Hey all.  I wish to share a little experience and a few pointers on buying autographed items on Ebay.  There is no doubt that Ebay is the best resource for autographed items.  But it also has potential for abuse. Here are a few pointers to help you weed out the less likely products out there.

First, a little about me.  I work in the criminal justice system and have a Bachelors degree in Justice Studies that included forensics and handwriting analysis.

Now in all honesty the only way that you can be 100% certain of an autograph is if you were there when it was signed.  Since Ebay is for those who can't be there I will share a few tips for stacking the odds in your favor. 

Beware 'certificates of authenticity'- If COA is from the same place that you are buying the item from, it is only as trustworthy as the item.  Only use a COA as a deciding factor if it is offered by an outside 3rd party.

Photos as 'Proof'- This is actually an easy way to gauge the trustworthiness of a seller.  If they are offering a photo as proof, make sure the photo shows the person signing the same item that is for sale.  I have seen sellers use the same photo for 10 different items they are selling.  I have seen some that are just photos of the person standing in an airport of restaurant.  All that proves is that the seller knows how to 'google' the person's picture.

Check the sellers other auctions - If they have the same item listed multiple times make sure the photo isn't all of the same item.  There should be some variation.  If it's the same picture the signature should be slightly different or at least in different locations on the photo.

Google it - You can use google.com or any other search engine's 'image search'.  Just look for 'autograph X' where 'X' is the person's name you are looking for.  There will most likely be multiple examples of a signature.  Of course this is the same thing that the forgers do to get an example to copy.

The bottom line is really 'buyer beware'.  Just use some simple common sense.  Noone likes to be ripped off.  Do a little bit of investigation to save yourself some heartache.  And if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is.  And if there is a brand new guitar signed by someone who has been dead for years, it is a fake.  Unless of course it's Elvis.  Long live the King.  :)