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)
Autograph collecting can be fun and rewarding for everyone if a few
simple precautions are taken. Be sure to read this guide and spend some
time educating yourself before bidding. Ebay does not do a good job of
policing sellers. Do you really want to spend your money to buy an item
that later will be worthless? Of course not!
Improve your search results:
When you search on eBay (or any most any site) be sure to use modified searches and use the dash to remove unwanted results:
-rp -pp -reprint -preprint -print -rpnt
The minus sign omits the results including the word after it and be sure to make sure you clear the box that states search 'title and description' because many legitimate dealers state that they do not sell reprints in their item descriptions and this search would then exclude them from the results as well.
A Johnny Depp search example:
johnny depp signed photo -rp -pp -reprint -preprint -print -rpnt
We also recommend changing the 'sort by' field from 'Best Match' to ending first. Otherwise you will miss out on really great items from sellers that are not Top Rated sellers.
This is how we search anytime autographs are involved. Some preprints will still show up (just a few from sellers who try to trick buyers) but try a search with and without the string and see the difference. It will be dramatic!
2. RESEARCH- Search Google for autograph collecting web sites. Ask them lots of questions. Buy a book or two on autograph collecting. Buy a few books on autograph authentication. The worst place to try and educate yourself on authentic autographs would be eBay.
3. DON'T RELY ON A COA. They NEVER prove an item is authentic (everybody who sells autographs (authentic or not) issues a COA. There are a few exceptions to this rule- GAI, GA, JSA and PSA/DNA COAs' provide proof that the item is most likely genuine. They have thoroughly examined the item and compared it to their in-person database thereby weeding out most bad stuff. We know the authenticators make mistakes but the odds are better that a certified item is authentic in most instances.
Make sure any COA has the sellers full name and contact details including phone number.
4. GET TO KNOW THE SELLER- Check the seller's feedback and history on eBay. Check out their current and completed items. Are they constantly listing high profile and very rare autographs every week? Look at the autographs. Are the signatures unique or do they all seem to look very similar? It is very obvious when the same 'hand' has signed most of the items. The best guarantee a buyer has for autographs is the credibility and experience of the dealer and the probability of the dealer being in business in the future. Stay away from sellers who state they obtain their autographs from celebrities agents or managers. That is complete rubbish. Autographs are not obtained that way and you would be surprised how many agents and managers become angered when you ask for an autograph in-person (one exception is of course MAJOR charities especially those endorsed by that specific celebrity).
5. ASK QUESTIONS - An honest seller will have nothing to hide and will not get defensive. I sometimes contact sellers of forgeries to see what they will say and the stories about how they obtained their forgeries are often amazing.
6. DON'T USE FEEDBACK SCORES TO DETERMINE AUTHENTICITY- it has come to our attention that some novice autograph buyers determine if they can trust that a sellers items are authentic based solely on their feedback score. Please do not do this. Many sellers of forgeries have perfect feedback. The collectors who know authentic autographs are not going to buy from the forgers and thus they will receive no feedback warning you of their dubious practices.
Feedback is really only a place to find out if the seller keeps their promises regarding item descriptions, shipping speed and customer service. Remember, high positive feedback numbers only prove a seller has fulfilled their obligations to the seller (and this is important for sure). However, feedback scores rarely prove that the seller lists authentic material.
7. $9.99 AUTOGRAPHS- Authentic autographs do not sell for $9.99 (obviously a dealer might throw some autographs up at that price once in awhile and there is one well known and highly trusted dealer that does this every week but that is the exception). Lets do the math, a lab developed photo itself costs around $2.00. That leaves $7.99. Subtract the eBay and Paypal fees and that leaves about $5.80. Do you really think a person would wait all day to get an item signed and then only ask for $5.80 profit for the time and trouble? No! We need to be realistic here.
Additionally, an inexpensive Buy-It-Now price shows the dealer has no confidence (or simply knows it is not authentic) in the autograph he/she is selling and is often a sure sign it is a forgery! One example of this would be a Harrison Ford autograph. An authentic Ford photo would sell starting at $300-$500 depending on the pose. I have seen dealers on eBay (and other sites) selling his autograph for $49 and sometimes with the 'make an offer' option on top of that ridiculous price. The items were obvious forgeries but if they sell them, think of the profit they make.
