Sometimes memorabilia dealers sell fake autographs! Is that terrible? Yes, it is! We don’t like it, and we don’t do it. But in this crazy world we live in where many people are money-hungry, fake autographs exist. Ideally, you don’t pay for something that’s not authentic, right? What are some signs a memorabilia dealer is signing fake autographs?
1) First, look for patterns and similarities across items. For instance, if you look at different items from different people yet the signature, type of pen used, and/or medium used all look remarkably similar, then something’s fishy. Why would the autograph of one man look just like that of another? It wouldn’t! Not unless the same actual person was faking a whole bunch of autographs on different pieces,
2) Next, consider the medium and whether or not a seller’s inventory seems suspect. For instance, it can be easy to forge signatures on easy to create mediums such as photos, programs, books and pieces of paper. But it wouldn’t be so easy to fake signatures on dramatically diverse items in a collection, such as personal checks, contracts, letters, and official documents. If and when inventory looks too common, like it could have been easily created or reproduced to dupe you, a red flag should go up.
3) Thirdly, if an autograph is supposed to be from a long, long time ago, it should have a distinctive and natural look to it. Oftentimes, however, forgers will use modern fountain pens to create a signature that looks vintage. That said, the ink from today doesn’t look like ink that has aged for several decades. Sometimes you can tell that the forger traced an autograph. Or natural characteristics in certain letters may be missing or unnatural.
4) Also, if prices seem strangely low for an autographed item, chances are it’s a fake. You can get an idea for the true value for most pieces by doing some research. If a certain sportsman’s autograph is going for $500 on several eBay items, but a memorabilia dealer is offering his autographed items for $200, something’s fishy.
Finally, it always helps if there’s a third party independent authentication service (like JSA or PSA) involved that can verify, for sure, that an autograph is authentic.
If you’re looking for the best autographed Kansas Jayhawk memorabilia, contact Framewoods Gallery today.
