I have been collecting autograph for close to 35 years. I have always took a picture of the person signing. I have over 6000 autographs and all of them comes with pictures and negatives. In the beginning, I just thought it made a great display and I thought everybody was taking a picture of their autograph being signed.
But, then I went to a stick & ball sport convention in Rosemont, Il.. Their were at least 40 to 50 people in line that just paid $100.00 per autograph from a football player. I could not believe that not one of them took a picture of the player signing as I watched. And just around the corner was a authenticator was just around the corner that was all smiles, knowing that if not now, maybe later, that he will be charging $50.00 to authenticate that same autograph that you did not get a picture of him signing.
I can't believe in this world of all our new technology, I phones, and the greed and forgeries that is know, associated with autograph collecting, people are still getting autographs without pictures. Either in person, sending away for them, and/or buying them on EBay.
Even the authenticators are not perfect. They are human. They to sometimes make mistakes no matter what company they work for. They can mistakenly say a forgery is genuine, and visa-versa. In the world of autographs, they are almost like gods, they decide what autograph lives, all at your expense, just because you didn't take a picture of the moment. But for right now, having authenticators to police the collecting autograph industry against Forgers.
Unfortunately, there is not a full proof way to prove the authenticity of a autograph of the past. They did not have cameras way back when, and if they did, they were big and bulky. But now cameras are everywhere. Help stop greed & forgeries by every time you have a chance to get a autograph. Take a picture of the signer signing. If you are buying autographed, demand that you will only buy an autograph if it comes with a picture of them signing. If a company that is supplying a COA of a live autograph session, then they can certainly afford to take a picture of that autograph session.
Come on all you autograph hounds, let's put all theses forgers and authenticators out of business. After taken pictures of every 6000 autographs that I have, I know I am doing my part.
If you don' t help, then you can not complained from getting cheated from buying a forgeries, or a authenticator has charged a incredible amount from proving a autograph was not authentic even you knew it was because you received it in person.
Good Hunting!!!!!! Fred