All Poster Forum
Common Poster Subjects => Authentication => Topic started by: Silhouette on December 16, 2013, 01:46:39 AM
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I have a question mark on the first one because one thing that seems consistent with the others is the shape of the first 'letter', like the number 4
(http://www.emovieposter.com/images/moviestars/AA131215/550/8x10_maud_adams_signed_HP07029_L.jpg)
(http://p2.la-img.com/712/28853/11107845_1_l.jpg)
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/WOW-Maud-Adams-OCTOPUSSY-James-Bond-007-Signed-Autographed-8x10-Photo-COA-/121218344226?nma=true&si=SAfpQ8fbLe%252F7GWtaAcI67cg4DIs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557)
(http://uknet.com/gallery2/d/13282-2/zz_group_bond_goldengun_moore_ekland_and_maud_adams1.jpg)
(http://www.bondcollectibles.de/catalog/imagebank16/4568o.jpg)
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Maud-Adams-Signed-8x10-photo-Octopussy-The-Man-Wth-The-Golden-Gun-James-Bond-007-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjE4/z/QwIAAOxy--NRnsUz/$(KGrHqZHJE8FGTjwSlL6BRnsUzWW0w~~60_35.JPG)
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/JAMES-BOND-WOMEN-OF-JAMES-BOND-IN-MOTION-MAUD-ADAMS-AUTOGRAPH-WA10-OCTOPUSSY-/00/s/MzcyWDUyNQ==/z/aXIAAMXQl6pRXz2d/$T2eC16h,!)UE9s3wEgQ9BR(z2dluPQ~~60_35.JPG)
(http://www.bondcollectibles.de/catalog/imagebank14/4184ma.jpg)
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And so I wondered, as I had some time on my hands...what about this sig, some random comparisons - what do you think?
The V seems very different" sharp 'pointy' beginning and same at the bottom - except one (beginning) all others are more rounded (beginning and bottom) and the "L" doesn't run into "ake" like the others. Also, looks perhaps like it has been traced over?
(http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd421/SilhouetteNSW/Just%20Photos/Veronica-Lake-Sig_zps25b8c8c8.jpg~original)
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I share your opinion David. The Veronica Lake signature looks as if it was written in sections rather than in a continuous flowing manner judging by the ink flow.
Mark
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This is why we give all buyers 30 days (from after the close of the auctions) to check out their purchases with grading services, and if they don't check out, they can return them for a full refund.
And of course, if experts contact us while the auctions are running with strong doubts about specific signed items, then we end the auctions.
We are not autograph experts, and we put all we know about how the autograph (and the item itself) was obtained on each auction.
Personally, I don't think "COAs" are worth much (unless they are from the very most reputable places) but if we were given one then we picture that with the item.
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a COA from an ebay seller is very useful.. to start a fire in your fireplace
as to guarantees.. If I sell an autographed item (as I will be soon) I guarantee that piece as long as I am in business. If I can't guarantee an autographed item that well, I may as well close up shop.
an autograph is only worth as much as the guarantee behind it
want to be able to sell autographs without any question of it's authenticity?
it's simple: if you have any question at all, don't sell it
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This is why we give all buyers 30 days (from after the close of the auctions) to check out their purchases with grading services, and if they don't check out, they can return them for a full refund.
And of course, if experts contact us while the auctions are running with strong doubts about specific signed items, then we end the auctions.
We are not autograph experts, and we put all we know about how the autograph (and the item itself) was obtained on each auction.
Personally, I don't think "COAs" are worth much (unless they are from the very most reputable places) but if we were given one then we picture that with the item.
I agree, COAs aren't worth anything, but you are promoting the Lake one as coming with a COA, so by association you are suggesting it's the real deal.
As I have said, I am no expert either but the Miss Lake one looks different enough to question its authenticity now, if you prefer to wait until the buyer does or does not decide to check out whether the item you have sold them is real or not well of course that is up to you.
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More of my own research...
Elvis Presley sig looks authentic, one of the (many) clues is the way the P is part of the Elvis and the "resley is almost like a separate word.
Charles Bronson 1958 sig seems to be signed with a sharpie pen that didn't get invented until 1964, prior to 1970 he appears to only have ever signed with a ball point pen or perhaps fountain pen. That is neither.
