We are an eBay affiliate and may be compensated for clicks on links that result in purchases.

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:

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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

Views: 51226

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on August 11, 2011 at 2:48am
If you loook at the guitar close, you can even tell who actually signed the secretarials that Roger posted. I know he said Kathy but look for yourselves.
Permalink Reply by David K on August 11, 2011 at 5:31am
Hi=--=on my guitar--what do you mean--secretarials?
Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on August 11, 2011 at 6:23am
No David...all of the signatures on your Guitar are authentic. However, there is a signature on there that should show people who signed some of the Johnny Cash secretarials...especially the ones that Roger showed in this thread.

I'm glad you showed signatures of Jannette and Joe Carter...my profile photo is actually a photo of Jannette and I at the Carter Fold on the day of Johnny's last public performance. My wife and I love the Fold.
Permalink Reply by David K on August 11, 2011 at 8:49am
Hi brandon..thank you~~~~!!! Do you ahebv any idea what retail on this wouild be..it's one of a kind..and I have the original posters from this concert, VIDEO of Cash at the vent, the TICKET, and candid photos of several signing and a candid of Johnny walking into center right after he signed..thank you.
Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on August 11, 2011 at 9:48am
No way would I take less than 2k for it. Its a piece of cash / carter history. Have you shown it to Bill Miller at johnnycash.com? He would love to see it and might have more insight of value. Like I have said, authentic JC autographs are rarer than people like to imagine. This is a dream item...something you would for sure see in the country music hall of fame.
Permalink Reply by Robert Sledz on August 11, 2011 at 1:54pm

Will you give us an offer and put your money where your mouth is?  2K?  Ok..

Permalink Reply by David K on August 11, 2011 at 4:28pm

It is certainly unique...I want to hold onto it...it should only go up..I have NEVER seen another one with the entire Carter and Cash families and accompanying documents, tickets, poster from this concert and candids pics and even video from the local news of Cash at this event (ingterviewed outside the event)...thanks for the tip on whom to contact for future reference!

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on August 11, 2011 at 7:05pm

David,

I think retail on your guitar with the related memorabilia would be $3,500+, and to the right market and audience, much higher. But you probably would have a hard time finding a dealer who would pay you more than $1,500-$2,000 or so. My estimates are not taking into account if there is extra desirability because of the guitar, or other factors I might not be aware of.

Scarce music memorabilia keeps getting stronger and stronger, and history's top country music stars are more and more revered by the year. I think you would do well to hang on to your wonderful guitar for as long as possible. Unless the economy gets worse long-term, your guitar is likely to bring twice as much or more in 10 years. What you may want to spend time doing is getting short, written notes from the children saying they remember signing it, especially if they remember Johnny signing it.

Permalink Reply by Robert Sledz on August 11, 2011 at 7:27pm
I agree... Give Johnny Cash 10 years of rest and He will bless you even three fold than you would get for it now.  Barvo Steve!
Permalink Reply by David K on August 11, 2011 at 8:26pm
Thanks Steve,,it is one of my rarest pieces (at least to me)  and based on Johnny's meaning to music and Americana and Country...I want to hold this a while...  it may wind up in the Cash museum..but not for 2K...id rather keep it... while there are rarer signed acoustic  guitars (Dylan, for example) this is unique in that the entire family signed it. I have pics of 4 of the people signing it. I dont have a pic of Johnny signing it jus at snap of him walking away after it was signed. The other pics are Roseanne signing and 3 other family members. They are inside the guitar box-I think there is a shot of June signing it.
Permalink Reply by David K on August 12, 2011 at 12:14am

I am going to post the photo finally of the Bob DYlan signed mandolin I have for expert opinion..this one should spark a LOT of debate... Let me explain what it is...It was  purchased by me at an Albuquerque NM Pawn Shop in 1995..it was sitting on a shelf--and the guy said--I cant verify the autograph--so its 275.00 for the Mandolin which is about what it is worth as a Mandolin...I looked at the autograph and the INSCRIPTION and my immediate response was "this is authentic" ...for the following reasons:

1)It is signed on the back 2)It is NOT signed in sharpie which can be erased it is signed in thin FLAIR black pen which does NOT wipe off ..yo uget ONE shot with a Flair. 3)The wording is too ridiculous to be forgerd (but possible) 4)The signature is the long flowing "Y" and TINY o and B in BOB that was absoutely present in GOOD examples from 1993-2002 examples I saw. My oinion at the time was :TAKE IT"... what do yo uthink?

 

OH--although you cant see it clearly--what is written at the TOP of the back of the mandolin is :To Chris and Judy" and then yo ucan read the rest..

 

ANd No..I am not going to dig out a signed Doors guitar or hendric..if this is REAL..its defintely the ratest thing I have....this may be the only signed mandolin of him..

Attachments: No photo uploads here
Permalink Reply by David K on August 12, 2011 at 1:41am
Also--take a look right now at the Black Acoustic "signed" Dylan guitar on ebay they CLAIM is authentic with COA from "ELITE" productions..I say its a forgery..>ELITE has COAs for signed LED ZEPPELIN signed guitars and I dont know ANY private signings of LED ZEPPELIN guitars ever done in the world... I tried to cut and paste the listing but would not work...but it is listed as Signed acoustic Bob DYlan..theres only 1..opinions?

RSS

© 2024   Created by Steve Cyrkin, Admin.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service