The player sets the ceiling. What you can establish sets the price.
Three items, one signature
- Signed in front of the seller, with a photograph
- Signed at an event, with a certificate from a known issuer
- Signed at some point, by someone, according to whoever sold it last
That is not a quality scale. They are different items with different buyers, and pricing them alike is how sellers end up in disputes.
Where to start
Unverified: start low, put unverified in the title, and let the room decide. This sells, and it builds the reputation that makes your next documented piece believed.
Well-provenanced: start where you would be content and set a reserve. Say in the show that there is one.
Do not bundle certainty away
A documented piece does not belong in a lot with unverified ones. The doubt spreads across everything in the lot.
Pacing
These need talking through — what it is, where it came from, what you can and cannot confirm. A thirty-second memorabilia lot earns thirty seconds of trust.
Questions people ask
How much less is unverified worth?
There is no fixed ratio and anyone quoting one is guessing. Start low and let the room price it.
Does framing add value?
A little, and a lot of delivery risk. See packing before deciding.
Should I say there is a reserve?
Yes. A room that knows bids toward it instead of giving up.
More: how auctions find a price, pricing cricket memorabilia.