Later today, I will post another database for comparisons. I am still
working on it. It will have at least 200 signatures on it to start (I
did the first three catalogs which were the ones with the least amount
of sigs in there and have 6 more which are jammed packed). I urge
people to start looking at the ones with two or three exemplars on
them. You will notice a lot of stuff.
No signatures will ever look identical.
Some signatures are done smaller because they put them on white space
or something and so are not the "usual" sig
Some signatures are fatter (use of pen vs something else)
Some signatures are nicknames, initiials etc while some are full.
Some signatures change over time from distinctive letters spelled out
to turning into squiggles
Some signatures from the older days are more carefully done than
current signatures and therefore make discerning fakes easier.
Squiggles make it much harder.
Some signatures have fades, writing over the top where
pens/markers/paint didn't work right or skipped and the alteration is
drastic and could be considered fake when it's not.
Some signatures are rushed while others are not; which makes them look
drasitcally different.
Some signatures are written in business hand rather than fan hand.
Some signatures which are in hands of even the highest auction houses
can be suspect. Nobody is exempt from that.
Nobody here is an "expert". You have to give leeway but if many many
items are questionable, or business practices, that is a "most likely"
scenario. Such may be the case when someone is told they have fakes
(and it's pretty reasonable assumption when something is multi-signed
and not one signature looks good) and keeps trying to sell it.... that
is called a bad business practice.
You need to look for certain identifying signs when examining
signatures. Other clues relate to stop/start line (not always but
majority), pooling (hesitation happens with celebs but probably not
often so majority of the time huge pooling is sign of a potential
problem where forger hesitates), continuity of lines (follow them to
see if any are backwards or possibly from say a left handed person
when the celeb is right handed), slant/lean, scale (not always as
indicated by my post with whitespace etc). You see, there are many
factors for good and bad and NONE of them are an exact science.
People have brain farts (heistation/pooling), are mad or rushed, are
super happy and add flourishes, are bored or looking elsewhere and
drop the tails of sigs... deliberately sign odd, use business sig by
accident, sign Star Wars stuff by accident (or give in to a relentless
fan), you just NEVER KNOW.
And you SHOULD be looking at several examples. Not just one that was
obtained in person by you. Though a pretty good indicator and ok on
SOME sigs (for example, when NOTHING in the sig is close and you've
got something else behind you to suspect forgery like a lie, bad
feedback, others mentioning problems etc) then ok; but most times you
do NOT know. So tread very carefully. You could ruin someone's
business. However, if you can determine they are "most likely" bad,
by all means, spread the word but attach it as "it's my OPINION" and
don't say it as fact.
Those are my two cents. I am no expert. I will give an educated guess
only and only on stuff I know. I never touch sports or any of that.
I believe that even though only and educated guess (which is what I do
for myself and I do have a few problem pieces in there which I took
chances on), it gives me peace. On those I took chances on or others
gave me, they remain in the collection with a caveat. However, I keep
them because I just don't know; or are a good reminder. And some are
worth taking a chance on. If the price is right and it's a rare
thing... if you can afford the lose the money, take the chance and
keep it till proven otherwise. If someday someone says you can't sell
it at Christies as it's fake, well, you didn't lose money. But don't
just buy and sell on Ebay when you don't know! If you aren't sure, DO
NOT sell it! It's just wrong to hurt your fellow man like that. Be
kind.
I am done. Phew.
On Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:20:04 -0700 (PDT), stricklercelebs
Post by stricklercelebsPost by Gummby3Since you never quote, I can't tell if you are responding to my
post, Strickler's post or everybody's at once, so I'm responding.
If are saying the one I have is forged, again because I can't tell
who you are responding to, then you are wrong. ?The "man" is Anthony
Michael Hall. ?He signed my legit autograph at Trek Expo 2003 in
Tulsa OK. ?The scan at Strickler matched exactly. ?If this was not
in response to my post, again, I could not tell.
--
Mike
Gummby3
-= Star Collector =-www.star-collector.net
Celebrity addresses the way they should be - free.
Hi Mike (Gummby3)....the Anthony Michael Hall was signed for me in
Memphis a few years ago. As well, the Bening was signed in-person for
my wife as a matter of fact here in Baltimore. The Hathaway...right
now, I don't remember where it was signed, frankly. It probably was
from the McCracken collection I purchased at the auction last year.