8. ONCE THE ITEM ARRIVES- Analyze the autograph to make sure that it is not a preprint (photos, books and letters only). To test photos, simply hold the photo at an angle to nice bright light. A real ink signature will actually be on top of the photo and will reflect differently than the rest the photo. A preprinted autograph will reflect exactly the same as the photo and will look as though it is actually part of the photo. Once you see this for the first time you will be able to locate these easily. Books and letters are more difficult but the process is basically the same.
If you are comparing two or more autographs be sure to turn them upside down first. It makes it stops your mind from 'reading' the signature and makes it easier to spot the differences.
9. THINK ABOUT INK- It is easy to fake a signature using a paint pen as it often hides the specific traits of the signers autograph. The felt tip pen has only been around since the 1960s (first Sharpie was made in 1964) and the metallic silver sharpie was introduced in 2002. Any autograph before 1960 will be in pencil or pen. Watch out for items signed in paint pen. The paint pen is a pain (it often will not work) and takes way too long to dry. You can imagine what would happen to an autograph obtained in paint pen in a big crowd that is out of control. Most collectors never use them (private signing are an exception of course). Also watch out for items signed in odd colors. The forgers seem to like using some weird paint pen colors (especially on multiple signed forgeries). Most in person guys use blue or black sharpie and the occasional silver sharpie.
10. UTILIZE AN AUTHENTICATION SERVICE- PSA/DNA and GA will check any eBay auction and now you can send them most any item for sale anywhere and give you their opinion on the possible authenticity of the item. This can be done long before you bid and they usually respond in 24-48 hours. This service costs less than $10. Check their websites for details.
UPDATE: Please only use eBay approved authenticators. (I had more info here but was threatened with legal action when I told the truth about each authenticator).
11. PRIVATE FEEDBACK- If an eBay seller has made their feedback private, just move along to another seller. There is no reason for private feedback other than to hide feedback that exposes a seller as a forger or to hide the unlimited supply of forgeries they have listed. These sellers often state they are protecting their bidders privacy by doing this. Ebay takes care of bidder privacy already. NEVER BID ON AUTOGRAPHED ITEMS FROM SELLERS WITH PRIVATE FEEDBACK! EVER!!!
UPDATE: watch out for sellers that immediately remove the photo from the listing after you pay (or sooner). I have found a few of these sellers that use 3rd party picture hosting services and as soon as you pay they pull down the photo of the item your won. Very very sneaky. This keeps you from knowing if the item you received is the one you actually bid on and quickly removes all visual evidence of the transaction thus protecting the seller from being discovered as a forger.
12 RETURN POLICY - make sure the dealer has a return policy that they will stand behind. Also make sure they are a legitimate dealer with a website and easy to locate contact information including a phone number.
13. EBAY DROP-OFF FRANCHISES- these guys help you sell your item on eBay, some unscrupulous forgers are using these outlets to sell their fake goods. They drop off their fake items to these stores and the stores sell them without thought because they are not autograph experts and simply list anything that is not prohibited in order to earn their commission. The forger makes a nice profit selling a worthless item without having to take responsibility for the item. As usual, do some research and compare the autograph to known good examples.
14. BE CAREFUL WITH THE UACC or AFTAL- just because a seller is a registered UACC or AFTAL dealer it does not automatically mean their inventory is all authentic. Remember, these organizations do not guarantee the authenticity of the autographs that are sold by its registered dealers. You still need to do your research on each and every autograph you purchase no matter the source.
15. LIMIT YOUR SOURCES- the more sellers you buy autographs from the more you increase your risk of buying autograph forgeries. Keep autograph purchases to a small group of quality reputable dealers!
16. MANY SELLERS ARE SIMPLY FORGERS OR HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING- very few eBay sellers list authentic autographs. Many simply list forgeries (either on purpose or due to ignorance). On occasion a seller here and there will list an authentic autograph for sale. However, authentic autographs are just not available in the quantities you see on eBay/ the web. What makes this problem worse is that other eBay sellers buy these low priced forgeries (believing they are authentic and somehow got a great deal) and then try to resell them on eBay/ the Web via their accounts and then these forgeries propagate all over eBay/the Web. It is a real mess. Would you really buy an autograph from some account that usually sells totally unrelated items or that has an account name that implies they are experts in some other field but is now suddenly listing autographs.
17. PHOTOS WITH/ PROOF PHOTOS- more and more forgers are using ‘proof photos’ to try and trick unsuspecting buyers. They steal an image of the celebrity signing or they met the celebrity and got a photo and autograph but kept it for themselves and now use the proof photo to peddle forgeries. In my opinion the only time a proof photo can be implicitly trusted is when the seller has a photo of the celebrity signing the EXACT item listed for sale.
