Kodachrome or Koda-crap?

At Autograph Magazine Live, there are reports of in-person autograph hounds getting signatures on blank 8x10 computer photo paper. Why would anyone do this? First, this way the autograph hound does not have to pay in advance for a real 8x10 glossy that may or may not ever get signed. Secondly, it allows the hound to later print a photo that a celebrity would not normally sign, for instance, a nude pose.


Apparently, many of the eBay sellers who subscribe to this practice are also not disclosing to their customers that the item in question is not a real photographic print.

Of course there are problems with this. The most obvious is that it is not a “real” photographic print on quality photo stock. I suspect computer printed photos are highly likely to fade much more rapidly than a real photograph. Would you pay as much for a computer printed photo as you would for a quality print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper?

The next problem is the signature itself may be underneath the photo, which is printed on after the signature. Yuck.

And finally, it’s about ethics. It’s a sneaky way to get a signature on a pose that a celebrity would not typically sign. Why support this type of behavior? Reportedly some celebrities have caught on and are now refusing the sign blank photo paper. Good for them.

Lesson learned: Before buying a signed photo, ensure it is a real photographic print on quality photo stock.

Farewell to a friend

Dooger Friedle (bottom right) at WSUC with
other college radio station members, 1990.

My good friend, Doug Friedle, recently left this world much too soon. Doug -- or Dooger as he was known to friends -- was a real character. Cantankerous, funny, ornery, opinionated, and passionate all fit him well.

Doug loved his country, family, the Yankees, and music and not necessarily in that order.

I first met Doug at the college radio station where we formed a friendship that would last for the next 25 years. Doug LOVED being on the radio and would fill in any shift when another DJ was a no-show. He was super reliable that way.

I actually have to thank -- or blame -- Doug for getting me started in autograph collecting. A year or two after college in the early 90s, Doug and I were hanging out and he mentioned that former Yankee Stan Bahnsen was at a nearby card shop signing autographs. He asked if I wanted to check it out. I did, and the rest is history. I haven't stopped collecting since.

Throughout the 90s, Doug and I went to a bunch of card shows in the metro New York area getting autographs from many old timers as well as contemporary players. It was always a fun day out followed by a nice lunch and chatting about college days. At his wake, Doug's family left out some of his personal mementos including a binder of signed photos. Doug often asked for the photo to be personalized to him. It was bittersweet flipping through all those photos signed to him... and knowing we were together when most of them were obtained.

It's funny how one person can affect the course of another's life in the most unexpected ways. Here I am now, a dedicated collector and professional autograph authenticator, and it all started from an off-the-cuff suggestion to go see Stan Bahnsen twenty years ago.

Thanks, Dooger. You will always be missed.

ACE Authentication and CSC inducted into eBay Hall of Shame

You didn't have to be Nostradamus to see this one coming...

As of March 2, 2012, ACE Authentication and CSC Collectibles, have been added to eBay's Banned COA list.

Justin Priddy, formerly of GAI, is the owner/lead authenticator of ACE. If you see Justin Priddy at a card show, perhaps you can ask him what it feels like to join the ranks of Chris Morales, Ted Taylor, Don Frangipani and Operation Bullpen related COAs.

Perhaps Nostradamus has some insight into who else will be joining the eBay Hall of Shame shortly...

Here is the complete list of eBay banned COAs/Authenticators.

Autographed items with COAs and LOAs, or references to COAs and LOAs from the following people or organizations:

• ACE (Autograph Certification Experts)
• Coach's Corner Sports Auctions LLC
• Christopher L. Morales
• CSC Collectibles
• Donald Frangipani
• Forensic Document Services
• Hollywood Dreams
• J. DiMaggio Co. / J. DiMaggio Company
• Legends Sports Memorabilia
• Nathan's Autographs / N.E. Autographs
• Nicholas Burczyk
• Pro Sports / Pro Sports Memorabilia
• Rare and Signed.com
• Robert Prouty
• R.R.'s Sports Cards & Collectibles
• SCAA / Front Page Art / Angelo Marino
• Slamdunk Sportscards & Memorabilia
• Sports Alley Memorabilia
• Sports Management Group
• Stan's Sports / Stans Sports Memorabilia
• TTA Authentic (formerly STAT Authentic)
• Universal Memorabilia
• XMI Authentications
• USA Authentics
• Blank COAs and LOAs
• COAs and LOAs as stand-alone items
• COAs and LOAs from anyone listed on the FBI's Operation Bullpen web site
  
  

Happy Second Anniversary to the CBCA!

The Comic Book Collecting Association is now two years old. With over 100 members on four continents, the organization is growing, but we could always use energized new members!

