Custom Cards - What are your thoughts on creating something "new" out of vintage autographs? Enhancement or Destruction?

My heart skipped a beat momentarily when I spotted this while scrolling through a current online auction. I had never seen a signed image of actor Oliver Reed in character from 1961's THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF. Looking twice, I realized I still haven't seen one.

It's another new custom card creation. I still don't quite know how I feel about these.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 9, 2025 at 2:43pm

Thank you, Doug. That is an authentic pencil Gleason from about 1953 0r so. The rest is nonsense to make $ I suppose. As I mentioned, the focus is on the design of the card now, signature quality is taking second place. The fact that it is pencil and not ink seems irrelevant now. Technically, every signature is a 1/1. To deliberately make a 1/1 is - not something I would, do, creating a false sense of rarity IMO. That Gleason is cut so close, and the card surround impedes its appreciation. How much cut is there? And obviously, the context may well have been removed.

IF one were to mention something, one could might speak to the rarity of a Honeymooners period Gleason signature, even in pencil, which is about 20% from what what I have encountered.

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Permalink Reply by eddy on January 9, 2025 at 3:50pm

I specifically showed this as I also believe it to be an authentic Gleason. I've only had the opportunity of handling a small amount of real Gleason items over the years. Wish I had seen this one in it's "raw" state.

I also wish the paper itself that Gleason signed was detailed more in the JSA letter. Perhaps that information is now lost due to the customization work. The focus seems very much on what has been created. I could care less that the custom card is 3" x 5" and that the card has a Honeymooners theme. What about the page he handled and signed? What was it's original size and what was the format? I wonder if there were any provenance notations?

It kind of cheapens the reality of a fine signature in my eyes.

"One Of One"? Whatever.....

Permalink Reply by Doug James on January 9, 2025 at 2:27pm

We tracked down over 200 “1/1 “ game used jersey swatches put out by UD last year from one player. Same Jersey cut up just different card stock photos and boarder color variations used. The 1/1 was really a 1/200 (or more). It’s a con.

I agree with you, absolutely not sustainable ROI.