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Did You Purchase an Item from Anthony Nurse or Charity Fundraising Packages? Please Let me Know...

I saw items at an auction recently that I believe to be forgeries. I'm in the process of trying to figure out if they are real or not, and would like to hear from others on experiences they've had with Anthony Nurse or his company -- Charity Fundraising Packages.

I remember being at a party 15 years ago, and somebody had a signed "Hotel California" album by the Eagles. It was fake, and I knew it was. I asked the guy how he acquired it. He told me an auction for his sons school. I didn't have the heart to tell him.

So, when I saw another fake Hotel California album at this auction, it made me cringe.

Anyway...please contact me if you purchased a forgery or ANYTHING from this company -- and I'll see if Steve and Roger can help me authenticate these items, and we'll move into the next steps involved (if, in fact, they are forged items).

It's bad enough if forged items are sold to unsuspecting people, but to do it in the name of a charity is just despicable.

(and a website that shows generic pictures of bands signing for 50 fans doesn't prove anything...neither does a photo of Anthony Nurse standing by Rod Stewart at a book signing).

At book signings, they don't let you bring albums, cds, or guitars. They sign THE BOOK ONLY. And having a photo taking with somebody, doesn't make any autographed item you sell "authentic." Most people don't realize that.

Anyway....contact me at: joshboard87@gmail.com

Thank you!

(or post your stories on this thread)

Tags: Anthony Nurse, Charity Fundraising Packages, Forgery, autograph authenticity, charity auctions, fake autographs

4 members like this

Comment by Josh Board on August 4, 2013 at 10:53am: Thank you for that, Janice. I'll let you know what the Lambert's say -- and we'll see if he refunds your money.

Comment by Josh Board on August 4, 2013 at 10:59am: Now, obviously Adam Lambert's dad isn't an authority on autographs, but here's what he said: Eber Lambert

Interesting. That doesn't look like his sig but could have been rushed in a crowd. If he used a script A he would write out Adam

Comment by Josh Board on August 4, 2013 at 10:59am: (it should be noted, Eber has gotten lots of autographs for his co-workers and friends that have asked...so aside from a person normally knowing the signatures of their kids, he's probably seen that autograph more than most)

Comment by Janice Knechtel on August 4, 2013 at 7:12pm: Thank you Josh for taking action on this matter. Keep us posted on any further development

Comment by Janice Knechtel on August 4, 2013 at 7:13pm: Josh or anyone....do you have a authentic Lambert you could post on her for comparison?

Comment by Josh Board on August 7, 2013 at 10:23pm: Here's the latest. I got a letter from the MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION, where I had been a volunteer for about 15 years. They say because of this, "my services as a volunteer are no longer wanted." So...you try to expose a guy for selling forged junk at charity events, and this is what happens. I wasn't going to mention the Make-a-Wish Foundation in this thread, but...just so everybody knows -- get the word out. If ANYBODY bought ANY autographed item from make-a-wish (specifically in the last three years), get it authenticated. Take photos for us, when we pursue this with the authorities -- and we'll tell you if it's authentic or not. And then you can go about getting your money back. According to the people at Make a Wish, they have a contract with this guy who sells known forgeries, so...don't accept not getting your money back. Doesn't matter if it was years ago, or within their 30 day period. The company should reimburse you. Who cares if it costs the charity -- they CONTINUE to do known business with a guy selling forgeries -- and they still have a testimonial letter on this losers website. As do the other charities that have been contacted.

Comment by Dan Gregory on August 8, 2013 at 8:18pm: That is disgusting Josh. 15 years of giving your time and effort and then trying to help and Make a Wish choose to keep in bed with a known forger rather than helping expose his dodgy dealings. Hope you can find another place who will be happy for your help.

As for Make a Wish, I wonder how many they have sold and how much they will have to pay back if it all comes out and people request refunds.

Comment by Josh Board on August 8, 2013 at 10:57pm: I don't even completely blame Make a Wish for all this. Their logic is -- we've had 3 years of stuff from Anthony Nurse, and not one complaint. Yeah, well...most people buying items don't think to check authenticity. They see the CoA that comes with it, and think that's golden. Oh well. I did hear from one charity that seems to be on the ball with this all, so...we'll see what happens.

Comment by Sidney Fields on August 8, 2013 at 11:28pm: Josh...you're fighting an uphill battle.

The business model for a company that may be providing bogus sigs to charity is diabolically simple and brilliant. Generally, NO ONE is in any position to complain.

The charity is happy because it's made money with little or no overhead attached. The buyer is happy because he has a nice piece and feels like he's done a good deed giving to charity. And, as you point out, there is no inkling that an item is fake...until perhaps the purchaser tries to sell it. If someone raises the issue, as you did, the charity doesn't want to hear it. And law enforcement is unlikely to take any interest unless and until strong evidence of forgery is dropped in its lap. These guys are not experts, proving forgery is time consuming and they don't want to get involved in wha they may consider a "civil matter."

The key point is provenance. Where did the item come from and when was it obtained. The supplier should have a record. And a charity should ask for it. It may also be useful to examine any photos provided as "proof" of authenticity. If an item is fake, the photos had to come from somewhere and they may be elsewhere online.

Comment by Josh Board on August 8, 2013 at 11:37pm: I agree with all of the above, aside from one thing. Wouldn't the authenticity be rather easy to prove? For example, we have an expert look at various items they sold at a charity auction. That expert, and another expert, deem them to be bogus. Then...the FBI or whatever authorities get involved, ask for proof these celebrities signed the items. When they don't have it (no photos of the bands signing the records, just a few generic pictures of said celebrity signing an autograph for a crowd of 50)...that should be enough for the FBI to say "You havent proven anything, and you are knowingly distributing these pieces to charities." For example, if it were merely one item -- no case. Once you get multiple items, and with multiple charities involved, I have to think the authorities will think this is nasty business on a number of levels.

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