Rudy covered some autograph drama on PWCC. A seller consigned several fake MTG cards that had authentic autographs, but this labeling confused prospective buyers who believed that the cards and autographs were legitimate.
These were some examples of the fake cards + real autographs in question. In the first auction of these types of items, PWCC did not note whether the cards were legitimate or not. In later auctions, they stated, “This card has not been authenticated - Autograph Only.” To the untrained eye or someone outside of the field, the cards look pretty good.
It is my opinion that PSA should never authenticate a bootleg card, even if an authentic autograph is on it. Bootleg cards are to be played with, not to be signed, graded, and pawned off as the real deal.
To make matters worse, getting a card signed by Mark Tedin or Doug Schuler would cost $10-$15, yet these proxy cards were selling for hundreds of dollars. I feel awful for the buyers.
Technically, PSA did nothing wrong, as they labeled the item correctly (i.e., authentic autograph) and PWCC fixed their stance by reiterating that the cards were not authenticated. However, ethically, I think PSA should revise their policies on grading signed bootlegs.