Raymond Burr - did he sign with a Sharpie pen a year before it was invented?
Pierce Brosnan - I can only find one instance where he signs his surname so short/on top of itself, remarkably it's the same photograph and pretty much the same pen. http://goo.gl/jELDg6
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I have to say 30days is very poor Bruce, all the Signature dealers I know give a life-time guarantee. If your selling Autographs it should be the same, as long as the buyer just isn't fed-up of it, and it's been proven to be fake.
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all the Signature dealers I know give a life-time guarantee. If your selling Autographs it should be the same, as long as the buyer just isn't fed-up of it, and it's been proven to be fake.
and when a dealer gives a guarantee of that nature, it makes the dealer much more diligent in what autographs he/she considers selling. I have autographs I am absolutely positive are authentic, autographs I absolutely know are forgeries and autographs I am not at all certain of one way or the other
the material I know is authentic is going to start going through my auctions.
the material I know are forgeries are in an envelope marked forgeries and they will never be sold, no matter that I have money in them - and not a small bit of money either.
the material I am unsure of sits in another envelope, also not being sold and probably never will be sold as even dealers I have shown them to cannot be certain and "I think these are real, but I'm not sure" means I will not sell them.
do I have a money loss on the material I won't sell? you bet I do. Better me than someone else if I have them now.
I guarantee my autographs as long as I'm in business, because I have no doubt about their authenticity at time of sale, so I won't have any doubt about their authenticity at time of resale.
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by the way David, I don't see any of the autographs you refer to re: Presley, Burr etc.
where are they?
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Maud Adams is not ugly.
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by the way David, I don't see any of the autographs you refer to re: Presley, Burr etc.
where are they?
Presley http://goo.gl/81nbTM
Bronson http://goo.gl/f3nEfB
Burr http://goo.gl/MWSrKc
Brosnan http://goo.gl/JvOSgd
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More...Charlton Heston
After viewing this: http://goo.gl/AcFpDO
Read this:
http://zipper68.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/your-charlton-heston-autograph-its.html
Opinion?
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anytime there is any question at all about autographs, just don't bother with them
forgers rely on the emotional responses of collectors. "Oh I have to have it, I have to have, I HAVE TO HAVE IT"
I don't have to have anything other than food, water and a home. Everything is is "I want it", but do I have to want it now?
NO
you want absolutely authentic material? buy contracts or checks and even the checks could be secretarial.
Alternately, get them from people you absolutely know had certain connections to the person or where you know the owner got them at a convention personally & may even have photographic proof.
the only guarantee worth anything in autographs is "I will take them back anytime, without any discussion"
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I hear that Tom Loce also gives buyers 30 days to return items.
Unfortunately, most buyers don't find out until long after that they have been screwed.
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Clayton Moore
Not one of his signatures/autographs that I have researched have I found where his 'y' has ended like that (of about 30 I checked), none. Couple of dubious ones where it went straight down but none hooked back like that, almost all rounded back over. Plus he's in his late 70s or early 80s by this time and that's a hell of a strong signature for a guy who actually had pretty bad handwriting anyway, possible of course.
http://goo.gl/TlYXxm
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To be brutally honest, I've only gone through a couple pages but I will say based on my research results and solely in my opinion I'd guess maybe as much as a third of all that are on offer may be suspect. It is true I am no expert, but my research and discoveries would seem to be somewhat more convincing than simply relying on the consignor's word and their COA alone.
I note the 30 day guarantee has been now been removed (replaced with a lifetime one I assume?) but given the care you put into authenticating posters I am surprised at the seemingly lack of same you have put into the dumping of a large quantity of un-authenticated autographs on customers.
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here we go folks.
this load of pics contains both definite fakes and guaranteed authentic autographs
who wants to take a shot & say which are which?
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_001.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_002.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_003.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_006.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_007.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_008.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_009.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_010.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_011.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_012.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_013.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_014.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_015.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_016.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_017.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_019.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_020.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_021.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_022.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_023.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_024.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_025.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_026.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_027.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_028.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_029.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_030.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_031.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_032.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_033.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_034.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_035.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_036.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_037.jpg)
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/autographs_038.jpg)
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A speed check
At a glance
Jane Russell is suspect...