Here is the Winter 2012 Comic Book Quarterly Newsletter for your reading pleasure.

If you'd like to talk comics or are interested in joining, check out the CBCA Forum.

Steiner COA with half fake Rivera

Authentic Steiner Rivera signature with suspect inscription.

I recently saw this Mariano Rivera signed ball on eBay with a Steiner hologram and COA card.

In my opinion, the signature is 100% legit as one would expect from Steiner. However, something wasn't quite right about it. I think the "Enter Sandman" inscription has been forged.

The inscription appears tentative and does not match well with authentic exemplars. Further, the postioning of "Mariano Rivera" could indicate that it was signed with no intent to add an inscription below the name. Often, Rivera will sign higher on the ball when he plans to add an inscription below.

Authentic Steiner Rivera with authentic inscription

For your comparison, I have included a Steiner certified ball with an authentic "Enter Sandman" inscription.

Sadly, the lesson is that we must closely examine everything. Crooks are out to make money every way they can... including adding fake inscriptions to authentically signed items.

A Stoner COA

On January 10, I wrote about junk COA whack-a-mole. When one phony-baloney COA gets banned from eBay, another cheeseball COA will soon appear.

Exhibit A: Certificates of Authenticity from Michael A. Stoner, Esq. Does anyone know this guy? Who goes to a lawyer to authenticate or buy an autograph?

What's next, Marcus Welby, MD COAs?

American Royal Arts: The Aftermath

This is a fascinating tale of fraud and greed.

No happy ending thus far, but hopefully justice will eventually be served.

CSC Collectibles COA = Junk

I recommend you avoid items with the CSC Collectibles Certificate of Authenticity / hologram. These worthless COAs appear on the same junky fakes we've seen with the equally worthless Nicholas Burczyk COAs.

I suspect it won't be long before this rubbish COA is banned from eBay as well. Sadly, the criminals who produce these fakes will just produce another phony-baloney authentication COA to slap on the bilge they pump out. It's like COA "whack-a-mole."

One thing to note about these mass-produced fakes is some of them are on 5x7 photos. Now, if you paid big bucks for a private signing with Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams, would you waste it by having them sign offsize and unpopular 5x7 photos? Of course not. The forgers are so cheap, they probably use 5x7s to reduce costs.

It's even worthless as toilet paper.

Global Authentics + Steve Sipe and Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is my favorite NY Yankee -- he's my Mickey Mantle. (Sorry Jete, I like you too, but you were a bit too much of a teen idol to be MY favorite.) So, I enjoy collecting Rivera signed items and peruse eBay almost daily. Over time, I've gotten a pretty good eye for what constitutes an authentic Rivera and what the clunkers look like.

For many months, there has been an endless stream of Mariano Rivera signed items with Global Authentics / Steve Sipe certificates. There are 20 - 30 of these on eBay at any given time and they all look strikingly similar. Here are a few examples of Global Authentics / Steve Sipe certified Mariano Rivera items:

Can anyone produce known authentic exemplars that compare well to the items above?

Just for comparison's sake, here is a ball signed through Steiner Sports:

Now to resume our regularly scheduled programming

The last few months have been very hectic... I'm really going to try blogging more regularly in 2012. It's not that I don't enjoy it, I just need to be more disciplined!

Forever in our hearts

This is how I like to think of the World Trade Center -- gleaming against a flawless sky.

The Towers have been gone 10 long years now, along with all of those whose lives were cut short. So much promise and opportunity lost.

The people who worked there were regular folks who only wanted to provide for their families: accountants, maintenance, cafeteria workers, clerks, insurance agents, people who answered phones. The kind of people who'd see the back page of your NY Post and strike up a conversation on the elevator. You think Bernie has a shot at the Hall of Fame?

I understand the desire for memorial services honoring the 10th anniversary of the attack. However, for people who were there, not a day passes where there isn't some remembrance. Sometimes it's a dull ache. Sometimes it's a sharp pain. Most often, it's a whisper in the wind... a sad remembrance of a long lost friend.

I won't be watching any of the ceremonies today. My wife and I spent the morning helping the victims of flooding due to Hurricane Irene. This afternoon I'll enjoy the kids and settle in with a cold beer and a Yankee game.

But it's hard not to drift back. Think about how it could have been me gone for 10 years now. Think about their last terrible moments. The last thoughts that crossed their minds. They just wanted to go home one more time.

Worst Mickey Mantle signed item. Ever.

I laughed when I saw this on eBay recently.

Real signature, yet totally undesirable. With all due respect to the man in the photo, who would ever want this except for him? I suppose it could be used for a cut if it was cheap enough.

And why does it look like a photo from the mid-60s instead of the mid-70s?