And, it's back.

The Neil Armstrong signed shuttle lithograph I wrote about last week -- yes, the one that sold for $1,830.61.

Well, it's back again. This time for a princely $3,400 Buy It Now.

LOL. Gotta love it.

Neil Armstrong autograph: High on grade, low on context

This signed photo closed for $1,830 on eBay last night. Two months ago it sold at RR Auction for $1,150, which is a price one would expect considering the Space Shuttle photo is un-related to Neil Armstrong. (Kinda like having Mickey Mantle sign a photo of Wrigley Field.)

RR Auction always commands strong prices and has a great reputation for authenticity, so those were not likely issues. So one could conclude the only difference between the first sale and the second sale is the PSA/DNA "9" grade. (However, the eBay sale did not mention creasing, which was noted in the RR Auction listing.) Are people really chasing "graded" autographs now? While it is undoubtedly authentic and a very nice signature, wouldn't you rather have a "6" that is on a photo representative of Neil Armstrong?

Full disclosure department: I am the space authenticator for RR Auction.

Advice for "investing" in collectibles

I don't consider my collectibles an "investment," but when I spend money on something, it would be nice to get something back out of it down the line when it's time to sell.

With this in mind, I advise avoiding mass-produced material as much as possible. By that I mean single signed balls of common signers, common signed flats, etc. If it has a Steiner sticker, it's probably not rare.

Go for items that are less common. If you really want a signed item from someone who is in plentiful supply, get one with a less common inscription. This applies to all collectibles, not just baseball autographs.

Derek Jeter may be signing baseballs for another 50 years.
Will you ever get $400 back out of it?

If I could tell go back in time and give myself one bit of collecting advice, it would be, "one $200 item is way better than ten $20 items."

Neil Armstrong autograph values hold steady

This photo closed on eBay today for $1,212. A strong result for a personalized photo with condition issues.

To top it off, it's not even an image of Neil Armstrong.

Since his passing in August, so much Armstrong material entered the market, I was wondering if prices would actually drop. Yet demand seems to have increased resulting in values holding steady.

Julien's Michael Jackson auction controversy

The story originally broke on Autograph Magazine Live, and it has now been picked up by the national media. Are the Michael Jackson signatures from The Collection of Tompkins and Bush forgeries?

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Note that Julien's Auctions filed a Copyright Infringement Claim against Autograph Magazine Live (AML) for images used from the Tompkins & Bush sale. AML contends they are allowed to use them under Fair Use laws for discussion and criticism, and AML is filing a counterclaim.

How to tell authentic autographs from fakes

Very often you'll see a collector ask something along the lines of, "How can I tell a real [fill-in-the-blank] autograph from fakes?" It seems as though the person expects to receive an answer such as, "If the third stroke of the M is more than 1.5 inches long, it's fake."

Of course, it is not that simple. There are no shortcuts or magic tells. Most anyone can identify grossly malformed fakes. But to be really good and identify the relatively deceptive fakes, you need to train your eyes to recognize the proper look and feel. And this is not something that can be accomplished overnight. In other words, it requires work and dedication.

So, how do you "train your eye"?

• Look at hundreds of authentic exemplars. Look at them every day for a long time. And make sure you are using verified authentic exemplars!
• Do side-by-side comparisons with known fakes.
• Don't focus solely on "shape." Look at speed and pressure and other subtle characteristics. Good forgers can closely replicate "shape," but it's much more difficult to replicate the subtle characteristics.
• Look for a loose, relaxed hand that intuitively and instinctively signed versus a tight hand "drawing" the signature with too much "thinking."
• Network with experienced collectors and dealers to compare notes and ask questions.

Follow these steps and eventually the signature will "click," and you will see the difference between authentic and good fakes.

The UACC's Pen & Quill Magazine, November 2012

The latest issue of the UACC Magazine Pen & Quill is arriving at member homes. A tip of the cap to the team and editor Tricia Eaton for the November issue, which rounds out a year of terrific issues.

It features articles on Godfather autographs, FDR, the Presidential candidates, and the Marx Brothers. Also a Neil Armstrong autograph article by yours truly.

For those who may not know, the Pen & Quill is the official publication of the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC). It is available to members of the UACC. For more info on the UACC, go to www.uacc.org.

RR Fall 2012 Space Auction

A lot of great items in the upcoming RR Fall Space & Aviation Auction. It's a privilege and honor to review some of these historical artifacts. The flown and signed Apollo 11 Flag Presentation is probably my favorite.

Removed personalization on baseballs

Removing, or “washing,” a personalization from a photo has been a common occurrence for a long time.  If done correctly and pen and paper conditions are right, it is undetectable. Now it appears it is also possible to remove a personalization from a signed baseball.

I saw this Mariano Rivera signed ball on eBay for a very reasonable Buy-It-Now. I was seconds away from clicking the button to snap it up when I saw mention of a removed personalization in the auction description. It was near the bottom of the description, but to the seller’s credit they were disclosing there was a removed personalization. On closer inspection, you can see remnants of the previous ink in the bottom of the World Series logo. If you look really close, you can see the indentation from the previous writing.

It is my understanding that the previous writing is not really removed; rather it is airbrushed over with a near exact matching color. In hand, you’d think the painted area would have a different look and sheen, but unless I could get one real cheap, I’m not willing to invest in a ball with a washed personalization.

Neil Armstrong, 1930-2012. Patriot, pioneer, hero.

Words cannot express the admiration I had for Neil Armstrong. Patriot, pioneer and hero.

Farewell, Sally Ride - 1951-2012

Not only was she a great American and a pioneer, she was a very good friend to autograph collectors.

Rest in peace, Dr. Ride.

James Stewart - Suspected Forgery Style Alert

Over the past few months I have noted an explosion of this James Stewart signature style on eBay. It seems as if some sellers have an endless supply of these signatures and they all have the same unusual characteristics.

• A sharp, "jerky" appearance
• Letters smashed together with poor letter definition
• Odd spacing between letters
• Never personalized
• Many of them do not appear to be on glossy photos... they are on cardstock prints

I have consulted with other experienced collectors and autograph industry professionals -- the consensus is these signatures are highly suspect.

Note this suspect style also appears on Harvey sketches.