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Willie Mays hideous forgery!!

Everyone, Please help me help one our members see the light. He came on here the other day and asked me in a message if this Willie Mays autograph was authentic? I told him straight up that it was not. He's still convinced it's real. Let's help him out and try to convince him otherwise.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Meyer on December 31, 2018 at 8:47pm

Somebody really needs to be convinced that this is no good? Wow.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on December 31, 2018 at 9:04pm

I'm glad he asked! You can't learn without asking questions—and asking to be shown why your opinion isn't likely right.

Here's a genuine Mays signed in marker. Compare the flair and style. The one in the OP is slowly signed and looks like the signer was trying to copy a real one. It's got the very basics of a Mays autograph, but it's blah and does not look naturally signed.

Mays in marker aren't common, so I understand why the member is having a hard time figuring out if it's real or not.

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on January 1, 2019 at 9:53am

you gave him your opinion, but it wasn't what he wants to hear. Let him continue to believe its real.

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Permalink Reply by John Spillane on January 1, 2019 at 9:56am

Indeed, sir! And, as always, Thank you, everyone for your input!!

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 1, 2019 at 10:05am

I think he needs something he can see himself. Have you tried showing him that the first letter is formed incorrectly? It appears that the first letter of authentic versions is created with four strokes - first right, then up a bit and left, then upper right and then down. Your friends is composed of just two. It should start with a horizontal to the right, as in the example Steve posted, but your friends starts with a downward stroke heading to left , then right and then a stop. The forger only saw the appearance of a numeral "4" it seems, and so that is all he wrote

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Permalink Reply by John Spillane on January 1, 2019 at 10:55am

Eric, I tried everything. Showed him a few authentic autographs that I own. He just didn't want to hear it and want me to bother him anymore. Not that I was. He came looking for an opinion and I gave it to him and like Terrier said, they don't want to hear it. Not only that, he had put it up for sale on eBay for $75 and then he reduced the price to $65. He has since taken it down. Dollars to donuts, I think he knew all along it was a forgery, but he was just hoping someone would say otherwise.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%...