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Ernie Harwell Auction September 2012 Farmington Hills MI AuctionZip Ty Cobb Babe Ruth Mickey Mantle Forgeries Autographed Baseball

This past Sept. 2012 there was an auction in Farmington Hills, MI featuring items owned by the late great sportscaster Ernie Harwell.

First, below is a link to the story about the auction.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120922/SPORTS0104/209220378

The auction was held by an auctioneer under the AuctionZip platform.

Here's my question about that particular auction.  Why did the auctioneer blend in some obviously bad forgeries along with the items owned by the Ernie Harwell family?

From what I understand, Mr. Harwell did not own the autographs (forgeries) that are posted below; so why were they mixed in with the Harwell items? 

First, the Ty Cobb forgery that was sold in that auction.  From what I understand (and I hope it isn't true) the below Ty Cobb sold for $12,000.00.  If the owner of the below Ty Cobb were to send it to PSA or JSA for authentication, it will be rejected.  I really hope no one paid $12,000.00 for this.

Now let's take a look at the below Mickey Mantle forgery  This is the typical Mickey Mantle forgery that we have exposed hundreds of times here.

 

Now let's check out this horrific Willie Mays forgery. 

Here's the ugly and slowly drawn Ken Griffey, Jr. forgery that sold in that auction.

Look at this horrific Babe Ruth forgery.  Just plain ugly and fake.

Again, my question to the auctioneer is "Why was the above garbage mixed in with the Ernie Harwell items?"

Views: 1538

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 7, 2012 at 5:27pm

Ron Keurajian was a good friend of Harwell's. Has he said anything about this?

Comment by CJCollector on October 7, 2012 at 5:34pm

I have no idea, Steve.

In my opinion, I found it very misleading that the auctioneer would mix in that junk with items owned by Ernie Harwell.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 7, 2012 at 6:04pm

No doubt they're forgeries, Chris, but do you know for sure they weren't in Harwell's collection? It's highly unlikely they were—I imagine he could have asked Mantle for his autograph if he wanted it. But they could have been gifts. Ron knew Harwell for decades would probably know if the were in his collection. I'll ask him.

Comment by CJCollector on October 7, 2012 at 6:09pm

Please do, Steve.  But from what I understand, the items I have posted here were not owned by Ernie Harwell.  I'd be shocked if they were.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 7, 2012 at 6:24pm

If you heard they weren't owned by Harwell, that probably came through Ron, unless someone recognized them from elsewhere. 

Here's an article Ron wrote on Harwell's passing: http://autographmagazine.com/2010/09/ernie-harwell-autographs/

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 7, 2012 at 9:51pm

Ron Keurajian said this about the ball in the Ernie Harwell auction supposedly signed by Ty Cobb: 

"Ernie NEVER owned a Cobb signature, he knew him but told me that he never got anything signed by him. If he owned a Cobb he would have sent it to the Harwell collection at the DPL (Detroit Public Library)"

Ron and I disagree on a lot of things, especially PSA/DNA and JSA (I like 'em, he hates 'em). But Ron is as honest as they come. If Ron said Ernie Harwell never owned a Ty Cobb signature, he didn't. 

Chris, thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention. If you have the time to contact the auction house, Great Lakes Auctions, to ask about it, please do and report back to us. If not, let me know and I'll do it/

Here are the lots Chris reviewed on AuctionZip.com: http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photopanel.cgi?listingid=1550299&...

The auction house is:

Great Lakes Auctions
25874 Westmoreland
Farmington Hills, MI 48336

Ph: 248.761.2603

Email: greatlakescc@mi.rr.com

BTW, does this "Joe" look familiar?

http://www.auctionzip.com/Full-Image/1550299/fi13.cgi

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 7, 2012 at 10:20pm

Lot 81, the Presidential Signed Baseball, is utterly ridiculous:

http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photopanel.cgi?listingid=1550299&...

Comment by CJCollector on October 9, 2012 at 9:49am

Steve, I just emailed the Editor and Publisher of The Detroit News.  I hope I get a reply.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 9, 2012 at 10:46am

Thanks, Chris. Hopefully we'll hear back.

Comment by CJCollector on October 9, 2012 at 5:12pm

I have just recently discovered that the Ty Cobb autographed (forgery) baseball is also a post 1970 baseball that was stamped to give the impression of a period (before Cobb's passing) baseball.

Ty Cobb passed away July 1961.

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