The squiggle she put under her name and on the stem of the R was normally not part of the name (not that I could find) - she lifted her pen to do it - so it's not joined to the L as it is in that pic.
The first two Elivis' (Elvi?) is suspect, the third seems real...
As near as I can find he always curled the bottom of his Y on itself in his name and interestingly, but not always didn't curl the Y in the other words if he wrote some.
Bela Lugosi is suspect...
None of the Bs I found were as perfect as that, he had poor writing and also in many cases that sideways L underline only started after the 'g' (but not always), also more often than not he signed on the angle.
James Dean, dunno but geeze, he must have sat there one day and written a variation of the same message so many times...
http://goo.gl/nycFv0
http://goo.gl/8rHt6N
That said the few James Dean seemingly authentic sigs I can dig up tend to show "ames" and "ean" part of his signature as almost a flat line - so I'd probably want to double check yours.
Then I got thirsty...
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"4t542 BETTY GRABLE signed 8x10 REPRO still '90s sexy full-length portrait in showgirl costume!"
...ummm didn't she die in 1973? If it is from the '90s then I am almost 100% certain it's a fake, but I am no expert. :P
http://auctions.emovieposter.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3227281
typo I am sure, no biggie just funny given the current discussion
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"4t542 BETTY GRABLE signed 8x10 REPRO still '90s sexy full-length portrait in showgirl costume!"
...ummm didn't she die in 1973? If it is from the '90s then I am almost 100% certain it's a fake, but I am no expert. :P
unbelievable
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"4t542 BETTY GRABLE signed 8x10 REPRO still '90s sexy full-length portrait in showgirl costume!"
...ummm didn't she die in 1973? If it is from the '90s then I am almost 100% certain it's a fake, but I am no expert. :P
http://auctions.emovieposter.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3227281
HEY NOW!
That's not nice - he feels certain it is authentic.
typo I am sure, no biggie just funny given the current discussion
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Janet Leigh
Well people another for your perusal and opinions....mine is below, don't cheat
(http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd421/SilhouetteNSW/Just%20Photos/janet-leigh-sig_zps97874c06.jpg~original)
So, IMHO one thing that sticks out is that her "L's" almost always seem to be quite flourishy and tend to cross through the 'e' or sometimes through a lot of her surname, and sometime the 'h' in Leighs ends with a flourish too but that's not one to hang the hat on, besides I think one could spend a lot of time picking up letter variations but for me the real cruncher was the dotting of the "i" in her surname, wherever I have found what appears to be a genuine signature in all occasions the dot is (a) visible and (b) lower than the 'h', in fact she seems to always dot any 'i' in any name or word close to the letter rather than randomly
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Farrah Fawcett
Seriously, are you kidding?!
(http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd421/SilhouetteNSW/Just%20Photos/farrah-sig_zpsb5b567ef.jpg~original)
First up - she ALWAYS crosses her F in BOTH first and surname, and on every occasion I can find the F starts with a stem not a loop, and hell may as well add, all her sigs are legible.
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alright.. I guess no one wants to have a go at the autographed photos I put up yesterday, so I'm just going to give you the answers
Pay attention. You are about to get an education
#1 American Grafitti album.. this is a sad sad situation. This is an item that contains authentic autographs, that was later bastardized by the Valley Forger, in particular, when the forger added Harrison Ford's autograph. That is a fake signature, though almost all but the others are real. I actually had 3 opportunities to show this to some of these signatories in person, and they all said Paul Le Mat's signature is fake. It was funny too.. "Oh yes. that's my signature, but Paul doesn't sign this way" was the exact comment from all three people. Back to the HF signature.. if you see something signed like that, don't bother with it.. FAKE
PS: most HF sigs are fakes. He is what's called "non-co-operative". Authentic sigs are rare and secretarial are common. Forgeries by the Valley Forger are even more common.
#2 Streisand... non co-operative and this one is .... FAKE!
examine it along the Ford sig above.. do you see any similarity in the motion of the lines?? Also, particularly pay attention to the letter A in small case in the autographs to see Mr Forger's similarity
#3 Elvis.. Yes David.... another Valley Forger work.. watch for the small case trailing E's and ending swishes folks..
#4 Where ya gonna run to Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean.. where ya gonna run to Jimmy Dean????
