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THE AUTOGRAPH AUTHENTICATOR REPORT

I would like to share with everyone a major problem I have been seeing around Florida for the past few years. For a while you would only see these signature on photos or on multi signed 500 Home Run or 3000 hits baseballs. A year or so ago P.A.A.S. starting receiving these Autographed White Panel Baseballs, "Official League Baseball" , signed in blue ink on the sweet spot. They would be submitted one or two at time, and mostly from collectors that obtained them at local Florida shows or Flea markets. In the last 4-5 months we were receiving these almost exact signed baseballs for autograph authentication from around the country. Last month a local Florida dealer brought in 70 of these pure white single signed baseball for autograph authentication. I held the submission for a few days, so we could document and photograph the signatures for our files. When the dealer returned for his baseballs, I asked him where he had obtained these signed baseballs? He explained with a straight face that he has had them for over 7 years. He said that he waited on lines at autograph shows and sent some of the baseballs to autograph shows around the country to get signed. I then explained to him that they are not authentic and that I have been aware of these forged signatures for years. I also showed him enough proof that he had nothing further to say and admitted that he purchased the baseballs at a Miami Flea market for $10 per baseball. The scary part is he told me that a sports memorabilia dealer friend of his from North Carolina purchased over 300 baseballs and a dozen Muhammad Ali signed gloves. This is becoming a wide spread problem and I have been seeing these same baseballs on many websites and auctions. Please take note of these examples and study the signature patterns. You may notice a few different variations of the same signature, this is done by increasing or decreasing the size and width of the autograph. Besides not being authentic I am sure some of the readers will see some interesting similarities with these signatures. I would like hear some opinions and receive some input. There are additional names and signatures and we will continue to post them.

Thank you for your time,

Michael Frost of P.A.A.S. can be reached at specialagent711@aol.com

Tags: Authentication, Autograph, Frost, Michael, P.A.A.S., PSA/DNA

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Permalink Reply by Richard S. Simon on September 11, 2012 at 5:36pm

I have no idea what Podsada would try to do with them.

Who are the other experts that certed these?

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on September 11, 2012 at 5:47pm

They pretty much ran the Gambit of the authentication companies at that time...Including Andrew Bradley, who is credited for training James Spence if I recall.

Here are a few items that were certifeid by Mr. Bradley.

Maybe these will help to show that these items fooled a LOT of experts.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on September 11, 2012 at 5:58pm

In Bradley's report he writes, "there are no indications of hesitation or simulation."

Really?!? Did he look at the Mantle? Even in a black and white photocopy one can see the slowly labored and halting signature. It is the epitome of hesitation.

I'm no so sure he qualifies as an "expert."

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on September 11, 2012 at 6:01pm

Zipper, that's the very 1st thing that I noticed too.

This as in 2003 too.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 11, 2012 at 5:54pm

Morales, Frangipani and Drew Max. :)

Podsada tried to get eBay to allow them, and suggested they send examples to three of the "top" forensic document examiners in country.

I asked Steve Rocchi about the hoard in 2008 and he said they had them checked out by a top forensic document examiner, who said they were all fine. He forgot the name but said the FDE was from out east.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 11, 2012 at 9:05pm

Actually, I said that inaccurately. Steve Rocchi contacted me a couple of months ago and I combined that part of our conversations by mistake. In 2008, he said that a forensic document examiner analyzed them too, but I didn't ask for the name. That was before I understood how widespread the FDE scam was. I didn't even know who Morales was until the end of 2007 or so.

When I asked Rocchi recently who it was, he said he forgot their name.

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Permalink Reply by Fuddjcal on September 11, 2012 at 7:14pm

first and foremost, this IS the reason you are among the Leaders in authentication....Imagine that....someone made a "mistake" and they admit it. Now if PSA & JSA & other could follow suit, we'd all be better off for it.

This is why you have earned the respect of dealers and collectors alike, Richard.

I am very happy this is being discussed here and encouraged this "battle" is coming full circle. It will only help the hobby in the long run.

Thanks also to Mike Frost for starting the thread and Brandon for filling in some of the blanks.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Frost on September 11, 2012 at 5:58pm

This is what I was afraid of, I did not want it to became a anti 3rd party autograph authentication discussion.

The real issue is that there are fake autographs being sold by the 1000's and we need to make the public aware of the signatures and the images in question. Richard Simon has not done a thing wrong, he is one of the most honest and one of the most important members of the autograph industry. He has done more for the industry then probably any one I know. Richard does not need any one to defend him but I know him for over 25 years and he is a top autograph authenticator and dealer.

When I say he has done nothing wrong that would also go for PSA/DNA and Jimmy Spence. Please understand that these signature were all taken from genuine authentic autographs. Unless you have the benefit of seeing dozens at a time or the advantage of communication with other autograph authenticators these signatures could have been passed by anyone. There is not an authenticator that has not passed one of these autographs. The problem is when an autograph authenticator or company starts passing quantities, and I mean hundreds without realizing and letting others know there is an issue. We need to all stay on the same side and work together in order to fix this and many other problems in the industry.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on September 11, 2012 at 6:01pm

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on September 11, 2012 at 6:04pm

Mike, NOBODY is attacking the 3rd party authenticators.. This is all about the BEHAVIOR of the possible originator of the items you have shown. If it's Podsada, then this is nothing new to him..It's obvious that he fooled the top experts. Richard is a top expert, we all know that.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 11, 2012 at 6:10pm

Brandon, I don't agree. Once we started asking deeper questions about GAI's certification of these, you stated pointing fingers at Richard Simon and PSA/DNA. That was an attack of sorts to deflect blame from Global.

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Permalink Reply by DB on September 11, 2012 at 6:22pm

I disagree and wonder why this statement, Brandon clearly stated, "

It's really going to be hard to be fair about this until we know how many the other companies ( PSA, Simon, etc. ) "authenticated". Still, it shows that these items did fool the "experts".

GAI took the biggest bite and paid for it. Just as they should have. "

Simon then chimed in and admitted to "some". Then you claim "that was an attack of sorts to deflect blame from Global (i.e. Global Authentics Inc) or GAI. I see nothing in what Brandon has stated to deflect anything.