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Ebay seller: oilcitynights . . . fibbing away?

Another seller I've stumbled across on occasion is oilcitynights.  I've mentioned them before on this forum, as they also sell on the website autographedmusicphotos.com.  

This seller appears to specialize in music photos.  I was just curious if anyone could identify some issues with them, as I've decidedly caught them in a couple lies.    Some of their auctions seem to offer "proof" photos, though none of them seem to prove anything.  They offer dates and locations for the signings, but as I'll contend below, they're complete B.S.

Exhibit A:

Garbage signed photo:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Garbage-FULLY-SIGNED-Photo-COA-100-Genuine-...

This seller is 0 for 4 on the signatures.  This looks like an example from, perhaps, the 90's.  The Shirley Manson in particular seems to have the correct writing style (I'm looking at the S and M in particular)  But these signatures were supposedly signed in May of this year.  No, absolutely not.  Perhaps at one point they did sign like this, but definitely not anymore.  I have two of the promotional signed CDs, a full band signed album I got in person, and have friends who've gotten IP Garbage autographs galore on this tour and tours past.  All four signatures look like they might have been right 15+ years ago, but not in recent years.  Believe it or not, most full-band Garbage autographs on ebay right now are 100% authentic, making it all the easier to spot this as pure garbage (pun intended).

Exhibit B:

Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Florence-Welch-The-Machine-SIGNED-Photo-COA...

This one really bothers me, since there's only one reason I can confidently call it out as a fake.  The seller's error is similar to what they did with the Garbage photo.  That actually does resemble quite closely her signature.  The smoking gun is in the description - signed March 6, 2012.  The only reason I can call this out as a forgery is because Florence just doesn't sign this way anymore.  In order to find any trend of authentic signatures signed in that manner, you need to go back at least 2-3 years ago.  Even then, the nicest signed items were often the high quality screenprint posters and memorabilia she signed for her website's store.  If you are able to get an in-person Florence Welch these days, I can guarantee you that even in the most ideal circumstances, you will most certainly not get a signature like the one pictured in that auction. I actually find it a bit disturbing, that the full, perfectly signed version of her signature seems to be almost easier to forge than more recent abridged/loosely flowing versions.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I'm curious whether anyone else can spot similar inconsistencies.  Are you seeing the same types of "anachronisms" that I am -- that is, signature styles from earlier eras being described as recently obtained, authentic in-person autographs?

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Permalink Reply by Carl Ryan on November 2, 2012 at 9:36pm

Some of the signatures may be legit and some do look close, but i think their is something off and would avoid them. A great deal of the pictures look like they were signed by the same hand. If you look through the pictures on ebay for each listing and compare to the next, they look like they were signed in the same hand from item to item. I also noticed several signatures that looked off, but cant be absolutely sure. In my opinion it would be way to risky to purchase from them.

Permalink Reply by Rich on November 2, 2012 at 9:44pm

That's what I'm wondering - are any of the items authentic?  I looked through several of the proof photos and have yet to find even strong photographic evidence on any of the signatures.  Some of the pics are just awkward.

Permalink Reply by Peter leone on November 2, 2012 at 10:27pm

The seller stated in the first word of his auction title "Garbage" lol..

Permalink Reply by Rich on November 2, 2012 at 10:29pm

At least they got something right, even if it was incidentally.

Permalink Reply by Bjarne Soderholm on November 3, 2012 at 5:00am

I was looking thru his past auctions and I got very, very concern. I know that autographs change over the years, but most of the once that I have got in person looks off.

So I would stay away from this seller. In this case the photos means nothing.

Permalink Reply by Rich on November 3, 2012 at 9:25am

Went to the autographedmusicphotos.com website, too.  They were offering a different Garbage and different Florence there as well.  

http://autographedmusicphotos.com/index.php?Photo=4121&Album=1

http://autographedmusicphotos.com/index.php?Photo=4063&Album=1

Same deal - full band Garbage signatures and a perfectly signed Florence one that were supposedly signed this year but decidedly look like more like signatures based on templates from years ago.  If the Garbage autographs were supposedly from 1997, I might as some die-hard fan friends whether they look right.  If the Florence photo was supposedly from 2008/2009, I'd probably ask the seller a few more questions about the signing details, and possibly might even make the purchase.

The U2 stuff he's selling looks like crap, too.

Permalink Reply by Gary Harvey on November 3, 2012 at 11:40am

Hi forum

this seller has been known for a while in UK, Im suprised he aint been shut down

My opinion is stay well away from EVERYTHING !

Touch / Bid on Nothing !

Obviously dated signatures that have been put on to recent items ....yuk !

Permalink Reply by Rich on November 3, 2012 at 12:40pm

Yeah, the Florence Welch one just especially gets me.  I have an authentic one circa late 09/early 2010.  And it looks just like the forged one he's selling.  Just bothers me that he's coming that close on some of them.

Permalink Reply by Gary Harvey on November 3, 2012 at 1:23pm

RICH

LOOK AT ALL HIS CRAP, ITS ALL NEAR BUT THE SIGS ARE NOT FROM THE ERA OF THE ITEM, GOOD JOB AS THIS IS GONNA STOP HIM SELLING, BUT SOMEONE ALWAYS BUYS CRAP !

Permalink Reply by Rich on February 3, 2013 at 11:36am

Well, he finally either read this post or got a clue and started forging Flo's signature more appropriately.  I believe it has the same date/location signing details as the other fakes.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Florence-Welch-Machine-SIGNED-Photo-COA-1...

Permalink Reply by Gary Harvey on February 3, 2013 at 1:59pm

yuk 1

Permalink Reply by Rich on February 17, 2013 at 9:09am

Oh, and more!  Not only did she sign about 157 photos for him on March 6, 2012, she randomly changed her signature style in the middle of this encounter.

These were also signed for this seller March 6, 2012:

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