18. PRIVATE AUCTIONS- if a seller has made their auctions private you must simply move along. There is absolutely NO REASON for private auctions other than to hide something nefarious.
To be fair, there are many legitimate in-person collectors who sell authentic autographs and use proof photos that only show that they were near or met the celebrity. We do this ourselves. Getting a shot of a celebrity signing the exact item is a nightmare. Especially if you are trying to fight a crowd and get more than one item signed. In this case, the proof photo at least gives credibility that the seller is out in the streets collecting autographs in-person. It just should not be trusted as the sole reason to purchase from a seller.
REMEMBER: ANYBODY CAN SIGN UP FOR EBAY/A WEBSITE/IOFFER/ EBID & ETC, BUY SOME 8X10 PHOTOS, SCRIBBLE SOME WORDS AND THEY ARE INSTANTLY AN AUTOGRAPH SELLER. I CAN ASSURE YOU IF ALL THE FORGERIES WERE REMOVED FROM EBAY/ THE WEB THERE WOULD ONLY BE A FEW OF US LEFT WITH INVENTORY TO SELL.
ONE LAST WORD:
There are many autographs that just don’t exist in any real quantities. How about Charlize Theron, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, Mel Gibson, Salma Hayek, Megan Fox, Daniel Day Lewis, Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston, Britney Spears, Clint Eastwood, Jim Carrey, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchet, Madonna, Justn Bieber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Twilight Cast, Jimmy Page, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, Janet Jackson, Bob Dylan, Tool, or Jerry Garcia autographs just to name a few? Or even better, a Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead or the Beatles by the entire band? If you want bogus stuff there are people selling multiples of these week after week.
Purchasing autographs on the internet is definitely not recommended for the novice collector as you will most certainly purchase fake autographs (Unless you buy from us or a very small handful of other trusted dealers and in-person collectors.).
Your best bet is to buy from us!
To all readers of this guide, if you found this information useful a YES vote would be appreciated.
We hope this has helped you!
Sincerely,
World of Autographs
TIME TO EDUCATE YOURSELF:
1. READ THE AUCTION DESCRIPTION COMPLETELY - Make sure that the autograph isn't being described as a preprint, reprint or copy. There are MANY sellers of these illegal duplications on eBay. Unfortunately, eBay wants money so they allow this illegal junk to be listed (sadly, I see this junk on Amazon, eBid and Bonanza as well).Improve your search results:
When you search on eBay (or any most any site) be sure to use modified searches and use the dash to remove unwanted results:
-rp -pp -reprint -preprint -print -rpnt
The minus sign omits the results including the word after it and be sure to make sure you clear the box that states search 'title and description' because many legitimate dealers state that they do not sell reprints in their item descriptions and this search would then exclude them from the results as well.
A Johnny Depp search example:
johnny depp signed photo -rp -pp -reprint -preprint -print -rpnt
We also recommend changing the 'sort by' field from 'Best Match' to ending first. Otherwise you will miss out on really great items from sellers that are not Top Rated sellers.
This is how we search anytime autographs are involved. Some preprints will still show up (just a few from sellers who try to trick buyers) but try a search with and without the string and see the difference. It will be dramatic!
2. RESEARCH- Search Google for autograph collecting web sites. Ask them lots of questions. Buy a book or two on autograph collecting. Buy a few books on autograph authentication. The worst place to try and educate yourself on authentic autographs would be eBay.
3. DON'T RELY ON A COA. They NEVER prove an item is authentic (everybody who sells autographs (authentic or not) issues a COA. There are a few exceptions to this rule- GAI, GA, JSA and PSA/DNA COAs' provide proof that the item is most likely genuine. They have thoroughly examined the item and compared it to their in-person database thereby weeding out most bad stuff. We know the authenticators make mistakes but the odds are better that a certified item is authentic in most instances.
Make sure any COA has the sellers full name and contact details including phone number.
4. GET TO KNOW THE SELLER- Check the seller's feedback and history on eBay. Check out their current and completed items. Are they constantly listing high profile and very rare autographs every week? Look at the autographs. Are the signatures unique or do they all seem to look very similar? It is very obvious when the same 'hand' has signed most of the items. The best guarantee a buyer has for autographs is the credibility and experience of the dealer and the probability of the dealer being in business in the future. Stay away from sellers who state they obtain their autographs from celebrities agents or managers. That is complete rubbish. Autographs are not obtained that way and you would be surprised how many agents and managers become angered when you ask for an autograph in-person (one exception is of course MAJOR charities especially those endorsed by that specific celebrity).
