David Bowie Isolar card

I got offered this David Bowie Isolar card. I know there are a ton of them out there but that they are believed to be genuine signatures. Any opinions on this specific one? Thanks in advance!

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on May 11, 2025 at 10:08am

I have scans of at least 150 or so. I was buying them when they first were sold by Record Mecca for $149.00 I sold many to member here when the price started rising to 175 then 200m then 250 or whatever I don't like this example - a few were fluid but most were rather angular with a fine black ink pen. I have seen 1 forgery - this card should have a heavy linen texture and a very raised black inked image on the left. It must never be trimmed as I have seen. Sig should stay clear of any printed text:

Here are some of my favorites and some other example of these cards. I loved the first 2, the next to last is also well executed and a precursor to a later style that started just before 1985.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on May 11, 2025 at 10:18am

The first few are my favorite examples. Placement and execution with good contrast is key here. The signature should be all on the card and have both ticks. The last is a poor example IMO. It should have the original paper from Jeff Gold and Roger Epperson.

Here is another favorite along side a destroyed slabbed corpse of a card:

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Permalink Reply by Fabian H on May 11, 2025 at 11:43am

Thanks for your help, Eric! It definitely has the linen texture and the print. So you‘re thinking forgery on this one or just not too nice looking example? Seller definitely isn‘t an autograph dealer, says he got this as a gift

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on May 11, 2025 at 11:50am

No, authentic. Fine. I am saying it is not what I think of with the best of these cards, a but not as bad as the last ones. Look at the numeral "3". Faster. Can you get a better scan to gauge contrast and sharper too? How much? Not $1000 like some!

PS - 1 tick as well, not 2.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on May 11, 2025 at 11:42am

I went through as many I could. These were released in an order from RecordMecca with the strongest highest contrast double-ticked careful examples coming first. After 150 or so, the pen used with increased speed and the more traditional style resulted in a different quality. The one you posted is more the "clamshell" sort (poor photo for contrast btw) and perhaps interesting with "battle-axe B", the unusual "o" solution with the paraph, but it is atypical and curvilinear and, to me, the best are the first examples. Some appear to border on experimental. I think that is what makes these earlier cards special. The later ones are often lighter and faster, some running into the printed text and also heading off the card as mentioned. The style is a reversion to the more usual 1990's Bowie. I stopped keeping track of these when the quality, imo, went down. Can you get a better scan of this one and how much is it?

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Permalink Reply by Fabian H on May 11, 2025 at 11:58am

This is the best photo I can get. The price for it is really fair, 150$. An older man is selling it here in Germany. He says he got it as a gift from one of his friends that worked in the German music industry.