I tell ya what Jimmy, when you run to the garbage dump, can you bring this Valley Forger FAKE with you? Please do.. it's worth more as mulch than it is as an autograph. Look at the lower case A's and also notice, it's a right-handed person trying to emulate left-handed writing
#5 Ray Bolger/Jack Haley
probable fake, though may be an authentic piece used to spice up an assortment of fakes/real to help the deal sell. Came from the Valley Forger, so there is guilt by association, and therefore the verdict: unsaleable item
#6 Bela Lugosi.. it's a good fake, but it's still a FAKE.. Valley Forger at work
#7 Natalie Wood.. do yuo guys yet see the similarities in work done by the Valley Forger?? say you do, so I know this lesson was at least worth something to someone but it was free to you. I'm another story!
#8 Vivien Leigh.. I don't know how this FAKE even got by me the first time
#9 More Elvis.. if you think it doesn't look like it was done by the same hand as the one above, this lesson is wasted on you.. Go back to the TV and keep watching Survivor.
#10 Stooges......... *sigh*
the only good thing about that sig is it's the one I showed a friend who informed me I had been fooled. FAKE FAKE FAKE .... the NYUKS were on me
#11 Belushi & Aykroyd.. same hand folks.. look at the A's and swishes again, and again.. save yourself from FAKE autographs
#12 Marlene.. this is almost certainly real. However, it was seeded into a deal of fakes and is now ruined for all eternity due to it's taint.
This is where you separate the men from the boys people. I have considerable money in these FAKE autographs and more and regardless of that fact, I am not about to let other people be stung by them. I'll pay for the loss, but I will allow you all to learn from my loss.
If yuo examine that material and understand the characteristics of the signatures, the pens, the way the paper sheets are cut to fool you.. You can see alot of similarities in how some forgers work..
I have to get back to my work.. Who wants to continue the list by identifying the remaining pictures..
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come on now folks.. don't any of you have opinions on the remaining items I showed.
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come on now folks.. don't any of you have opinions on the remaining items I showed.
I believe this is a fake post
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(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/linda_01.jpg) (http://www.comic-art.com/apf/lucy_o1.jpg)
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http://auctions.emovieposter.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3226729
This is considered to be one of the most common of Stewart's 'fakes' and buyer's are warned... http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/james-stewart-mueller-coa?commentId=3524372%3AComment%3A425955
Kind of remarkable that the same signed photograph (but different) was up for auction just a few months ago, same pen choices too (Harvey has gotta be black, every single time). Although the one being auctioned now has been consigned by another long time dealer/collector who 'feels certain' it's legit, so that's good enough to dump on to unsuspecting bidders it seems. Do a search on James Stewart Havey Signature (then click the images in the results) - oh boy...
FYI: James Stewart was known to use an autopen (autographing machine) after his first heart attack, although I am not suggesting this is autopen
Tips that an Autopen may have been used
- a shaky signature, which indicates movement while the machine is in operation
- a light signature, especially one that does not have variation in pressure as seen by an indentation in the paper when viewed in the proper light
- abrupt pen stops
- a “drawn” look to the signature
Brigitte Bardot next...my most fun research yet (the photos not the autographs).
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I can't say this one was the most labourious researches ever conducted...there's some eye candy to to go with the comparison of this signature:
http://auctions.emovieposter.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3226982
See my examples below
It was a difficult one to research but the one above has one thing different from all the sigs I researched, the "a" in Bardot does not look like an 'a' more like a loop (except the one identified as a fake). I also feel the one to the right of the main one may be fake too, check out how she finishes off her last 't' on all others. Anyway, this is yet another from the famous collection of autographed stills that were collected by Leonard Sorgi and then sold to the consignor; good old Leo, seems to have done very well for himself. On a positive note both consignor and auction house 'feel' it genuine, so that in itself is a COA right there and good enough reason to pass it on the bidding public.
Fortunately it's almost Christmas and it will unlikely make it as a gift that may years later prove to be a fake, should be a great reminder of a wonderful family moment past...
(http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd421/SilhouetteNSW/Just%20Photos/bardot-sigs_zpsda3ac1b5.jpg~original)
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Just posted on Mopo, and I quote:
"...So, to make certain that we only have satisfied buyers, we will give anyone who purchases any of these a 30 day return privilege (from the date the auction closes) on any of these autographed items, and of course, that gives every buyer plenty of time to be 100% certain that they have purchased a genuine autograph!
