CGC and JSA Now Certifying Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards

CGC® and JSA® are excited to announce that collectors can now submit National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards for autograph authentication by JSA® and certification and encapsulation by CGC in one seamless solution.

Each certified Hall of Fame Plaque Postcard will be encapsulated with the distinctive CGC x JSA Authentic Autograph label and encapsulated in the CGC “Tallboy” holder designed to securely fit larger cards. Autograph grading is also available on request, adding another level of prestige to certified signatures.

For decades, autograph collectors have utilized Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards to capture the signatures of baseball legends who were inducted into the hallowed Cooperstown institution. Affordable at only $0.99 per unsigned card (or less when bought in bulk) and easily obtainable through The Hall of Fame Shop online or in person, the postcards have garnered strong interest from fans looking to collect each year's class of new inductees as well as from autograph enthusiasts hoping to use them to obtain signatures tied directly to the player's post-career milestone.

"Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards from Cooperstown have experienced a resurgence among collectors recently, especially among autograph enthusiasts," said James J. Spence, Jr., founder of JSA. "Over the last 40 years, the cards have become highly collectible, with values surging as interest continues to intensify across the hobby. Now, CGC and JSA are thrilled to offer collectors autograph authentication and encapsulation services for these prized collectibles."

The National Baseball Hall of Fame first introduced the plaque postcards to commemorate its inaugural class of 1939. For the first few years, the hall produced Sepia Plaque Postcards, which featured an image of the player's actual Hall of Fame plaque on the front and a basic postcard design with printed vertical address lines on the back. Although the plaque postcards have gone through several changes through the years, modern versions remain mostly the same.

In the 1940s, the Albertype Company produced the first black-and-white plaque cards, as the collectibles began to catch on with signature enthusiasts. 1953 ushered in a new era for the postcards when Artvue Postcard Co. of New York purchased the business from Albertype, making changes to the card font and the back design. For a time, the cards contained four "holes," one in each corner of the Hall of Fame plaques (Type 1). Later, these holes were swapped out for small bronze baseballs, which mimicked the actual bolt coverings that secured Hall of Fame plaques to the wall (Type 2).

CGC x JSA Authentic Autograph certification services are available for Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards measuring up to 140 mm by 89 mm (5.5 x 3.5 inches). Simply select “JSA Autograph Authentication” after choosing your grading tier when filling out the online submission form on CGCcards.com. Please note that only Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards with two or fewer autographs are eligible for autograph grading.

Want to learn more about Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards? Check out these articles written by James J. Spence, Jr., founder of JSA:

• Baseball Hall of Fame Black & White Plaque Postcards
• Baseball Hall of Fame Gold Plaque Postcards

Need more info?

Questions about submitting Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards can be made by calling (+1) 855-GRADE10 (855-472-3310) or emailing [email protected]. To learn more about JSA services and fees for autographed memorabilia, go here.

CGC and JSA are part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 110 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs and stamps.