Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager's Blog (47)

The Todd Mueller Autographs, Nelson Deedle and Iconographs Lawsuits

I could use your help.

Since Autograph Live opened in July 2009, collectors around the world have come to rely on us to learn how to collect better, and avoid buying or selling forgeries.…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on July 7, 2017 at 4:00pm — 88 Comments

Which Mickey Mantle is Real? You Can Learn How to Tell!

No autograph is more popular than Mickey Mantle's. And no autograph is forged more.

Many Mantle forgeries are easy to identify, once you know what to…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on March 22, 2017 at 10:00am — 1 Comment

Guitar Signed by The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Other Artists in the TCM-Bonhams March 27 Auction

Last I heard, there were no genuine, intact Beatles-signed guitars known. The only one was reportedly destroyed in a Malibu, Calif. landslide about 15 years ago.

RR Auction sold one a Beatles signed guitar around 2010, but the owner had tapped the autographs down with an awl to, um, "preserve them."…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on March 8, 2017 at 8:00am — 24 Comments

7 Great Autograph Dealers—Who would you add to the list?

Who are your favorite autograph dealers? Ones that never sell an autograph they're not sure is genuine, and give customers their money back the rare times they make a mistake?

I need to know.

I'm assembling a…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on December 10, 2016 at 3:00pm — 50 Comments

RR Auction Lawsuit: No Evidence of Shill Bidding

The judge rejected Michael Johnson's fourth attempt to add shill bidding allegations to his RR Auction lawsuit a few weeks ago. With his attempt to make it a class action lawsuit failing in March 2015 and his attempt to add shill bidding and another claim failing on August 12, Johnson's case heads to trial in January, apparently on his original claims only.…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on September 6, 2016 at 11:30am — 11 Comments

Rare Beatles-signed Sgt Pepper's Album to be auctioned June 29 at Bonhams

A Sgt Peppers album signed by all four Beatles is being auctioned by Bonhams in Knightsbridge, London on June 29. I haven't seen any news coverage on it, so I wanted to get the word out.…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on June 21, 2016 at 10:30pm — 109 Comments

John Lennon's Earliest Known Letter, from 1951, Expected to Bring at Least $43,000

A handwritten letter by an 11-year-old John Lennon, the oldest letter known, is the star…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on March 7, 2016 at 2:00pm — 4 Comments

Rolling Stones Tour of Europe 1976 Poster signed

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on November 9, 2015 at 2:35am — 5 Comments

Your Thoughts: JustCollecting's 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Autographs of 2015

JustCollecting.com has released their index of the 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Autographs of 2015.

Compiled in conjuction with Paul Fraser Collectibles as part of their PFC40 Index, there are actually two lists: one with the most expensive autographs of living celebrities, and one with the most…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on October 16, 2015 at 1:30pm — 21 Comments

Arbitrator Rules Against Exclusive Rock and Roll Auction House in Claim Filed by Consignor

Law Firm of Gardner & Rosenberg P.C. Press Release, Sept. 15, 2015:

New York, NY ‐ A New York arbitrator this week slapped a high end Manhattan auction house with a judgment of more than $600,000 on a claim that it cheated a client out of the sale of two unique Michael Jackson items. The client alleged that Gotta Have Rock and Roll, a rock and roll…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on September 15, 2015 at 4:00pm — 22 Comments

We're being sued again: "Autograph Authenticators Called a Cartel"

Google News surprised me this afternoon with a report from Courtroom News Service, which I am posting here in total as allowed under their terms and conditions:

Autograph Authenticators Called a Cartel…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on July 17, 2015 at 1:30pm — 9 Comments

Thank you, B.B. King! Share Your In-Person Autographs and Experiences

UPDATE: B.B. King passed peacefully yesterday, May 14.

I've been sad since hearing the news, that B.B. King is in hospice care. It was confirmed by a statement by King on his website, …

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on May 7, 2015 at 10:00am — 33 Comments

Authenticity Concerns Over Signed "Beatles '65" in Julien's Auctions May 17 Sale

Julien's Auctions is scheduled to auction Lot 685, a band-signed "Beatles '65" album at Saturday's…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on May 15, 2014 at 2:00pm — 67 Comments

Mass Resignations, Lives Threatened as AFTAL is Hijacked During Behind the Scenes Forgery Investigation

Formed with the stated goal of stamping out fake autographs, AFTAL, the Autograph Fair Trade Alliance, attracted many of UK's and Europe's most reputable dealers as members. But while the vast majority of AFTAL dealers lived its stated goal, including a recognized expert used by law enforcement to testify against the forgery industry, AFTAL's two primary founders, Dominic Manning and Marc Mclennan, used it as cover to sell and authenticate thousands of forgeries. Manning has seized control…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on February 4, 2013 at 6:00am — 205 Comments

History Detectives Jan 8: "The Star Spangled Banner" Manuscript Mystery

It's America's national anthem, and a historic mystery of the highest order:

Who wrote this manuscript of America's national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner? Not the poem that became the song; that was Francis Scott Key, of course. Who wrote this music manuscript of it; the musical…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on January 2, 2013 at 8:30pm — 2 Comments

NBC News Investigates Julien's Auction's Michael Jackson Autograph Scandal

NBC News Los Angeles aired an investigative report on Julien's Auction's Tompkins & Bush Michael Jackson sale on Tuesday, Dec. 18's 11:00 News. Watch the report and read the accompanying article on NBC Los Angeles's website.…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on December 18, 2012 at 11:30pm — 74 Comments

Good Autograph Dealers: Who Do You Nominate for the List?

Collectors need to know who the good autograph dealers are. Dealers who are careful to make sure they are selling genuine autographs, and honor a meaningful lifetime guarantee of authenticity. So let's build a list of them.

What dealers would you recommend for the list? Tell us.

Every dealer recommended for the list will be checked out by the Autograph Magazine Live! community. Only collectors can nominate dealers for the list, and only collectors will check the…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on November 5, 2012 at 8:30am — 76 Comments

Safe Buying From Autograph Magazine Live Members

A lot of buying and selling takes place between members on Autograph Magazine Live. I didn't realize how much until recently.

You may save money that way or get more when you sell. There's nothing wrong with that. But safe member-to-member buying has been a growing concern of mine over the past few months.

The vast majority of AML members would never want to sell a questionable autograph to anyone. But as we all know, forgeries are a huge problem in autographs. And the…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on August 7, 2012 at 2:30pm — 13 Comments

Bill Mastro and Two Other Former Mastro Auctions Executives Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Bidders

FBI Press Release, July 25, 2012:

WILLIAM MASTRO AND TWO OTHER EXECUTIVES OF FORMER MASTRO AUCTIONS INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY DEFRAUDING BIDDERS IN ONLINE AND LIVE AUCTIONS OF SPORTS MEMORABILIA AND OTHER COLLECTIBLES…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on July 25, 2012 at 11:00am — 52 Comments

Lessons Learned by a New Autograph Collector

A new collector sent this in for us to publish:

I've written some observations about being a new collector. If you think it's of any merit, I'll forward it to whoever you feel could post or print it to try to help others."

…

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Added by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on July 23, 2012 at 10:00am — 2 Comments