Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve on March 27, 2015 at 3:39am

I can't speak to the Michael Jackson, but I don't like the Daniel Radcliffe signature on the Harry Potter photo. The three examples below were signed in-person in NYC last year. The signature on the Harry Potter cast photo looks to me like it might be based on one of his preprinted photos. That being said, of the signers I'm familiar with on the website you linked to, quite a few look like they may be genuine to me - particularly the "Star Trek" photos. However, some of the bigger ticket items (Barack Obama, for one), don't look quite right - not to mention that the price point on some of those "big" items is well below par.

Attachments: No photo uploads here

• Radcliffe, Daniel001 small.jpg, 532 KB
• Radcliffe, Daniel002 small.jpg, 542 KB
• Radcliffe, Daniel small.jpg, 499 KB

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Sharpe on March 27, 2015 at 4:01am

Thanks Steve,

I thought the Harry Potter was a bit off myself, looks like the only good ones are from the cons he attends

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by michelle on March 27, 2015 at 4:37am

Mr Potters ones don't look right imo . 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike T on March 27, 2015 at 7:07am

Neither of them are authentic IMO.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Gregory on March 27, 2015 at 10:05am

The Potters are all forgeries and look like ones from eBay that were being sold a while ago. The Jackson is definitely not real.

Some of the sellers items are okay and probably obtained at conventions but others seem to be purchased and sold on with no checking if real or not

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Sharpe on March 27, 2015 at 3:41pm

thanks for your input guys.

If I see anything else I like,i will run it by you guys before I buy.

how can someone advise other collectors to be wary of what they buy in general from other dealers

looks like another dealer that thinks he knows what he is doing, but in reality he wouldn't know an genuine autograph compared to a fake/forged autograph, think I will stay clear of this dealer and collect from conventions myself

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Sharpe on March 27, 2015 at 11:40pm

Can anyone assist on how can someone advise other collectors to be wary of what they buy in general from other dealers

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve on March 28, 2015 at 1:16am

Well, there are a few general pieces of advice I can give. First, don't be impulsive. Make a list of autographs you're interested in and familiarize yourself with what they look like using sites with authentic examples (such as this one). The more real examples you see, the better you will get at quickly weeding out obvious forgeries.

Likewise, work toward getting a feel for pricing. Auction houses and UACC registered dealers (http://uacc.org/dealerdirectory.php) are generally good resources for prices. Be suspicious of items selling for significantly above or below market price. Price isn't the be all and end all, but it can be a red flag.

Buy from reputable dealers. Before doing business with a dealer, check their reputation. Search the site here, search the web, find out if they have a reputation for selling forgeries. Going through a UACC dealer will automatically weed out the real bad players - not to mention that several of them are regulars here on the forums. Although the occasional bad piece may slip through, purchasing through UACC dealers is much safer than purchasing through con sellers who may not have any experience with authentication.

That being said, my experience is that buying from the businesses that actually run the conventions (e.g., in the US, Creation Entertainment) is generally pretty safe. The guest contracts often stipulate that the guests will sign a number of photos or other items for the convention company to sell at a later date - as opposed to other con sellers which often have a mix of items obtained in person and items acquired through third parties.

Finally, join the site and, when in doubt, ask for help here! Draw on the collective experience of the Autograph Magazine Live community to get opinions on whether a signature is authentic or not, and to find out about the real bad players before unwittingly buying from them.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Sharpe on March 28, 2015 at 1:40am

Thanks Steve,

That is very good advice,thanks a lot for your in depth reply

Much appreciated

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by bernie chatzky on March 28, 2015 at 2:30pm

I just saw the Michael Jackson and I was shocked......................................so nasty looking fake. And that makes me think  if one is bad what are the chances of the rest being bad as well?

• ▶ Reply