5. ASK QUESTIONS - An honest seller will have nothing to hide and will not get defensive. I sometimes contact sellers of forgeries to see what they will say and the stories about how they obtained their forgeries are often amazing.
6. DON'T USE FEEDBACK SCORES TO DETERMINE AUTHENTICITY- it has come to our attention that some novice autograph buyers determine if they can trust that a sellers items are authentic based solely on their feedback score. Please do not do this. Many sellers of forgeries have perfect feedback. The collectors who know authentic autographs are not going to buy from the forgers and thus they will receive no feedback warning you of their dubious practices.
Feedback is really only a place to find out if the seller keeps their promises regarding item descriptions, shipping speed and customer service. Remember, high positive feedback numbers only prove a seller has fulfilled their obligations to the seller (and this is important for sure). However, feedback scores rarely prove that the seller lists authentic material.
7. $9.99 AUTOGRAPHS- Authentic autographs do not sell for $9.99 (obviously a dealer might throw some autographs up at that price once in awhile and there is one well known and highly trusted dealer that does this every week but that is the exception). Lets do the math, a lab developed photo itself costs around $2.00. That leaves $7.99. Subtract the eBay and Paypal fees and that leaves about $5.80. Do you really think a person would wait all day to get an item signed and then only ask for $5.80 profit for the time and trouble? No! We need to be realistic here.
Additionally, an inexpensive Buy-It-Now price shows the dealer has no confidence (or simply knows it is not authentic) in the autograph he/she is selling and is often a sure sign it is a forgery! One example of this would be a Harrison Ford autograph. An authentic Ford photo would sell starting at $300-$500 depending on the pose. I have seen dealers on eBay (and other sites) selling his autograph for $49 and sometimes with the 'make an offer' option on top of that ridiculous price. The items were obvious forgeries but if they sell them, think of the profit they make.
8. ONCE THE ITEM ARRIVES- Analyze the autograph to make sure that it is not a preprint (photos, books and letters only). To test photos, simply hold the photo at an angle to nice bright light. A real ink signature will actually be on top of the photo and will reflect differently than the rest the photo. A preprinted autograph will reflect exactly the same as the photo and will look as though it is actually part of the photo. Once you see this for the first time you will be able to locate these easily. Books and letters are more difficult but the process is basically the same.
If you are comparing two or more autographs be sure to turn them upside down first. It makes it stops your mind from 'reading' the signature and makes it easier to spot the differences.
9. THINK ABOUT INK- It is easy to fake a signature using a paint pen as it often hides the specific traits of the signers autograph. The felt tip pen has only been around since the 1960s (first Sharpie was made in 1964) and the metallic silver sharpie was introduced in 2002. Any autograph before 1960 will be in pencil or pen. Watch out for items signed in paint pen. The paint pen is a pain (it often will not work) and takes way too long to dry. You can imagine what would happen to an autograph obtained in paint pen in a big crowd that is out of control. Most collectors never use them (private signing are an exception of course). Also watch out for items signed in odd colors. The forgers seem to like using some weird paint pen colors (especially on multiple signed forgeries). Most in person guys use blue or black sharpie and the occasional silver sharpie.
10. UTILIZE AN AUTHENTICATION SERVICE- PSA/DNA and GA will check any eBay auction and now you can send them most any item for sale anywhere and give you their opinion on the possible authenticity of the item. This can be done long before you bid and they usually respond in 24-48 hours. This service costs less than $10. Check their websites for details.
UPDATE: Please only use eBay approved authenticators. (I had more info here but was threatened with legal action when I told the truth about each authenticator).
11. PRIVATE FEEDBACK- If an eBay seller has made their feedback private, just move along to another seller. There is no reason for private feedback other than to hide feedback that exposes a seller as a forger or to hide the unlimited supply of forgeries they have listed. These sellers often state they are protecting their bidders privacy by doing this. Ebay takes care of bidder privacy already. NEVER BID ON AUTOGRAPHED ITEMS FROM SELLERS WITH PRIVATE FEEDBACK! EVER!!!
UPDATE: watch out for sellers that immediately remove the photo from the listing after you pay (or sooner). I have found a few of these sellers that use 3rd party picture hosting services and as soon as you pay they pull down the photo of the item your won. Very very sneaky. This keeps you from knowing if the item you received is the one you actually bid on and quickly removes all visual evidence of the transaction thus protecting the seller from being discovered as a forger.
