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Antiquities Caesars Palace, GFA/Stephen Rocchi and AAU/Drew Max Sued for Autograph Fraud

According to the Courthouse News Service, Mr. Daniel Odobas has filed a lawsuit against Antiquities Of Nevada (Toby Stoffa), Drew Max (Authentic Autographs Unlimited) and Stephen Rocchi (Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators for "Fraud, Deceptive, Trade, Misrepresentation, Unjust Enrichment, Conspiracy, Bad Faith, Breach Of Contract and Breach Of Warranty."

Immediately below are links to the story.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/08/30/vegas-memorabilia-house-ac...

http://www.inquisitr.com/3472565/vegas-antiques-and-memorabilia-dea...

In my opinion, this was a long time coming.

Drew Max of Authentic Autographs Unlimited, gives himself the title of Forensic Document Examiner (FDE).

What in the world does "Forensics" have anything to do with autographs?

Very, very rarely in my opinion.

I don't know of any Forensic Document Examiner who knows sports or music autographs

It is also important to know that COAs and LOAs issued by Forensic Document Examiners or by authentication companies that use them, are much less likely to be genuine.

I have yet to see an authentic autograph of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams with a COA from Drew Max (AAU).

Not one.

Just below is a link to a thread I wrote on Drew Max and one of his performances on the Pawn Stores show as he Forensically Examined an FDR "Letter To Clergy."

http://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blogs/drew-max-forensic-...

Then, of course, there is Stephen Rocchi and his Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators (GFA) group.

In the six years since Rocchi started GFA, I have yet to see one authentic Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams or Joe DiMaggio autograph with a COA from GFA (Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators).

Also, since when does a Forensic Examination only cost $25.00?

Rocchi does all of the below for $25.00 and still can't get it right.

From Rocchi's website. Seriously?

You do not need "Forensics" to determine if an autograph is authentic or not.

http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/ebay-mantle-dimaggio...

http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/joe-dimaggio-forgeri...

http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/roger-maris-forgerie...

Just below is a typical Mickey Mantle forgery on a baseball with a COA from Stephen Rocchi and Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators.

It can be opined in less than one second as a forgery.

What is Rocchi thinking when he issues a COA for the below Mantle forgery?

Rocchi (Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators) has certed dozens of the below set of Mickey Mantle/Roger Maris forgeries on a reproduced Safe At Home poster.

A real authenticator would laugh and dismiss this garbage in a millisecond, but Rocchi has certed dozens of these as authentic.

These are, at best, laughable.

When will all of this "Forensic" madness finally end?

Tags: aau, antiquities, caesars palace, drew max, forgeries, fraud, gfa, lawsuit, pawn stars, rocchi, More…toby stoffa

9 members like this

Comment by goodcat on January 2, 2018 at 6:02pm: richard s simon...

Let me add that I know multi millionaires who are serious collector's that have have been burned by what they "thought" were reputable sellers with authentications.

Don't blame the victim

Comment by Michael on January 2, 2018 at 6:13pm: Agreed Goodcat53. Interstate commerce. Mail fraud. Makes me wonder why they aren't in jail.

Comment by goodcat on January 2, 2018 at 6:18pm: Thx Michael and hopefully the hammer comes down hard on these clowns one day

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 2, 2018 at 7:08pm: Goodcat,

Antiquities is in Caesars Palace and has been for almost 30 years. Builds confidence.

Comment by Richard S. Simon on January 2, 2018 at 7:33pm: Do I know you cat? Sorry if I offend but I have been fighting the bad guys my whole life, trying to educate the good guys. All it would have taken was a little investigation on the buyers part to have found out a lot of info. Chris posts everywhere about these guys. A little work on the buyers part, before spending his money, would have saved him all this grief

Comment by Richard S. Simon on January 2, 2018 at 7:34pm: All he would have had to do was google some names.

Comment by goodcat on January 2, 2018 at 7:35pm: Indeed it would build confidence to buy.

Comment by goodcat on January 2, 2018 at 7:53pm: Richard...

I'm very happy your fighting the bad guys. But to blame the buyer is nonsense, especially with a place of high standing like Antiquities. We know it's all bogus now so hindsight is always our best friend. Were you born with all the knowledge you have? Did I know my wife was a raving lunatic before marriage? Live and learn brutha, live and learn.

I was never really married but I hope you get my point.

And you can't equate money with knowledge. That's just ridiculous.

Looks like you touched a nerve, so we'll just leave it at that.

Comment by Richard S. Simon on January 2, 2018 at 8:09pm: Who did that "high standing" company use to issue COA?

Comment by Danny Francis on January 2, 2018 at 9:06pm: I am new here, however, not new to collecting. I have done everything from print overlays, pay for quick opinions, to buy only at auctions and I still have spent over $10,OO0 of forgeries. I am not even in middle class according to these new tax codes.

I wish I had the talent that some of you have. I really do. I feel like a nuisance asking "Is this good autograph?" How much sense is that anyway to ask complete strangers on the internet. Dr. GOOGLE is always right Richard (sarcasm)

It is not the buyers fault. That is lunacy. Why would a novice, intermediate or even advanced collector believe that Caesars Palace Antiquities has forged items. With or without a COA, which can also be forgeries. WTH!!!

I totally get being upset at forgeries. Trust me, I remember dry heaving when i found out that the 1 item that I bought for myself after saving for 4 years is a fake.

Instead of blasting victims, help teach others how to spot forgeries. Use sites like this and post threads like the DiMaggio and Mantle threads. Those were bada$$.

Thanks to everyone here who has taken a forgery off the market. Also, thanks for letting me be a nuisance.