Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Carl Ryan on May 1, 2013 at 3:27pm

Great find Rich!!!!

This guys is really a piece of work. Every item i looked at was a very bad forgery. Your absolutely correct in my opinion about the forger signing all of these with the same pen, and probably at the same time, lol. Its so obvious they are bad i almost want to say no one will buy them, but i know thats not the case, someone probably will. All of the items are underpriced and are just garbage. Everything i saw was a complete and total fogery, and this seller needs exposed to the utmost. Horrible horrible items.

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Permalink Reply by Lex on May 5, 2013 at 7:38pm

HAHA HAHAHA! Obviously wrong is a term ive been saying about Carl Ryan for months! thanks for the laugh pal. I dont think ive ever seen this guy say any seller ever has had authentic items!!! "Looks like the same pen used" is one of the lamest cop outs ever! next time I see a football signed in yellow sharpie, ill know its real cuz the same pen wasnt used as all the others in silver paint pen! Just please get a clue before you slander honest sellers, thats all i ask!

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Permalink Reply by roger epperson on May 3, 2013 at 7:53am

Wow guys, are you tripping?  These look fine to me.  These were the kind of markers that were used back in the day.  Please show me what you don't like about any of the signatures on any of these items you have shown.  I looked at everything he is selling and everything looks real.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on May 3, 2013 at 8:14am

I don't think the Bono looks quite right in either of the them, even for the time period.  Not common to see a whole lot of U2 items from 83 signed in bold sharpie-like black marker, with the sigs themselve still perfectly bold (except for Adam).  He has two of them, both signed in a nearly identical fashion.  Would I rule out the possibility of it being authentic?  No, not at this point.  In many ways, they do appear authentic at first glance.  Would I feel comfortable buying either one?  Nope, hence my original inquiry. 

Looks like I'm not the only one who feels this way.  Otherwise there would have been a hell of a lot more bidding activity on these two albums.

Here's the War album for reference.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on May 3, 2013 at 8:16am

Upon further review, I'm less weirded out by the Bono on the War album than the Bono on the Two Hearts EP.

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Permalink Reply by roger epperson on May 3, 2013 at 8:28am

If these are fake; then the GREATEST forger of all times has been set loose on the world.  If he can forge a Allen Holdsworth signature and dedication that good he can do anybody!

Have you noticed that back then Adam used very light pressure when he signed so his autograph is usually the lightest of the group.  Do you think a forger would know that?

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Permalink Reply by roger epperson on May 3, 2013 at 8:19am

I dissagree as these were the first listings of signed items by this person and the word hasn't gotten around yet.  Not all of his items are a "bargian" either.  Look at ALL the other items he is selling that are signed and they are spot on to the signatures from the era.  Thick black pens hold up very well over time unless they are displayed.  Again show me a comparison that persuades me to change my opinion before you guys hang some guy for selling good stuff.  There are some very oddball artists that he is selling that I am very familiar with and they are dead on too. 

Carl, you are calling these very bad forgeries....what!

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Permalink Reply by Rich on May 3, 2013 at 8:33am

In spite of my original concerns, these do look pretty darned good the more I look at them.  If I've indeed made any false accusations, then I'm sorry.  But I do think my original concerns were valid - it isn't something I see very much of at all, and then to see two side by side.  Most items I see from the War era or earlier are signed in lighter ball point or other such less ideal pen.

Granted $1000 ain't exactly cheap, but for perfectly signed early 80's U2 sigs, it does represent something of a good deal.  From what I've seen, hardcore U2 fans/collectors are pretty good at spotting the real deal and bidding away, regardless of authentication.  I do feel that the fact that there was only one bid on each item suggests that I'm not the only one who wasn't entirely comfortable with what I saw.

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Permalink Reply by roger epperson on May 3, 2013 at 8:48am

There are many things you need to look at when seeing a new seller with such quality items and you are correct that it should bring concern but look at the whole picture and then make your call.  I guess I was really more shocked at what Carl wrote then you Rich.  Calling very bad forgeries is not the right thing to say as if they were forgeries they are some of the best that I have ever seen all across the board. 

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Permalink Reply by Rich on May 3, 2013 at 8:56am

The U2 stuff had me uncomfortable, but I honestly had only the faintest knowledge of the other signatures.  I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or concerned by what I saw.  That's why I asked.  After U2 and a handful of others, my knowledge does dip considerably.

And you're right about viewing the overall picture.  There's an Australian U2 seller (also sells AC/DC and KISS I believe) who is shockingly good at U2 forgeries (Bjarte79 pointed him out a few months back).  In fact, it was basically only in the context of the quantity and quality of items he had, the flimsy story about how obtained and a what appeared to be a consistent goof in the Clayton signatures that were were able to determine they were fakes.  Looking at one of the items with no insight on the source might have left you believing some of the items were real.

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Permalink Reply by roger epperson on May 3, 2013 at 9:38am

Good points Rich and I know you meant well on this blog.  What I don't want to see is some sort of "witch hunt" started on what appears to be an honest dealer.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on May 3, 2013 at 10:43am

Yeah, the more I look at these, the more I'm thinking that this collector just hit two back to back grand slams with those War/Two Hearts vinyls.  Striking to see regardless.  I'm struggling to see much of anything else wrong with them beyond my initial concerns, though I tend to have a better eye for more modern examples (i.e. late 80's on).

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