Of course, we don't want people returning items because they "changed their minds", and it is vital that any returned items must be returned safely (ideally in the same packing) and received in the exact same condition it was sent, and the return offer will expire exactly 30 days after the auction closes (because we must pay our consignors, and there will be no exceptions)."
Given that "30 day return" term was removed only a few days ago from the actual item description in the auction are you now saying that it is in fact reinstated but you are no longer are telling people during the auction? The 'no exceptions rule' means that if any items you have auctioned are proved to be fake you will not credit it but you offer a lifetime warranty on the authenticity of any posters auctioned?
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Well I can tell you that the Endless Summer one sheet poster I consigned is legit and was signed by John Van Hamersveld since I bought it from him directly from his website (http://www.post-future.com/store/pgs/tes_new.html). I paid $100 and it's only selling for $23 now, so it's quite a bargain - cheesy promo here admittedly ;)
http://auctions.emovieposter.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3226888
(http://www.posternirvana.com/0DNE2/2013-12/Perfect.jpg)
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yeah.. cheesy promo
:P
I posted to another thread
http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/board,17.0.html
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Well I can tell you that the Endless Summer one sheet poster I consigned is legit and was signed by John Van Hamersveld since I bought it from him directly. I paid $100 and it's only selling for $23 now, so it's quite a bargain - cheesy promo here admittedly ;)
Indeed, but got one...
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Just posted on Mopo, and I quote:
"...So, to make certain that we only have satisfied buyers, we will give anyone who purchases any of these a 30 day return privilege (from the date the auction closes) on any of these autographed items, and of course, that gives every buyer plenty of time to be 100% certain that they have purchased a genuine autograph!
Of course, we don't want people returning items because they "changed their minds", and it is vital that any returned items must be returned safely (ideally in the same packing) and received in the exact same condition it was sent, and the return offer will expire exactly 30 days after the auction closes (because we must pay our consignors, and there will be no exceptions)."
Given that "30 day return" term was removed only a few days ago from the actual item description in the auction are you now saying that it is in fact reinstated but you are no longer are telling people during the auction? The 'no exceptions rule' means that if any items you have auctioned are proved to be fake you will not credit it but you offer a lifetime warranty on the authenticity of any posters auctioned?
If you want to talk in a troll-free environment (because I refuse to interact with trolls), then start a thread about this in the "Dealer's Forum", and I will explain (and you are incorrect in what you write above).
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I am not going to take it 'outside', this thread started innocently enough when I questioned two autographs, the questioning of which was also agreed with by others, more expert than me - the only answer given was effectively 'you get 30 days to check out whether they are real or not'. That 'guarantee' was then questioned by someone else and almost immediately that statement was then removed from the items being auctioned. However in today's post on MoPO it re-appears as a covering statement - which bit is wrong?
Do I think you have knowingly auctioned possibly fake autographs? Absolutely not. But do I think you have done not enough to ensure their authenticity? Absolutely, and that is why I continue to post - I think it is poor form based on how you have built your brand. Given you bust your proverbials to try an ensure every poster is authentic I just can't see why you simply go on the word of the consignor when it has come to autographs and to top it off simply pass off a query by offering a lesser a guarantee than standard.
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You are wrong. The 30 day check period is exactly the same as it always was. If you think you saw it somewhere, and it is no longer there, it is because it was never there in the first place. Where is this place where you think you saw it?
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So the client has 30 days to get the signature checked and make a claim ONLY where it is written (eg I believe the Elvis sig) and for all others (where it is not written) they get a lifetime guarantee?
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No. The 30 day part could not be put on the auctions due to space limitations set by auction anything (our host). It was never on any of the auctions, so if you think you saw it there and then later saw that it wasn't there, you were hallucinating. I DID put a brief mention of it on a few auctions like the Elvis one, but that stayed as it was the entire auction.
The 30 day part DID and still does appear here:
http://www.emovieposter.com/auctions/special.php?id=20131215 (http://www.emovieposter.com/auctions/special.php?id=20131215)
This is a link on EVERY auction, from a button that says "About This Set of Auctions".
Since I knew a lot of people would not click on that, I also emailed it to EVERY registered bidder.