12 RETURN POLICY - make sure the dealer has a return policy that they will stand behind. Also make sure they are a legitimate dealer with a website and easy to locate contact information including a phone number.
13. EBAY DROP-OFF FRANCHISES- these guys help you sell your item on eBay, some unscrupulous forgers are using these outlets to sell their fake goods. They drop off their fake items to these stores and the stores sell them without thought because they are not autograph experts and simply list anything that is not prohibited in order to earn their commission. The forger makes a nice profit selling a worthless item without having to take responsibility for the item. As usual, do some research and compare the autograph to known good examples.
14. BE CAREFUL WITH THE UACC or AFTAL- just because a seller is a registered UACC or AFTAL dealer it does not automatically mean their inventory is all authentic. Remember, these organizations do not guarantee the authenticity of the autographs that are sold by its registered dealers. You still need to do your research on each and every autograph you purchase no matter the source.
15. LIMIT YOUR SOURCES- the more sellers you buy autographs from the more you increase your risk of buying autograph forgeries. Keep autograph purchases to a small group of quality reputable dealers!
16. MANY SELLERS ARE SIMPLY FORGERS OR HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING- very few eBay sellers list authentic autographs. Many simply list forgeries (either on purpose or due to ignorance). On occasion a seller here and there will list an authentic autograph for sale. However, authentic autographs are just not available in the quantities you see on eBay/ the web. What makes this problem worse is that other eBay sellers buy these low priced forgeries (believing they are authentic and somehow got a great deal) and then try to resell them on eBay/ the Web via their accounts and then these forgeries propagate all over eBay/the Web. It is a real mess. Would you really buy an autograph from some account that usually sells totally unrelated items or that has an account name that implies they are experts in some other field but is now suddenly listing autographs.
17. PHOTOS WITH/ PROOF PHOTOS- more and more forgers are using ‘proof photos’ to try and trick unsuspecting buyers. They steal an image of the celebrity signing or they met the celebrity and got a photo and autograph but kept it for themselves and now use the proof photo to peddle forgeries. In my opinion the only time a proof photo can be implicitly trusted is when the seller has a photo of the celebrity signing the EXACT item listed for sale.
18. PRIVATE AUCTIONS- if a seller has made their auctions private you must simply move along. There is absolutely NO REASON for private auctions other than to hide something nefarious.
To be fair, there are many legitimate in-person collectors who sell authentic autographs and use proof photos that only show that they were near or met the celebrity. We do this ourselves. Getting a shot of a celebrity signing the exact item is a nightmare. Especially if you are trying to fight a crowd and get more than one item signed. In this case, the proof photo at least gives credibility that the seller is out in the streets collecting autographs in-person. It just should not be trusted as the sole reason to purchase from a seller.
REMEMBER: ANYBODY CAN SIGN UP FOR EBAY/A WEBSITE/IOFFER/ EBID & ETC, BUY SOME 8X10 PHOTOS, SCRIBBLE SOME WORDS AND THEY ARE INSTANTLY AN AUTOGRAPH SELLER. I CAN ASSURE YOU IF ALL THE FORGERIES WERE REMOVED FROM EBAY/ THE WEB THERE WOULD ONLY BE A FEW OF US LEFT WITH INVENTORY TO SELL.
ONE LAST WORD:
There are many autographs that just don’t exist in any real quantities. How about Charlize Theron, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, Mel Gibson, Salma Hayek, Megan Fox, Daniel Day Lewis, Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston, Britney Spears, Clint Eastwood, Jim Carrey, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchet, Madonna, Justn Bieber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Twilight Cast, Jimmy Page, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, Janet Jackson, Bob Dylan, Tool, or Jerry Garcia autographs just to name a few? Or even better, a Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead or the Beatles by the entire band? If you want bogus stuff there are people selling multiples of these week after week.
Purchasing autographs on the internet is definitely not recommended for the novice collector as you will most certainly purchase fake autographs (Unless you buy from us or a very small handful of other trusted dealers and in-person collectors.).
Your best bet is to buy from us!
To all readers of this guide, if you found this information useful a YES vote would be appreciated.
We hope this has helped you!
Sincerely,
World of Autographs
NOW TAKE YOUR NEW KNOWLEDGE AND GO BID ON SOME OF OUR AUTHENTIC AUTOGRAPHS!
World of Autographs ebay store.
World of Autographs 'About Me' page and links.
If you found this information useful a YES vote would be appreciated.
©Copyright 2012. World of Autographs. All Rights Reserved.
Guide created: 06/26/06 (updated 05/19/12)
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