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 eddy on January 6, 2025 at 6:22pm

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 6, 2025 at 6:33pm

Yes. I know how I feel - these should be slabbed as "Created cut" or the like. "Cut pastiche"...something. "Cut" with "Authentic Auto" doesn't do it IMO as you need to be able to differentiate those from "Photograph" (SP). "Cut" is too wide a term, like "Fine," which is often used as a catchall. I am expected to know that the cut is the signature only and the item is not fully original, which may be implied to the newer collector by the slab. In the case of my Lugosi, you'd need to know those signed cards were never produced with that image, or you'd need to know that the William Morris Agency credit was misplaced.

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Permalink Reply by eddy on January 6, 2025 at 6:39pm

I'm looking at the back of the encapsulation. It looks like the PSA decal is affixed to the new created card?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 6, 2025 at 6:47pm

I did not even look. I truly hate these destructive things. Prices will be driven by the image not the signature quality - and we have all seen signatures on created slabbed "cuts" trimmed to the point of letter loss or loss of original signing angle or worse, let alone the context, possible date, content, etc

That sticker is looking very strange to me? Is that a cut out in the card to show the sticker on the actual cut - through the added card?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 6, 2025 at 6:48pm

I think that is what we are looking at.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 6, 2025 at 6:49pm

Can one request lower left Reverse location for a sticker on a slip/cut?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 6, 2025 at 6:52pm

My Lugosi has no sticker on the Reverse, so there is only the inference from the word "cut".

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Permalink Reply by eddy on January 6, 2025 at 7:29pm

I was speaking with an "old timer" collector/dealer who is a member of our vintage film autographs group about these custom cuts. He's not in favor of them, but he did make the point that they may have some kind of crossover attraction for collectors who may have started in sports trading cards. They do kind of look like a trading card.

This wasn't done here, but he also pointed out that some dealers affix their own "limited edition" artwork/dealership advertising on the verso of their newly created custom cards. It makes a mini-billboard ad for the dealership. I don't like that. But it is kind of crafty, actually.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 6, 2025 at 7:32pm

Unless you are savvy enough to understand the sticker in on the cut and this indicates the marriage of the photo and the cut have been recently achieved "somehow," as I have yet to see one of these, you could conclude as a "newbie" the thing is "certified original." I have seen people with more knowledge conclude far stranger things. The only other indicator is the term "Cut" instead of "Photograph" on the Obverse which is sorely lacking in this "new" context.

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Permalink Reply by eddy on January 6, 2025 at 7:40pm

I had to look twice when I spotted it and realized what it was. Same thing with those recent Lugosi and Karloff ones we've seen here. I'm afraid many "newbies" might not make that catch.