How to Obtain a Certificate of Authenticity for a Football Helmet

The value of sports memorabilia heavily depends on whether it is authentic. With the capabilities of technology, faking a signature or piece of equipment is not that hard. Therefore, the buyer is wise to seek a certificate of authenticity from the seller to ensure that items, such as a football helmet, are actually legitimate and not reproductions. Some football helmets are signed by players, while others are simply "game worn."

Instructions

  1. Ask the Dealer

    • 1

      Ask the dealer who is selling the football helmet for a certificate of authenticity, If they do not have it, ask why they do not, as well as what the circumstances were around obtaining the football helmet. Other information such as tickets to a memorabilia show, signatures of other players on the same team and an overall reputation of honest dealing may help to support the claim.

    • 2

      Verify the pictures or images the dealer has to offer. Many times a sports memorabilia dealer will have a photograph of when they obtained the actual helmet from the player. Look to see if the photo matches the time period and clearly depicts the seller and the football player who wore the helmet.

    • 3

      Determine if the certificate of authenticity is notarized by a notary public. Many sports memorabilia dealers use a notary public to certify that the merchandise they are selling is in fact legitimate. The notaries serve as a witness to the purchase or signature of the football player's merchandise. This information is recorded in the state where the transaction took place.

    • 4

      Obtain the certificate of authenticity. Between the reputation of the dealer, photographic evidence and the signature of a notary, there is a pretty good bet that the football helmet is as advertised. Any one of these three entities should be able to provide you with the certificate per your request.

    Memorabilia Specialist

    • 5

      Contact a memorabilia specialist who specializes in football. The brokers who buy, sell and trade often authenticate merchandise in the marketplace.

    • 6

      Submit the football helmet for review. The memorabilia specialist will look at things such as the age of the helmet, the style, the materials used to make the helmet and even photographs of the potential football helmet in action to determine if it is real.

    • 7

      Ask for a certificate of authenticity. Whether the helmet is signed or has been merely used in a game, the sports memorabilia authenticator will either verify or deny the legitimacy of the helmet. If it is legitimate, ask for their word on paper in the form of a certificate of authenticity.