Certified Collectibles Group, operators of NGC, PMG, CGC, and ASG, has reached a definitive agreement to acquire leading autograph authentication service James Spence Authentication, the companies announced. The acquisition will allow CCG to integrate the authentication, grading, and encapsulation of autographed collectibles. Prior to the acquisition, CCG has only offered witnessed authentication of autographs.
Founded in 2005, JSA has built the world’s largest autograph database of nearly one million images with the signatures of nearly every known person. Using the database, the company’s expertise, and state-of-the-art equipment, JSA has certified millions of autographs.
JSA founder James J. Spence, Jr., and James J. Spence III will continue to run the company after the close, and JSA co-owner and industry expert Mark Pepitone will be a Senior Advisor to the company.
While the companies will continue to operate independently for now, Integrated services from the two companies are expected to launch in April.
A majority share of CCG was acquired by Blackstone in 2021, providing it with additional capital for expansion (see “Blackstone Acquires Majority Share of CCG“).
Source: ICv2
