During the past few years, Steve Jackson has been presented with too many items that have been misrepresented as authentic Muhammad Ali/Cassius Clay Fight-Worn or Training Equipment and Autographs. Unfortunately some collectors and dealers have paid large sums of money for these forgeries!
It is time forgeries and fakes are stopped. Steve Jackson intends to see that happen. He can, and will, help protect you from the unscrupulous and/or the uninformed. Furthermore, while an Ali autograph may be authentic, it may not be worth the amount that is being charged. There are many factors which must be considered in establishing value. For example, what did Ali sign his name on? The size of the autograph? Is there fading or "bleeding?" Has there been an addition or other modification to the original document? If so, is it in Ali’s hand?
An authentication is only as good as the authenticator's knowledge and experience. As the owner of one of the world’s largest, if not the largest, collection of Ali memorabilia, Steve owns and/or has purchased and sold Ali autographs, fight worn and training equipment, programs, posters, tickets, artwork, original photographs (autographed and unautographed) and all types of related items dating well prior to 1964 when Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali.
Not only can he determine whether a signature or other item is authentic, he can in many instances tell you the time period in Ali's career when the signature was signed. With his extensive database of exemplars and original signatures from a 50 year period, he has become extremely familiar with the history of Ali’s autographs, from the Cassius Clay years (late 1950s to mid-1960s) through the name change to Muhammad Ali (after 1964), and into the later years during Muhammad Ali's on-going battle with Parkinson's Disease.
He also can tell you if the piece of equipment was actually worn or used by Ali, and whether it was actually used in a fight or for training purposes only. The extent of Steve’s knowledge and experience in the area of Ali memorabilia is beyond question and is recognized worldwide.
Steve has turned, what started as a young collector's hobby, into a highly successful business career that has continued for more than 30 years. During that period, he has met Ali and he has become a business associate, frequently working with Ali’s personal agent and Online Authentic founder Harlan Werner in setting up business transactions, and collaborating on the catalog for Warner’s own Ali memorabilia auctions. |
In addition, the Upper Deck Company purchased, directly from Steve, the equipment used in their exclusive Upper Deck Muhammad Ali Master Collection set of fight-used trading cards. Steve has also authenticated items for private collectors, and has been hired by several auction houses to authenticate Ali memorabilia and provide written descriptions of those items for their auction catalogs. |
Steve has also appeared on, and worked in, a number of television shows, providing the memorabilia used by both HBO and CNBC in TV specials about Ali. Just a few years ago, Bill Evans of ABC's morning news program ran a feature about Steve and his collection. |
"I have been studying Muhammad Ali memorabilia, autographs and fight worn/training equipment for over thirty years and I can tell you if the trunks were worn in a specific fight, if the training gloves were used at Deer Lake, if the robe went into the ring and if the shoe really fits."
“The rating of an autograph varies from 1 to 10. The same holds true for the quality of a "Cassius Clay" autograph from the 1950s to 1960s; and the same holds true for a "Muhammad Ali" autograph from 1964 to his current autograph. All of these factors must be considered before you make your purchase.”
As you might expect, the authentication services of Steve Jackson Authentications have prevented the potential loss of thousands and thousands of dollars by Steve's clients. A l3tter of authenticity from Steve Jackson Authentications (SJA) is regarded worldwide as the highest assurance of authenticity for Muhammad Ali autographs and memorabilia. |
Steve is now making his expert services available to the public at large. With so many disreputable dealers and so much fake merchandise being offered to unsuspecting consumers, before you make that investment purchase, you can't afford NOT to have Steve determine if what you're buying is genuine and what it’s worth. |