When the auctions end, I email it to EVERY high bidder.
So that is three ways they know it. They can then cancel any win if they want, or they can take 30 days to do so.
If you had ever emailed any of your concerns to us, we would have either canceled those items or added your information to the auctions, but you did not.
If you do before the 30 days are up, we will email the high bidders your new information and offer to cancel.
I know it is hard for you to believe, but many times we have emailed high bidders that an item is likely fake, and they say, "I like it anyway" and they keep it.
I am not an autograph expert, and feel that many of them actually work on guesswork, as you do. I don't think COAs mean anything.
I run a very special kind of autograph auction, where I solely present what I know about how each was obtained, and give buyers 30 days to cancel. I make that incredibly clear.
Those like you who do not want to participate obviously should not.
And I DO pass along along submitted added info to the bidders (which you did not do).
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Fair enough.
The 'limited' guarantee you offer, given (as was stated before) all other reputable autograph resellers provide a lifetime guarantee, yet you are only prepared to put your name to a lifetime guarantee on ALL items except autographs? To a casual observer that smacks of you not being confident of their authenticity so wanting to cover yourself with a 30 days caveat.
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You are wrong. The 30 day check period is exactly the same as it always was. If you think you saw it somewhere, and it is no longer there, it is because it was never there in the first place. Where is this place where you think you saw it?
(http://www.comic-art.com/apf/elvis_original.jpg)
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David,
I will of course ignore the troll post, but reply to yours above.
You said, "To a casual observer that smacks of you not being confident of their authenticity so wanting to cover yourself with a 30 days caveat."
My reply to that is that no, it "smacks of" NOT being an autograph expert, and distrusting many of the existing autograph experts.
I saw a 60 Minutes type segment on TV where an FBI lab guy walked around a sports memorabilia show and he said he could tell just from glancing that an easy half of the items were surely faked, and he said he would think that if he got them in a lab, maybe 90% would prove to be fake.
They also showed a guy from New York who sold COAs on just about anything for a hefty amount (maybe $50 or $100 per). They took some sports signed item he authenticated and showed it to experts who all agreed that it was fake, and they showed him that evidence, and he said "It looks good to me", and it was obvious he would authenticate ANYTHING.
I clearly post the rules, and those who don't like them don't bid. A few times I have had people try to return items after the 30 days, and of course I do so, but I tell them not to buy signed items again if they won't play by the clearly stated rules.
A high percentage of what I have is fine, anyway. Much of the few suspect items either goes for nothing, or I get emailed good convincing evidence (from a true expert, not a self-proclaimed one) and then I cancel the sale retroactively.
Like I said, simply email your concerns to us, and I will either cancel those sales or email your concerns to the high bidders.
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It's your business and how you run it is your business but if I built a house and said to the client I am not an expert renderer (stucco) so I will use a third party and instead of a 5 year guarantee I am going to give a 30 day guarantee but just on the render I am pretty sure I know what the client would say.
I have posted a number of examples that a reasonable eye would agree are worth further investigation, yet they continued to be auctioned because I have to email my query directly? Your response to my first two examples was the '30 days guarantee'. Pound of sh*t to a pinch of salt most people won't bother checking, and in reality if they do say "I like it anyway" (should tell them of yours or anyone else's concerns), would they have bid so high (or at all) if they had known beforehand or during? If you had said "Here's a Brigitte Bardot signature, it looks not much like all the other sigs we have seen out there but place your bid..." but no you sold it as the real deal and if the client comes back to you in 30 days, then you'll cover it.
I am not suggesting the Bardot is fake but geeze, you'd certainly question it before letting the hammer fall. There are examples I found where the exact same autographed item from you was re-auctioned/re-sold on eBay (they use your exact same wording too) - aren't you just perpetuating the problem by selling possible fakes?
You basically have built your entire business on a lifetime guarantee... but it seems except for autographs, and that's only because you are not an expert - well that's just not right. Why bother selling them is the obvious question. I know you have 30 mouths to feed but commercial needs aside, why sell something you admit may possibly be fake and/or not take every possible step to ensure it is not and at the very least offer the same guarantee you do on everything else?
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You basically have built your entire business on a lifetime guarantee
Where in the world did you get that from? I started the lifetime guarantee a couple of years ago, and sold around three quarters of a million items before that time.
