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New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Topps remaking more Lionel Messi autograph cards following its own ‘investigation'
Collectors are questioning who actually signed a growing number of Lionel Messi trading card autographs certified by Topps. Leading card grader Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) has now refused to grade Messi autograph cards across multiple Topps sets, including one of its most expensive soccer offerings. Advertisement The Athletic first reported on the issue in March. Since then, Messi cards with certified autographs in at least five of Topps' sets have not been authenticated by PSA. This includes at least one card from Topps' premier high-end set, Dynasty, where Messi cards can be worth anywhere from around $4,000 to $100,000. The Athletic obtained documentation from affected card owners to verify the cases. Topps declined interview requests related to this situation. A PSA spokesperson said they would check on a possible interview, but never responded after The Athletic followed up. A representative for Messi also did not respond to a request for comment. After PSA refused to authenticate the autograph on a Dynasty card (pictured above) pulled by David Rodriguez of Clarksville, Ind., a Topps collector support senior manager wrote in a March 28 email viewed by The Athletic: 'Following our investigation, we will proceed with remakes of the Topps Dynasty Lionel Messi cards.' The use of the plural 'cards' in Topps' message suggests the possibility that multiple Messi autographed cards in that Dynasty set could be remade. Topps produced 204 total Messi cards from the 2022-23 Dynasty cards set, all of which should feature autographs from the soccer star directly on the cards themselves. Remaking every Messi Dynasty card in the set could impact cards with a combined value nearing or eclipsing $1 million. The Messi Paris-Saint Germain patch autograph card — a card bearing an autograph and a piece of memorabilia — that was originally sent to Rodriguez from Topps 2022-23 Dynasty UEFA Champions League carried serial number 01/10, meaning it was the first out of 10 produced. The 02/10 card in the set sold for $4,642 at auction the next day. The set's one-of-a-kind (1/1) card sold for $13,420 on April 26, and another Messi one-of-one, an FC Barcelona card, from the set went for $103,701 in Sept. 2024. The quality and desirability of the patch often drives the price, which likely played a part in the six-figure price tag; that card included a piece of the Barcelona badge from a match-worn Messi shirt. Advertisement Topps has not publicly acknowledged the issue, outside of correspondence initiated by affected card owners. It appears the only way to determine if an autographed Messi card can be remade is to submit the card for grading, have PSA refuse to authenticate it, and then negotiate with PSA and Toops about the next steps. 'For a company like Topps, you would think they would do a little bit better,' Rodriguez said. 'It's just disappointing and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.' Mike Denis of Salem, N.H., ran into a similar issue in early May, when PSA wouldn't authenticate a Messi autograph on a 2024 Topps Finest MLS card. In that instance, a Topps representative pushed the blame to PSA. In the transcript of an online chat between Topps and Denis viewed by The Athletic, the card company's rep said, 'Recently Messi has changed the style of his autograph, which it seems PSA has not updated their standards.' Over the past few months, PSA has declined to authenticate Messi autograph cards from at least the following Topps sets: 2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League, 2024 Topps Chrome Sapphire MLS, 2024 Topps Chrome MLS, 2024 Topps Finest MLS, and 2021-22 Topps Finest Flashbacks UEFA Champions League. So got one of the biggest pulls I've ever had from @Topps this beautiful messi auto. Sent it to @PSAcard, just was told they cant authenticate the autograph. How does this happen, thanks to psa for their diligence but these autos are supposed to topps witnessed? @CardPurchaser — Mike D (@mikeD922) May 9, 2025 Dan Jamieson, CEO of Icons, an England-based sports memorabilia company that has had a relationship with Messi dating back to his early days as a professional, told The Athletic in March that Messi sits with the Icons staff at least three times a year for autograph sessions. Jamieson said while he's not a handwriting expert, Messi's signature hasn't varied much through the years when signing for Icons. 'I think it (Messi's signature) has been pretty consistent,' Jamieson said. 'He gets a lot of practice with us. He's quite a consistent guy.' A post shared by 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒 ✨ (@primecollectors_) As The Athletic previously reported, Nick Bruce of Ferndale, Mich. said a PSA representative told him in February that the autograph on his 2021-22 Topps Finest Flashbacks UEFA Champions League Football's Finest card was 'fake,' and potentially signed by Messi's brother. PSA has since seemed to soften its stance when explaining to customers why it's not authenticating certain Messi autograph cards, telling multiple card owners, 'To be perfectly clear, our authentication team is not stating that the autograph is a forgery; they are simply not comfortable rendering an opinion on this particular signature style. In rare cases such as these where our team opts to refrain from issuing an opinion, PSA will return the item unprocessed at no charge to the customer.' Advertisement Then PSA offers 'an alternative path,' saying they have a 'positive, working relationship' with Topps and that the card company will 'sometimes issue replacement cards in unique circumstances.' Soccer Cards HQ's Scott Kaczmarek told The Athletic that the questionable autographs are bad for the soccer collector community: 'If they hit a Messi (autograph card) and try to get it graded and then it comes back fake or it's not authenticated, that's really bad for us.' ADOT just shared that PSA has refused to grade a Messi MLS on-card auto 😮 — Soccer Cards HQ (@SoccerCardsHQ) April 22, 2025 Rodriguez said he spent $1,200 at his local card shop on a box of 2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League, which contains just one card, in August 2024. He opened the box to find a redemption card — an 'IOU' where the owner submits the code to receive an autographed card from the manufacturer at a later date, once the athlete in question has signed — for a Messi patch autograph card. It was the most valuable card he's ever pulled from