Autograph AuthenticationAutograph authentication is of critical importance in the autograph collecting hobby, and the main factor when determining what an autograph is worth.Forgeries have always been a concern, but have especially increased during the explosion of interest in the sports autograph collecting hobby in the last two decades making autograph authentication a central issue. While I have seen obvious forgeries while shopping for autographs online or in-person, there are some people who are very good at their "craft". Some of them can probably sign better than the person they are actually forging in the first place! Of course, the best way to know if an autograph is genuine is to see it signed yourself! While that is an exciting encounter, it is not always possible. Reputable dealers and sports memorabilia manufacturers go to great lengths to insure authenticity in their products, so it's important to know who you're dealing with. You generally want to look for items that have tamper-proof holograms with serial numbers that match the item's certificate of authenticity. You can use these numbers for autograph verification purposes to determine if the item matches the serial number and description. In addition, an autograph certificate of authenticity, or letter of authentication that is guaranteed for life with a written money-back guarantee of is becoming essential for collectors today. Even the most reputable dealers can make a mistake, and the ones you want to do business with will stand by their product and authenticity estimation with this guarantee. Without a lifetime guarantee, however, you do not have much recourse if the autograph is determined to be fraudulent, especially if the person or company that issued the COA is no longer to be found.
Autograph Authentication ExampleTiger Woods Authentic Autograph vs. Fake Autographs
Even to a non-expert autograph authenticator (me!), the example above of an authentic Tiger Woods autograph versus two other signatures claiming to be Tiger's are disturbing. Do you see how there is no loop in the "T" on the bottom ones, and how the "T" starts below the "G"? The authentic example shows the capital letters maintaining their size, almost getting bigger as they go, where below they get dramatically smaller? Maybe they are authentic and Tiger was just having a bad signing day(s), maybe not...
Autograph Authentication 3rd Party ProvidersDo you have autographs that you would like to have authenticated through expert analysis? Below is information on two of the hobby's leading sports memorabilia and celebrity autographs authentication services.Keep in mind that even with all the expert authenticators and guru's out there, the only way you ever know for sure the autograph authentication is 100% certain is if you saw the item signed yourself!These third-party autograph authenticators do not necessarily guarantee the authenticity of the signature. They merely are providing an opinion, albeit one of a top expert in the autograph collecting field, according to their disclaimers. I don't necessarily endorse or oppose their services, this is for your information, and only you can decide. PSA/DNA sports memorabilia and celebrity autograph authentication has created a four-level security system used to authenticate and protect the integrity of authentic sports, celebrity, and music autographs. According to the
PSA/DNA website,
they have authenticated and issued psa grading for the following historical pieces and famous autographs, among others:
Mark McGwire's 1998 70th Home Run Baseball Sammy Sosa's 1998 66th Home Run Baseball Mickey Mantle's 500th Home Run Baseball Hank Aaron's Career 715th Home Run Baseball Babe Ruth "1st Home Run in Yankee Stadium" Bat
Common Fake Autographs & How to Spot ThemPreprint / ReprintA preprint/reprint of an autograph is commonly just a photo reproduction of an authentic celebrity autograph photo. These are usually easy to spot as the signature and the image in the picture are "one". Sometimes these are dummied up by heavy card printing, don't be fooled.Technology has allowed the "quality" of these to become better, and harder to spot. Sometimes the photograph is produced, with a photo-generated signature then added to the item. These can be tricky to spot by the naked eye, as they actually look raised from the image. They look unnatural under a magnifying glass, and the raised appearance is diminished. I have found that when I am not sure if the signature is printed into the photo or is genuine, most times it is a preprint..
AutopenAn autopen is a machine that is used to manufacture an almost exact copy of a person's signature. See my autopen autographs page for examples and tips on how to spot these.SecratarialI don't see these as much lately (at least I don't think so!). They are an authentic autograph, just not of the celebrity themselves!Termed secretarial due to the practice of having one's secretary sign the fan mail in the past, today's celebrities can employ teams of people to handle the ever-increasing demand and mail received at a celebrity address. Fan mail services are used to process and respond to autograph requests. There are notable celebrities that are rumored to have utilized this through the years: Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, John Travolta, Robert DeNiro, and Donald Trump to name a few. Part of me wants to applaud them for at least trying to provide a human signature, but they are fake nonetheless.
Autograph StampsCrude, messy, and ridiculous looking, these have fortunately all but gone away from the hobby. They are easy to spot as the ink will usually run or fade in spots, especially along the edges.Pathetic would probably be the best description of them.
With so many fake autographs in our hobby, collectors need to be vigilant and informed when it comes to spotting them as best as they can.
It is possible to get authentic autographs through the mail and by purchasing them from reputable sources. The Internet has created a larger marketplace for buying and selling autographs, much to the benefit of our hobby.
Even if you are collecting for fun, it's important to be sure you have authentic autographs and not fakes that can be treasured and passed down to your friends or loved ones.
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