sports memorabilia space, providing authentication tied to exclusive athlete partnerships. It competes with JSA for autograph verification credibility and access to high-profile signed inventory.
- Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA): Upper Deck Authenticated provides autographed sports memorabilia with certificate verification. It operates a vertically integrated authentication model that competes with JSA's independent third-party verification approach in the same sports autograph category.
- MeiGray Group: MeiGray is a leading game-used memorabilia authenticator for the NHL and other leagues. It overlaps with JSA as a third-party sports memorabilia authenticator serving dealers and auction houses, though focused on game-worn/game-used rather than autographs.
Broad incumbents
- Certified Collectibles Group: Certified Collectibles Group is JSA's parent company and operates a portfolio of collectibles authentication and grading services across multiple categories. It is the broader platform within which JSA sits and contextualizes JSA as one specialized brand in a wider authentication portfolio.
- Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC): NGC is a leading third-party coin grading service operated by Certified Collectibles Group. It shares CCG ownership with JSA and illustrates the broader collectibles authentication ecosystem in which JSA competes for trust and brand equity.
- CGC (Certified Guaranty Company): CGC is a CCG-affiliated third-party grading service for comics, cards, and similar collectibles. It is comparable to JSA as a sister CCG brand operating in adjacent collectibles authentication verticals.
Emerging players
- Real Autograph Collectors Club (ACC): ACC is a smaller autograph authentication service that competes in the same third-party autograph verification space as JSA. It represents a niche competitor relevant to understanding pricing dynamics and customer overlap in sports autograph authentication.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
James Spence Authentication social profiles
Digital presenceJames Spence Authentication financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
James Spence Authentication leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
James Spence Authentication funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
James Spence Authentication M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about James Spence Authentication
What does James Spence Authentication do?
James Spence Authentication (JSA) provides third-party authentication and verification of sports memorabilia items, including autographs, trading cards, and related collectibles. The service establishes provenance and authenticity for valuable items to protect buyers, sellers, dealers, and auction houses against counterfeit merchandise.
Is James Spence Authentication a public or private company?
James Spence Authentication is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was James Spence Authentication founded?
James Spence Authentication was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is James Spence Authentication based?
James Spence Authentication is headquartered in Parsippany, United States, in the North America region.
Who are James Spence Authentication's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), Beckett Authentication Services, Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC), Fanatics Authenticated, Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) and MeiGray Group. Broad incumbents are Certified Collectibles Group, Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and CGC (Certified Guaranty Company). Real Autograph Collectors Club (ACC) is listed as an emerging player.
Does James Spence Authentication have an API?
No public API is recorded for James Spence Authentication.
What industry is James Spence Authentication in?
James Spence Authentication's product category is Sports Memorabilia Authentication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAOAB, Autographed Memorabilia Retail. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.