Josh Hamilton's 2007 MLB rookie season represents one of the more memorable human interest stories in sports. Eight years after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 amateur draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Hamilton has finally made it to the majors with the Cincinnati Reds by overcoming the odds and beating a drug addiction that nearly derailed his baseball career for good. Commemorate his touching comeback by ordering this autographed baseball, which Josh has inscribed with the words "1999 #1 Overall Draft Pick." Hamilton's signature is guaranteed authentic through Upper Deck Authenticated's patented five-step authentication process. Authentication Process
Authenticity has been a central theme to Upper Deck products since the company's inception in 1988. The company revolutionized trading cards using sophisticated printing technology to improve the overall quality of products and adding a trademark hologram that prevented them from being counterfeited. In 1992, Upper Deck expanded the company's focus on authenticity to include fine autographed sports memorabilia backed by a patented five-step authentication process that guarantees fans are receiving genuine autographs.
The heart of the five-step process is the company's policy that an Upper Deck representative must witness each autograph signed by any one of its stable of high-profile athletes, including Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Ken Griffey Jr., Peyton Manning, and Kevin Garnett, to name a few. Today, Upper Deck dedicates more resources than any other sports collectibles and memorabilia company to ensure the authenticity of its products.
Here's the full five-step authentication process:
- Step 1: Every autograph is witnessed by an Upper Deck Authenticated representative. Upper Deck believes observation is the only way to truly guarantee authenticity.
- Step 2: A record of the autograph session is signed by both the athlete and the UDA official, and is stored in a secure permanent file.
- Step 3: An Upper Deck Authenticated serial-numbered hologram is affixed to each signed piece of memorabilia.
- Step 4: A certificate of authenticity is assigned to every piece of memorabilia and includes a matching hologram to the one affixed to the item.
- Step 5: Every piece of signed memorabilia is packaged with a registration card, giving the owner the opportunity to register the item with Upper Deck Authenticated. If for some reason the item is sold and/or transferred to a new owner, a full detailed record of the item's history is readily available.
Upper Deck Authenticated
Ever since Upper Deck revolutionized the sports trading card experience in 1988, their top mission has been to capture the excitement of the game and deliver it to fans of all ages through high quality, innovative, authentic, and collectible products. Upper Deck Authenticated became the first company to find an answer to the forgery problem by creating an airtight, five-step authentication system that assures fans are getting genuine autographs. Today, the company has autograph relationships with the game's biggest stars and produces some of the finest memorabilia on the market.
