What We Do:
Authenticate Antique Advertising Signs

What is TAC? Watch the video to find out!

What does TAC mean?

TAC (pronounced “tack”) stands for The Authentication Company. Dan and Joey are experts in authenticating antique advertising signs. Items that are found to be authentic received a specific TAC number and a TAC sticker for a specific item. No items will have the same TAC number.

By marking items with our TAC sticker, it guarantees all items marked with the security holograms & serial numbers to be original items and not reproductions.

  

Our Mission: Proving Authenticity of Your Collection

Our mission is to make sure you know the value of your hard-earned antique advertising sign collection. The best way to do that is by getting your signs authenticated by an experienced expert. 

Authenticating your advertising signs is a great way to ensure that you pay approprate costs for items to build your collection. It also lets you know the true value of your pieces if and when you decide to sell them. Our TAC sticker is visual proof that your sign has been carefully reviewed and studied by an expert antique sign authenticator at The Authentication Company.

Authenticated by Experts; Prized by Collectors

  

What We Authenticate 

We authenticate only certain items in our field of expertise: advertising signs. This is original items from the late 19th and 20th centuries. Items include Porcelain Signs, Gas Globes, gas pumps, cans, metal thermometers, displays, and other miscellaneous advertising items.

Anybody can request us to authenticate items. TAC Members receive discounts on authentication pricing. Gold and Platinum members can request professional consultation/opinion about their collections.

  

How to verify a TAC Number

All items with a TAC hologram and serial number are located in our website database. Login to TAC, and type the number into the search bar and you’ll see a picture of the item. You can search by TAC # as well as keyword. For example typing "Mobil" into the search bar will display results with the word Mobil in the title. 

 

The TAC Process: 

A TAC employee will review your item to determine if it is authentic.  Items deemed as authentic will received a TAC # which is generally placed on the front edge of an item (TAC’s discretion is used when placing the tags on items).  TAC will also give the item a rating on a 1 to 10 scale which is good only for the day of the authentication.  TAC uses the Matthews Grading System which can be viewed here.

TAC will also give customers a general market price estimate of the item at the time of authentication. For clients with larger collections TAC may also provide a detailed database list of their items with TAC numbers, Ratings, Price Estimates, Etc. For many collectors this is a great way to have your collection in an easily accessible file format or a printed document.

Can get items authenticated near me?

TAC owner and authentication expert Dan Matthews frequently travels throughout the United States and Canada to conduct auctions and authenticate antique advertising memorabilia. Contact Dan to request an appointment for authenticating your collection. 

 

 

 

BECOME A MEMBER OF TAC  | GET AN ITEM AUTHENTICATED