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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 DB on September 12, 2012 at 2:26am

and that is appreciated Brandon as it seems some are trying to pin you into this or now cast aspersions on NASCAR. by this time who knows where these have gone and whose certs or no certs are on them especially in this focused area. GAI tainted every other item even though I have some authentic ones (discussed previously ) and a few threads that resulted in "these are okay too".

What Frost has accomplished in all of this is to fire a shot across the bow that there is a wave of yet another batch that appears coming from the same person. They were looking for a patsy to simply slap a coa on them like what appears they did the last time. And before anyone gets their panties in an uproar the exposure in concert with the myriad of different but apparently related COAs being posted as reported from ebay.

Now this collector appreciates this as well as be on the lookout for china baseballs and certain COAs. btw, if I'm the buyer of an item I don't give a rat's riddly rear end if it was "an occassional mistake" or not as to me I just spent money on the fake and I may not be the original buyer with the ability to recoup the funds not necessarily a given as so many have found.

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on September 12, 2012 at 3:17am

DB, as usual, you posses and demonstrate the tamed and focused mindset that this situation requires.

Im sure a few of these slipped by experts here and there. There is a good possibility that their doing so actually encouraged Podsada ( et all ) to push these out in larger numbers at once. That and the type of "cheap" ball the signatures are on are what helped Mike say "Hmmmmmmmm".

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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on September 12, 2012 at 4:26am

I'd like to bring my 10 cents to the table.

First, there are a few things going on that can't be discussed here. When they eventually become public, you will understand why.

Second, to compare a few honest mistakes made by authenticators years ago, to the tens of thousands (probably more!!!) of forgeries with certs from Morales, Ted Taylor, GAI, etc., is ludicrous. There were honest mistakes made years ago. Mr. Richard Simon admitted his mistakes in public. What more can anyone ask for.

Those of us who are involved in autographs know that it is a daily/weekly/yearly learning process.

That forgery mill down in Florida has infected the hobby forever. How many of those pieces do you think will be destroyed? Only a tiny percentage will be destroyed. Wannabe collectors will continue to pawn off that garbage on other wannabe collectors.

There are a few of us here who know just how deep this garbage runs. The magnitude of the operation is enormous and beyond the comprehension of most people in the hobby. And all of it was blatant and intentional. There were no honest mistakes made.

As for the GAI certed garbage, I doubt very much if the full truth will ever come out.

And it hasn't stopped. The below auction ended Sept. 3, 2012.

http://atauction.com/iSynApp/auctionDisplay.action?sid=193&auct...

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 12, 2012 at 4:45am

More of the same garbage you've been calling out for years, Chris. How does Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators' guarantee work?

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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on September 12, 2012 at 5:13am

Maybe Mr. Rocchi can tell how many of the above garbage he has forensically examined for AtAuction since Sept, 2011.

And maybe Mr. Rocchi can also explain why he authenticated the above Mantle autograph? Did he physically examine it?

Does Mr. Rocchi really believe that Mantle autograph is authentic?

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Permalink Reply by Fuddjcal on September 12, 2012 at 7:13am

Mr Rocci is obviously Mr Joe Roccihead, that's how

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on September 12, 2012 at 5:28am

Right on, also, how many will end up with fake 3rd party coas in the end? Or fake PSA / JSA action letters, fake or mis-used older style coas.

Is anything going to be surprising at this point?

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Permalink Reply by Fuddjcal on September 12, 2012 at 7:15am

no, nothing is surprising where the hobby is concerned. With more people discussing the "meat & potatoes" of it all, it can only help expose low life's like Tony Pinada and the scams they are running.

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Permalink Reply by DB on September 12, 2012 at 7:41am

Nothing surprises me anymore Brandon.

@Fudd; "no, nothing is surprising where the hobby is concerned" although I am continually amazed and so long as flea market mentality buyers are involved and there is big $$$ to be made it won't ever stop.

If you look at some of the coas published lately there are actual sellers who, IMO, believe they are real and thus authentic. Is it any wonder you stopped collecting. I've surely slowed down as well unless I see it in person.