From Snoop Dogg’s blunt to the Eagles locker room: Inside the wild world of the company changing sports memorabilia
CNN••sports
Key Points:
- The Realest, a three-year-old startup founded by DJ Skee, specializes in authenticating and selling sports and entertainment memorabilia directly sourced from athletes, teams, and artists, using proprietary technology including invisible ink and secure tracking.
- The company has secured partnerships with major sports organizations, including the Philadelphia Eagles, to collect and authenticate game-worn items such as jerseys, grass clippings, and custom memorabilia, offering fans unique collectibles with verified provenance.
- The memorabilia market faces widespread fraud, with estimates that up to 75% of items sold are counterfeit; The Realest aims to combat this by employing former law enforcement officers as authenticators and implementing strict chain-of-custody protocols.
- DJ Skee’s passion for collectibles and relationships with celebrities
