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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 Jason Charnick on January 5, 2018 at 1:58pm: Great. In one breath we say that casual collectors need to do their research, and in the next, they’re being called stupid. So when they do decide to do research and come here for help, they see us call each other names and argue amongst ourselves like little children. So if you’re a casual collector, who would you trust: the store who’s been in the same location amongst other world renowned stores for 30 years, or the strangers on the internet who bicker like babies? People wil NEVER know we are the good guys when ish like this keeps happening. I get all sides, really I do, and I value everyone’s opinion on this thread, but big picture guys... big picture.

Comment by Richard S. Simon on January 5, 2018 at 2:03pm: If Odobas had done research and come here for help, the outcome would have been different.

Comment by Fuddjcal on January 5, 2018 at 2:03pm: Yes Richard. Exactly right. This guy was not a rocket scientist, brain surgeon or autograph collector. While i genuinely feel sorry for the guy and respect the hell out of him for fighting back, i'm sure if you ask him, he will tell you he was a complete dummy. Is that really in question or are we too politically correct to address it?

Comment by Richard S. Simon on January 5, 2018 at 2:06pm: Is it possible that he bought all this crap thinking he was going to make a big score? Did he buy these thinking I am getting a steal and I am gonna auction them off with big auction houses and make a killing? Or did he buy them because of a love for rock n roll and hang them on his walls for a period of time and then decide to part with some of them? No accusation here, I just would like to know.

Comment by Fuddjcal on January 5, 2018 at 2:18pm: He bought them because he was a greedy slob and the prices were "too good to be true". He must not have heard that line we heard 50 years ago. "if it's too good to be true it usually is"... FIRST RED FLAG of many many many flags on the play. To think to buyer has no culpability is just plain foolhardy. It would be nice if that wasn't the case and we can blame only the scam artists but unfortunately that's not the world we live in today. It takes two to tango. I like to trust people too, but where $$$ is concerned I don't take anything to chance like that. Sorry this seems as if I'm jumping his S***, but he has shared fault in the situation and if Badcat doest like my opinion, shut me up by donating to the legal fund already. Eddie Big talker

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 5, 2018 at 2:26pm: Fudd,

Thanks, but contributing to the fund isn’t an obligation in any way, and I don’t want people being shamed into it.

Thank you tho...you are a good, long time friend.

Comment by terrier8HOF on January 5, 2018 at 2:28pm: looking at the list of items, why would John Lennon handwrite lyrics to McCartney songs? Am I missing something here?

Comment by BallroomDays67 on January 5, 2018 at 2:39pm: It almost appears as though some of this stuff was made to order. My favorite Beatles song is Penny Lane, and my favorite Beatle is John. I'd also like some Jim Morrison handwritten lyrics. My favorite Doors song is Light My Fire (primarily written by Krieger). I'd also like a few fully-signed Doors albums, but no duplicates please.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 5, 2018 at 3:00pm: Terrier,

What about “Twist and Shout”? It wasn’t written by any of the Beatles. It was first a hit by the Isley Brothers. I don’t know who wrote it.