Buyer's Guide | [See Our Memorabilia]

Forgeries

A forgery is when someone fakes a signature for the purpose of selling it to another under false pretenses. Some forgeries are excellent and can fool the most knowledgeable experts, however, most forgers are as unskilled as they are greedy and unethical. Many autograph dealers start with honorable intentions but as they realise how hard it is to obtain signatures they slip into bad habits which inevitably affects their business and reputation!

The hardest signatures to forge are those where the pen doesn't leave the paper from beginning to end, because, once he has started, the forger has to continue until he reaches the end. When the pen leaves the paper several times, the forger can do his work in short bursts, which is much easier. Short, simple signatures like, for instance, those of Alonso, Lampard and Nakata are easily forged. It is worth looking through an ebay seller's other items for more complex signatures to see how they stand up to scrutiny.

Look for the tilt and size of the signature. Most people are very consistent in the size and tilt or angle of their signature. Stay away from a signature that varies greatly from known authentic exemplars. Although most forgers make no more than a nominal attempt to copy genuine signatures and their efforts are fairly easy to distinguish from the real thing, there are nevertheless some very accomplished forgers around. It's important to spend at least as much time investigating the seller as is spent on examining the autograph. Look for tell tale signs...why are they selling a signed item on ebay and taking the picture from a far so its not as easy to see the signature...email and ask them for a close up scan! Also were possible ask them for proof, video and photo proof are vital tools to distinguish honourable from bogus sellers.

Let’s use the following Gerrard signatures to explain a few differences. A Real Gerrard signed Champions League photo is worth £60+...don't think because a signature is cheap on ebay your getting a bargain; chances are your getting a fake! The examples below are real Gerrard signatures....We recently went through 180+ signed Gerrard products on ebay and found 2 real ones!

Notice the "S" is pretty consistent at the start. Although autographs do differ slightly and no two graphs are ever the same there are certain things that never change, e.g. angles of the loops etc
Player’s autographs can change over the years as well. A newcomer eager and flattered to be asked for an autograph, to famous players who'd rather not be bothered with what they see as a tiresome task, his obligation to the public, his signature travels on a downward spiral from neat to messy. Also a trade gimme that overseas players that join the Premiership are happy to sign and sign and sign but over time wise up to the fact that autograph dealers are profiting from their good nature.

Auto pen

A mechanical device that "signs" flat objects such as photos, cards, letters, etc. A writing instrument is inserted into the mechanical armature and the device "signs" a name using a preprogrammed pattern (matrix) that simulates the person's real signature. Almost any type of pen can be used by an Auto pen. (Note: Auto pen is capitalized because it's the brand name of the device.) Good Auto pens can be difficult to detect.

Exact matches - Auto pen signatures match each other exactly. This does not occur with real signatures. Sign your name a million times and no two signatures will be EXACTLY the same. If two signatures match exactly they are Auto pen signatures. Of course you need 2 samples of the signature to conduct this test. Publications like Pen & Quill, Autograph Collector and Autograph Times frequently publish known Auto pen patterns. George Bush typically sends Auto penned photos -- some signed with a fine point marker, others signed with a thicker Sharpie. At first glance they may appear to be different signatures, but they match exactly. It's just a different type of pen that was used in the Auto pen machine.

Preprints

Preprints are usually fairly easy to detect. A preprint is simply a photographic copy of an original signed photograph. On a preprint, the signature often appears to be below the surface gloss of the photo and the signature is often very "flat." To test, hold the photo up at an angle to a light source -- a real signature is written on the surface of the photo and should have a different level of reflectivity than the rest of the surface.

A preprint will blend right in with the surface because it's underneath the surface gloss. Obviously, preprint signatures will match exactly, AND the signature will be in the same exact place on each photo. Depending on the background color and contrast in the photo, some preprints are easier to detect than others.

Autograph Buying tips

• Don't be blinded by an ebayers startling feedback, doesn't make a fake signature real!
• Always when possible ask for photo proof/video proof or detailed history of where the signature has come from.
• Talk to people in the trade, visit memorabilia shows, learn about the industry! You'll find the good guys stick together & are happy to recommend other genuine sellers!
• Honourable dealers are often happy to chat about there passion for hours. Pick up the phone and speak to people.
• If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is!
• Be wary of dealers that have been using the same proof pics for years or even worse have none to show you!

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