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Autograph's Johnny Cash Signature Study — Be Part of It!

Has there ever been a nicer, more humble, more fan friendly superstar than Johnny Cash?

Johnny was the Babe Ruth of Country Music—the top-ranking Country artist of all time and the most loved. And Johnny loved his fans as much as they love him. So while like the Babe, Cash signed untold numbers of autographs, the supply could never meet demand...and probably never will.

Fans who couldn't meet Cash in person often requested autographs through the mail. The common belief is that he personally autographed those requests. But between his demanding touring schedule and later, his failing health and vision, it seems impossible that he could have signed even half of the mail he received.

A growing number of collectors and dealers now believe that many if not most Johnny Cash through the mail autographs were secretarial. We want to see if we can identify any secretarial styles, and at the same time build a reference collection of no-question genuine Cash exemplars to help identifying forgeries.

Are There Johnny Cash Secretarials?
If So, How Do We Identify Them?
Help Find Out!

You can be an important part of the study in three ways:

Upload into this discussion images of Johnny Cash autographs that you personally received through the mail, and tell us when you received them. (The year is fine, but if you know the date, even better.)
Upload images of Johnny's autographs that YOU saw signed by Johnny yourself. Include the date or at least year, too. If you didn't see it signed yourself (like pre-signed ones sold or given away at shows), please don't upload it.
As more and more images are uploaded, see if you can identify characteristics that are commonly found on Johnny's through the mail autographs that are rarely if ever seen on ones signed in person.

With your help, we can identify Cash secretarials if they're out there. Over time this should increase the value of genuine Johnny Cash autographs, and help protect future fans and collectors against autographs that aren't authentic.

Once we finish this phase of the study, we'll go on to identifying genuine Johnny Cash autographs from forgeries.

Let's go!

Tags: Johnny, autographs, cash, genuine, mail, secretarial, the, through

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on November 27, 2011 at 8:21pm

I agree with you, Brandon. I don't think these items can or should be certified.

I don't put much stock in the PSA or JSA basic cert as it is. I see bad material posted daily on eBay with basic certs in a way I don't see as much with full letters. Perhaps there's less exemplars or less notoriety of secretarials for the moderately-priced items which achieve basic certs. Or they just get paid more for full letters. I don't know. It seems like a sloppy operation with the basic certs. I assume this Brian Wilson was just one item in a stack of autographs which got nary a glance before being certed.

I have bought from the company before and think the item itself, for whatever you'd call it, was probably signed by Brian Wilson. I don't think one can say that conclusively.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on November 23, 2011 at 5:35am

That is strange that they respond all hours of the night. Makes me think they have "consultants" who work from home and get an email notification something is available for review.

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Permalink Reply by JJKANDLAK on November 23, 2011 at 7:39am

Agreed. I'm guessing they have some sort of a central que from where the requests are then allocated to whoever is "on call." Have to assume that these consultants have access to a database of authentic examples to draw upon. I pulled up the receipt and see that I submitted it at 7:34pm Pacific time and it was deemed "likely geniune" at 8:27pm Pacific.

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Watkins on November 26, 2011 at 12:50pm

I've enjoyed the thread. I believe I did my research and found a keeper. Would love to hear someone else's opinion on the Cash signature. Looking forward to hearing the responses.

Attachments: No photo uploads here

Johnny Cash Autograph.jpg, 667 KB

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Permalink Reply by Brenda McLeod on November 26, 2011 at 12:58pm

I saw that one last week on auction and thought it looked great! I've seen signed checks online anywhere from $300.00-$800.00 (and up!). Unless he had secretaries signing checks, I'd say it's the real deal, right?

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Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on November 26, 2011 at 2:15pm

I'd agree with Brenda and say you're alright Brandon in my opinion. Nice piece.

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Watkins on November 27, 2011 at 6:59am

Brenda & Brick: Thank you for your opinions. I was confidant when I made the purchase, but it does feel good to get confirmation from others.

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Permalink Reply by JJKANDLAK on November 27, 2011 at 10:13am

I actually bid against you on this eBay item. I bid fairly early and see that it sold for $340. great item!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on December 26, 2011 at 6:40pm

We knew he would love it!! Congrats....Although, I bet you love it too :)

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Permalink Reply by Brenda McLeod on December 26, 2011 at 6:42pm

Shhhh....he's not allowed to know that I sort of kind of really like it myself! :)

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on December 26, 2011 at 7:38pm

LOL! GOTCHA!! Did you pick him up the copy of the new book 'House of Cash' by John Carter Cash? It is filled with amazing photos of JC as well as tons of examples of his personal handwriting and autographs. It is a nice Coffee table book and includes a CD of mostly un-released songs recorded by Johnny. It is a MUST for Johnny Cash fans.

It matches well with Bill Miller's amazing book 'Cash: An American Man' If you don't have that yet, you simply have to get it if you want to see and read about Johnny Cash as never before.