Do I tell you to auction two items at a time? It IS my business, and I have not had any problems on the signed items, specifically because I am completely honest about the rules.
You have endless hours to do research and to attempt to make me look bad here, but you don't have the extra few minutes to cut and paste your results into one email? That is certainly disingenuous.
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Where in the world did you get that from? I started the lifetime guarantee a couple of years ago, and sold around three quarters of a million items before that time.
Do I tell you to auction two items at a time? It IS my business, and I have not had any problems on the signed items, specifically because I am completely honest about the rules.
You have endless hours to do research and to attempt to make me look bad here, but you don't have the extra few minutes to cut and paste your results into one email? That is certainly disingenuous.
Come on Bruce you're splitting hairs, when you started the guarantee doesn't matter, unless it is not retrospective. But I'll assume it is, so on that basis your entire business except autographs is now/has been built on the marketing strategy of a lifetime guarantee.
I have never attempted to make you look bad, I asked a question in the forum for 'experts' to answer, some said hmmm, you said '30 days' or if you are an expert email ("...if experts contact us while the auctions are running...") - I am not an expert. Frankly at anytime early in the piece you could have said, 'hey you could be right, we'll look into it' (why an email versus a forum post makes a difference in this case) but you let me post and you continued on with the auctions, and so I carried on posting because if you were not going to raise a red flag, I was prepared to.
(lol on the two item at a time auction comment)
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Can't we all just get along. Love one another. Big bear hugs all around now. Come on ;D
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okay Folks.. here are the answers to the remaining list of autographs I posted last week.
#13 Hattie McDaniel.... sadly, this is another Valley Forger work. first of all, Hattie's penmanship, while reasonable, was a bit messy and never as exacting as the signature here. Furthermore, you'll notice this is from the same autograph book that the Ray Bolger/Jack Haley autographs are on and if they are questionable, this can't be aby less questionable. But even more, though it looks like it was written years ago & has faded, it is in reality done with a type of paint pen that was not available until the 1970s.. So Verdict: FAKE
#14 Oliver Hardy.. FAKE! notice how the paper by the way is cornered to make it seem as if the autograph was removed from a book & cut in half.. This is a common procedure used by forgers to add another dimension to their fraud
#15 John Lennon and Yoko Ono... one way to tell fakes is when both signatures look as if the same person wrote them, which is what you can see here, with this FAKE
#16 Elvis signed record album.. so not only does the forger steal your money, he also ruins a collectible item when he puts this FAKE signature on this album...
#17 Cannonball Run cast signed poster. *sigh*
this is another example of what lots of the phony autograph sellers put over on the consumer. Look, the more autographs on an item, the less likely it is to be real. When some of the subjects are either what's called "non-cooperative" [don't sign much] or in the case of this poster, has several dead participants [they have an obvious difficulty scheduling signings] the chances that it is real get smaller & smaller. Whether there are any real autographs on this poster is meaningless when the main values, the Rat Pack autographs are complete and utter FAKES
#18 to the rest... with the exceptions noted below, everything there is 100% authentic and gotten in person by people I know or met.
the Mario Lanza is the only piece below that is from an odd collection but is a real enough autograph, but I don't know where it came from
and then we have just one other item: the Charlie Chaplin photo. This is an auto-pen signed item using a template for Chaplin's signature, circa 1920's
and David, no the Jane Russell item is not a fake. I went with a friend to the home of a former showgirl here in Vegas about 10 years ago and she had signed photos all over the home from all the entertainers she worked with or knew. There were great signed items by Sinatra & the rest of the Rat Pack, many movie stars she performed for, comedians, circus performers.. all kinds of people. My friend was buying the collection (she was ill & needed the money for medical expenses) and I bought a few including this one and an Abbott & Costello with Martha Raye. The showgirls is of course the Lee the photo is inscribed to.
and to be sure, unlike other people, when I finally sell this stuff and lots more, I 100% guarantee that everything is 100% authentic FOR LIFE, or at least as long as I'm alive and in business. I certainly will never sell an autograph I even suspect can be questionable - as should all dealers, not just myself.
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har har har.
someone emails me today and asks "do you ever get Three Stooges autographs?"
I reply "do you want authentic or fake?"
his reply "how much of a price difference is there?"
har har har.....
laugh1