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Permalink Reply by Innuendo on November 27, 2018 at 11:04am

Not genuine and very interesting story behind it. This seller was caught selling multiple of the same signature in silver with the same inscription and date. When asked about it, he claimed he had 4 total. Now he claims to have 5. He then said his mother was a maid for Freddie. He spelled her name wrong (we know who she was, as she was in a few freddie books). When asked if he has any photos of his mother with freddie to prove his mother was indeed the lady he claims she is, he said no. There are multiple photos of Freddie with the maid he claims is his mom. In my 40 years of collecting and studying Freddie and Queen graphs, I have seen people obtain multiple items from freddie at one sitting. He was a generous signer but never did he sign 5 items at one time with simply "best wishes freddie mercury (year date)" on all 5 items. He always added a name dedication to at least one, left the year date out on a few or changed the inscription. Never once did he continuously sign the exact same inscription for one person on multiple items at one sitting. Even his promo signed items varied. 

When asked about this, the seller said he had a freddie signed item with his moms name on it. He never provided it. Then hours later, sent a pic of a genuine signed Barlecona album in black ink dedicated to the maid to another possible buyer. 

An item he claimed he didn't have a few hours before. Maybe he couldnt find it at the time, alright. The problem is, the items signed to the maid is absolutely genuine while all his silver signed albums are not eventhough they were said to have been signed at the same time. 

When asked about that, he claimed his mom asked Freddie to sign 6 total items. One for her, and 5 (used to be 4) for him without a name dedication so they could be sold later. Freddie signed nearly all the items to people he knew by name. If he knew you, he added your name (most of the time he left out Mercury "To ____ All the best Freddie"). This guy says his mom just walked up to freddie and said "hey Freddie, thanks for employing me for years. Can you sign this for me? Thanks. Thanks. Also, can you sign these others in a totally different marker and OH NO WAIT, dont add my name to it or anything. Just a simple inscription with the date so that I can sell it when you pass on. Thanks."

The silver signatures he has so many of also just happen to be the exact kind of signature to get the absolute highest value he can get. No name dedication, small inscription and a year date. 5 times exactly the same in one sitting?

Bull. Lol!

Basically this guy got caught being shady and his story changes every time he tells it. His signatures don't hold up and his genuine item (if the black ink one he sent pics of was even really his) is miles away from the other graphs he claims were signed at the same time.

Avoid these!

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on November 27, 2018 at 11:08am

Hi Innuendo, I think I just saw one of the uninscribed "best wishes 1987" items - looks quite like this and also in silver paint pen. 

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Permalink Reply by Innuendo on November 27, 2018 at 11:14am

Eric, you probably did. He sold many of them. The number of these he claims he has keeps changing. In all of them, there were issues with the inscriptions. None felt totally right. Now we realize he seems to have an unlimited number of these with the exact same inscription and year date. Again, not something Freddie ever did multiple times exactly the same in one sitting. No, something is fishy here indeed.

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Permalink Reply by Dolly Stardust on November 27, 2018 at 11:55am

Shall avoid, thank you! Very interesting story! I'm guessing the genuine signature is the 'to Sylvia' you can find quite easily on Google Images? 

I may be calling upon your help a couple more times tonight, I hope you don't mind. I can take a quick 'bugger off' if I'm too much, hahaha. This is the first time I've had the money available for a Freddie, and it'll burn a hole in my pocket if I don't sort it reasonably quickly. 

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Permalink Reply by Innuendo on November 27, 2018 at 12:19pm

It's very similar to that one, yes. I believe Silvia was the accountant he had at one point. Hired by Mary Austin, if I remember correctly. 

No problem, I'm always happy to help. I've gotten many people on this site their own Freddies over ther years. You're welcome to message me privately (most do) if you're considering an item online and don't wish to deal with possible competition by posting publicly. 

All the best

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Permalink Reply by Dolly Stardust on November 27, 2018 at 12:42pm

That sounds familiar, you're probably right. 

Very kind, thank you. Have shot a friend request your way so I can send you a quick message. :) 

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