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Thoughts on this Ted Williams

I think it’s legit, but I know he had issues signing balls in the early 90s and it looks almost too clean and good

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on December 25, 2019 at 10:32am

not sure if its the same forger, but both are forgeries. The big mistake with the one in the OP is the size of the "e" compared to the other letters. I do not recall seeing an authentic Williams where the "e" is disproportionate as this one is. That is in addition to the "flatness" or "stiffness" of the signature. here is another authentic example:

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on December 22, 2019 at 4:00pm

there is a "bounciness" for lack of a better term in most authentic Williams signed balls. The one John posted has it. the one in the OP does not. it is definitely questionable at the least.

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Permalink Reply by ITguy1984 on December 22, 2019 at 6:39pm

Just heard from Beckett. They gave it likely to pass full authentication

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Permalink Reply by Michael Brown on December 22, 2019 at 7:07pm

I agree with them. This is in the hand of Ted.. I have a couple IP of Ted. Meeting him at a show in Mass. and at the HOF at a free signing in 1988 - last free signing at HOF..

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Permalink Reply by John Spillane on December 23, 2019 at 4:40am

That doesn't mean jack s*** to me. Likely to pass? Lol. Why would you want it?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on December 22, 2019 at 4:09pm

I'm not a fan. Looks drawn and too neat. As Terrier mentioned... the laser straight baseline is atypical.

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Permalink Reply by Doctor Loomis on December 22, 2019 at 9:42pm

Why do you guys need or want stickers? Why need a COA? Those things are absolutely worthless. The item is either good or it isn’t. A COA doesn’t change that. I’ve seen countless bad items with beautiful COA’s.

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Permalink Reply by ITguy1984 on December 22, 2019 at 9:47pm

I always evaluate everything. A TPA is one piece for me.

as I’ve seen Tom Brady’s that I couldn’t believe JSA certed

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on December 23, 2019 at 6:05am

TPA's have no clue about how to authentic Brady signatures. As for this Ted Williams, the "d" is atypical, and it the signature is lacking the personality of a Williams signature. I call it "bounciness" (not necessarily relating to the baseline, but the overall look of the signature).

Even if this were deemed authentic by the "experts" I would not want it in my collection.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on December 23, 2019 at 8:47am

I hear ya about the "bounce." It's a looseness the questioned one doesn't have. I am not an expert in Williams, but I look for that bounce and asymmetry... the letters are usually a bit sloppy and asymmetrical and not evenly spaced. Look at the perfectly neat LL and the perfectly drawn M on the questioned one... and every letter perfectly spaced... certainly makes me wonder about it.

I'm not going to mat on this one... maybe I am wrong. But it's not an example I would want because I would always have doubts about it.