a pack or box, he said, and he immediately redeemed the card through the Topps website. After four months of waiting, Rodriguez said he spoke to someone from Topps who told him Messi would have a private signing for Dynasty cards and other Topps products. Rodriguez received the card in late January and sent it to PSA. In early February, the grading company alerted Rodriguez it couldn't authenticate the autograph and encouraged him to reach out to Topps. In early March, Topps offered a similar deal to Rodriguez as it had in late February to Bruce. The company would either remake the card with a new autograph to then be shipped to PSA for grading and authentication, or offer a substitution of equal or greater value. The timeframes for a possible remake varied significantly in the cases of Rodriguez and Bruce. Bruce's 2021-22 Topps Finest Flashbacks Messi card sported an autograph on a sticker that was affixed to the card. Players often sign sheets of stickers totaling several thousand autographs in a given session, allowing card companies to place the autographed sticker on specific cards at a later date. But Messi would have to sign Rodriguez's card itself, since Dynasty bears on-card autographs. Advertisement Topps explained in an email to Rodriguez that this 'very lengthy' process could take anywhere from six months to two years. Rodriguez accepted Topps' alternative offer of a card or cards of equal or greater value, assuming the wait time for a Messi replacement would be closer to two years. Topps sent Rodriguez two autographed rookie cards: one of Lamine Yamal and the other of Shohei Ohtani. After grading, the two cards are worth an estimated $6,000, which is nearly $2,000 more than the last sale of the questioned Messi Dynasty card. Rodriguez said he'll keep Yamal, the 17-year-old FC Barcelona phenom, for his collection, but he's planning to sell the Ohtani to buy more Messi autographed cards 'that seem to be legit.' However, his confidence in Messi autographed cards has been shaken. 'I'm pretty worried, to be honest,' Rodriguez said. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Person shot in the chest at Clarksville Speedway and Fairgrounds
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An investigation is underway after a shooting at the Clarksville Speedway and Fairgrounds Saturday night. According to the Clarksville Police Department, off-duty officers supporting the ongoing fair reported hearing gunshots coming from the parking lot near the venue's entrance at approximately 9:10 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. 1 charged after 2 killed, 1 injured in Columbia shooting Authorities said additional officers responded to the scene and found the victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was brought to Tennova Healthcare, but there's no word on his current condition. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing five or six males running from the area toward Hazelwood Road following the shooting, law enforcement said. Officials added that the shooting appears to be an isolated incident. Suspect identified in Clarksville stabbing, police seek help finding her Police urge anyone in the immediate area with surveillance cameras to review your footage. If you notice anything suspicious, you're asked to call 911 immediately. No additional details have been released about Saturday night's shooting. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clarksville Police investigate shooting that injured 5 at Southern Indiana apartment
Five people were injured late Friday in a shooting at a Southern Indiana apartment, according to local police. In a social media post, Clarksville Police said officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 1900 block of Greentree Boulevard at about 11:50 p.m. May 30 on a report of a shooting with multiple victims. The release said police found a "large party of young people gathered in an apartment" where several shots had been fired. Five people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, the statement said. The short release did not say whether anyone was killed or whether anyone had been arrested and charged. Clarksville Police said they would "update with more information later in the day." Calls and emails seeking additional comment were not immediately returned Saturday morning. This story will be updated. Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@ This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Clarksville Police: 5 injured in Indiana apartment shooting
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Suspect identified in Clarksville stabbing, police seek help finding her
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Clarksville Police Department has asked for the public's help locating a suspect wanted in connection with a stabbing earlier this week. ORIGINAL STORY: Woman found stabbed in Clarksville roadway A woman called Clarksville authorities at around 2:20 a.m. Thursday saying that she had been stabbed. A press release from the Clarksville Police Department said that arriving officers found her in the roadway in the 2200 block of McCormick Lane; she was taken to Tennova Healthcare for treatment. As of publication, the victim remains in stable condition. Authorities said that over the course of the investigation, they were able to identify the suspect as 24-year-old Jada Turner and have secured a warrant for aggravated assault against her. Anyone with information about Turner's whereabouts should call 911 immediately. READ MORE | Latest headlines from Clarksville and Montgomery County Anyone with additional video has been asked to contact Detective Adair with the Clarksville Police Department at 921-648-0656 ext. 5188. You can also remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward if you call the Clarksville Montgomery County Crime Stoppers Tipline at 931-645-8477. You can submit an anonymous tip online at this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Clarksville Police searching for burglary suspect
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Clarksville Police Department is searching for a man accused of forcibly entering two smoke shops and taking merchandise. Officials said the man was involved in two separate burglaries, on May 2 and May 23, during which over $4,800 of THCA-based products were stolen. According to CPD the man is bearded and believed to be in his 20s to 30s. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Salazar at (931) 648-0656, ext. 5383, or the Clarksville Montgomery County Crime Stoppers Tipsline at (931) 645-8477. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
