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Comment by Adam Richard Utz on December 31, 2009 at 9:18am

Well all i can say is i wish i'd be as lucky as you to come across a find like that. I wouldn't be trying to sell them at all though

Comment by Sheldon Gajarian on December 31, 2009 at 8:03am

To me, the coolest pictures are ones she took with what looks like a pocket or purse camera. Most are at MGM in front, you can see the main building in the background, two are James Dean, Roger Moore, Ertha Kitt and many more...

Comment by Sheldon Gajarian on December 31, 2009 at 7:56am

As far as provenance, here's what I know, the lady that owned them has passed away, she worked for a law firm during the 50's that handled contracts for MGM studios, some Paramount studios and one other. Her father was a cinematographer for MGM during the silent years. She spent the last 30 plus years living as a recluse with many many cats in her home. He daughter contracted my friend to clean out the home, as you can imagine, it was a mess with animal droppings and even dead cats. Most of her belongings were thrown in the garbage, sadly, I believe many more priceless items. My friend was contracted to clean out what was left in her home, he gave everything to me, knowing I collected autographs. We talked with the daughter to tell her about the box and she was actually a bit upset we bothered her, I could only get this small info about the mother. The daughter lives in another state and just wants rid of the mess.

Comment by Sheldon Gajarian on December 31, 2009 at 7:20am

Thank you both, I to like to research before jumping in to the pool. I'm glad I asked the question about Mr Epperson.

Comment by Susanne Blennerhassett on December 31, 2009 at 12:51am

I absolutely agree and I tell my customers/friends the same thing. Look, research, understand, get comfortable with a few different ways to buy (ie auctions, online stores and such) and get to know the actual seller. I really think that makes the process so much better, when you have someone you trust and can share the joy of collecting with. I mean isn't that reason we all went into business to begin with? Because we love it and we want to be able to give people the opportunity to buy authentic items without fear. There are plenty of good sellers out there, it's just a matter of finding - the one.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on December 31, 2009 at 12:39am

Thanks, Susanne. What you and I know are that there are many wonderful dealers and auction houses you can do business with--hundreds! Collectors just have to do some legwork to find out who they are and learn how to verify their purchases. It's no different than finding the right doctor, stock broker or attorney. Spend a few weeks learning before you buy or sell, and with common sense, you can collect autographs safely.

Comment by Susanne Blennerhassett on December 31, 2009 at 12:17am

Steve - I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on December 30, 2009 at 11:02pm

Sheldon: Regarding Marilyn Monroe authentication: Joe Maddalena from Profiles in History is probably the world's top expert in Marilyn Monroe. Among major authentication services, I think PSA/DNA. If I had a landmark Marilyn, my first choices for auction would be Profiles in History and Christie's US or UK. Profiles is probably the best choice for private treaty (non-auction) buyer. Heritage Auctions, RRAuction, Alexander Autographs and Legendary are also good choices. But Profiles and Christie's would be my first choice for an outstanding Marilyn, because they're known for them. You should talk to all of them. And reputable dealers who may have interested clients where you can consign without the risks of auction.

I'd love to see the piece!

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on December 30, 2009 at 10:18pm

Hi Sheldon,

Roger Epperson is Autograph magazine's lead rock, blues and popular music authenticator--he does all popular music except country. He's the most respected authenticator in those areas in the US, and as far as I know the world. The one time we didn't show him an autographed item in the last few years--in fall of 2007 I believe--because we trusted someone we thought was beyond reproach who said he got the autographs himself--we made the biggest mistake since I've been publisher of Autograph. We published a guitar with forgeries on them that the collector actually bought at a charity auction supplied by Gallery of Dreams (www.gofdreamsauctions.com). As we always do when we find out we made a mistake, we told our readers about it and apologized for it in the next issue.

Roger is the victim of an ongoing smear campaign by Autograph Alert (Steven Koschal), Mike Frost (the self-appointed president of the IADA-CC and an authenticator for American Royal Arts, the company that used altered photos of celebrities to show them signing their guitars) and, we believe, American Royal Arts. If you saw the Inside Edition and 20/20 segments on American Royal Arts, you know who I'm talking about. According to ARA, the suppliers of the guitars, and the fraudulent photos, was Gallery of Dreams--the same source as the forged guitar we published without Roger looking at a couple of years ago.

If you're a subscriber to Autograph, I hope you've seen that helping protect collectors from buying forgeries is extremely important to us. Roger is key to our fight against music forgeries. That's why some people are trying so hard to destroy his reputation.

About RRAuction.com: They are not a regular advertiser in Autograph--but I wish they were. They're good people. EVERY dealer and auction house makes mistakes, but what's important is how many mistakes they make, and when they do, if they back them up with a meaningful guarantee. RRAuction doesn't make many--and when they do, they don't make you go through hoops to get a refund. Most reputable dealers have a lifetime money-back guarantee of authenticity. Most auction houses have a time limit--typically five years. RRAuction provides a lifetime guarantee of authenticity on everything they sell--the same as a dealer, which is unusual for an auction. But even more important, they don't make you go through hoops to prove they've made a mistake. They don't make you hire an ex.pert if they realize they're wrong--in every case I know of they consult with experts themselves to find out and honestly tell you what they find. They look at the big picture--they know their reputation means everything. I know many dealers and auctions that I trust implicitly, but no one holds monthly auctions like RRAuction.com does--I don't know how they do it.

Comment by Sheldon Gajarian on December 30, 2009 at 7:48pm

Another question, who's the best for early Marylin Monroe authentication?

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