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Michael Jackson Signing Styles in Julien's Tompkins and Bush Sale

On December 2, Julien's Auctions is selling The Collection of Tompkins and Bush. The collection contains 465 lots of Michael Jackson memorabilia, 287 of them autographed.

Michael Bush and the late Dennis Tompkins were Michael Jackson's costume designers for 25 years, during Jackson's most successful period. They were the consignors of the signed Thriller jacket that Julien's sold for $1,800,000 in June 2011.

Almost all of the autographs in the Tompkins and Bush sale are a variation I'm not familiar with. I've only been looking at Jackson's autograph for a few years, though, and we have members here who have collected him for decades, so I'd appreciate your input and exemplars.

If you know Michael Jackson's autograph well, please look at a few images below from the auction and let me know what you think. Even better, browse the auction and upload any similar examples you have: http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/77/

Julien's is the world's premier auction house for Michael Jackson memorabilia, so they would know his autograph better than most of us. I'm just surprised I haven't seen this style before.

Thanks for your help.

Tags: 2012, Julien's, auction, michael jackson, tompkins and bush

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wendy Christine on January 1, 2013 at 12:49pm

Love and Thanks to Jadzzia too!

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Permalink Reply by Jadzzia Mj on January 2, 2013 at 7:09am

Hello,
happy new year 2013 here, thank you to you all for the work done here.
In fact it is when I go to a dedication of Michael Lee Bush at the Hard Rock cafe in Brussels. Another fan showed us his magazine AML. Result was an internet search and this is how I found this site. I think it was destiny yes TeamMichael .

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 1, 2013 at 8:57pm

Awe...thank you. And especially, thank you and everyone else for bringing the MJ forgeries to my attention. I would never have known if it weren't for you.

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Permalink Reply by Helen on January 1, 2013 at 12:15pm

By the way, I think Steve, you were looking of recent examples of MJ signing the typical late 80's style with the "two stroke" J?

Here's a 2006 image from Hamburg which is unquestionably Michael himself holding up a handwritten note:

and another signature from the same stay (provenance is good, it was given in person to the policeman guarding the private family home he stayed at):

The second autograph was actually discussed here in 2011 and judged likely not genuine, but I disagree. I'm German and can read the provenance story and have seen the back of the card: it's the policeman's business card and he sold it himself to one person who framed and kept it at the time.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 1, 2013 at 1:06pm

Helen,

The reason the second one may have been judged likely not genuine is that it looks slowly signed, like it was traced.

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Christine on January 1, 2013 at 1:46pm

Helen, Regarding the second autograph, these examples might be of interest. Here's the information I have on them:

Saw these on two eBay auctions June 7th and August 1st 2012

Description for both auctions: SIGNED POLAROID OF MICHAEL JACKSON WITH THE OWNERS OF THE DR. PHILIPS, BENIHANA THE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE, FL.

You can click to enlarge the photos.

First auction:

Second auction:

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Permalink Reply by Helen on January 1, 2013 at 2:20pm

Thanks, Wendy. Do you think they're genuine? Another example of an "ugly" sig :)? I saw a spectacular one the other day with a tall tale attached, will dig it up.

Steve, here's the original discussion, it was very brief. http://live.autographmagazine.com/group/michael-jackson-autographs-...

Your comment was about the style not matching the date.

I agree it looks shaky, but if you imagine holding a business card in your palm and signing it, that totally accounts for it IMO. I'm pretty sure it's good, there was a newspaper article about that autograph even before it was sold. It could be a trace of the original, but since it is on the named policeman's business card that would either mean the officer himself traced it on another of his cards and committed fraud, or somebody faked the entire card to make use of the story. Possible, I'm sure, but likely? ... The only thing that gives me pause is that a framed version of this very same autograph was on Ebay last November.

Anyway. A bit off topic, sorry about that. My point was just about the two stroke J. First picture shows Michael did still use it in 2006.

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Permalink Reply by Helen on January 1, 2013 at 2:44pm

... And this one, if real, has to be the ugliest MJ autograph I've ever seen.

The writer of the article claims he got it in person, mid-80's.

http://attorneykearney.blogspot.de/2009/06/meeting-michael-jackson....

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Permalink Reply by Wendy Christine on January 1, 2013 at 2:57pm

Ey! Helen you found a unique one for sure! I have not seen this example before. Looking at it for past 20 minutes now :) I CAN see his style ,, "To" ... "reg" in Greg ... the Thriller era "Michael" (which coincides with the photo era) but it's soooo smooshed ... and the J. Looks like he stopped with the J.

I can't believe I still can see him in it though. Wow, thanks for sharing this one.