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Authenticity is Everything
Tips From an Old Time Collector
Hello My Friends!
I have been collecting autographs for over 30 years. During this time, I have purchased from dealers, traded, received a few in person, and of course, wrote to old time Hollywood stars that were still living during the early 1980s. I have not been active for several years now, although I have always read articles and studied authentication methods. My all time favorite actor and autographs are those from Charlie Chaplin, so I am going to use my experience with his material in my short list of tips to my fellow collectors.
Okay, here goes:
1. Study the signing habits of the signer you are interested in - - This is very important. Was the person a willing signer? Did he sign items in person? Did he sometimes or always let others sign for him when answering fan mail? Charlie Chaplin, for example, was a very willing signer when in public. He also signed autographs through the mail. However, he sent out some pre-printed stuff, and his wife Oona also signed for him (easy to spot.) The more you know about a persons signing habits, the better confidence you can have in your piece.
2. If its too good to be true, it probably is! -- I see a lot of stuff out there in reference to Chaplin that is truly too good to be true, such as entire letters written by hand, sketches at cheap prices, photos of him as the Little Tramp sold for "bargain" prices, This is not to say you can't pick up a great piece at a great price, but you have to always beware, especially when purchasing over the internet. This week, for example, I was searching for a Johnny Case item to give my son. Sure, I saw lots of stuff...books, great photos, and one tape stained page with an inscription and autograph. I ordered the signed page. Why? Because I could tell it was something someone loved so much that they taped it in an album, plus it had extra writing on it. The item is not very attractive, but much more likely to be authentic. Some of the photos I saw were oversized, signed on the perfect spot, and, well, I just didn't trust them, especially at cheap prices.
3. Know the persons signature and variations! -- Very important. Chaplin's signature had several forms....Chas. Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin, Charles Chaplin, C. Chaplin, and he used them interchangeably. Also, his writing got cramped and smaller as he got older, significantly so. I once saw an item that had a large, beautiful signature of his...problem was, it was signed in 1975, when his writing was very small and cramped due to several strokes he had a few years previous. While I am here, let me say that you should also know a bit about the persons life, especially if he / she is deceased. I once saw a Douglas Fairbanks Sr. photo from The Thief Of Bagdad for sale that was dated 1945...problem is he died in 1939!
4. When purchasing, deal only with reputable dealers....do you research! -- Let's face it, you are going to have to purchase items form dealers if you want your collection to grow, especially if you want autographs of deceased individuals. When I first started purchasing from dealers, I blindly assumed everything was fine, especially when a COA was included (as written somewhere else in this forum, they are worthless.) As I learned an matured as a collector, I realized that 4 out of the 7 Chaplin items I had purchased over the years were garbage. Two of the dealers actually returned my money, but the other one had disappeared off of the face of the earth. Do your research...it is easy to do with the internet now a days. NO ONE CAN BE AN EXPERT ON EVERY SINGLE CELEBRETY!! If you are going to be vintage Hollywood items, deal with an expert in the category...with music, deal with someone that knows. I personally have never purchased from people who have thousands of times for sale.....I prefer those that have smaller stock and take the time to really study the signatures.
Okay friends, thanks...hope this served as a good reminder. By the way, if you ever have a Charlie Chaplin you would like for me to look at, I would be more than happy to offer my opinion.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on
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Excellent post, Claudio...thank you!
I do think it's OK to buy from collectors, as long as you do your research and get opinions to make sure to your satisfaction that it's real before you pay for it. And pay with regular PayPal with buyer protection or a bank card that has it.
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Permalink Reply by SilentsGolden on
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that's great advice Steve! Research first and pay with a method that will get a quick refund just in case!
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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on
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Thank you for creating this discussion, Claudio. It contains some great advice for collectors. It is also refreshing to read something that is not only informative, but does not patronize members who may be new to the hobby. We all make mistakes. For the record, The Kid is one of my favorite films of all time.
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Thanks Mike...there is more I will add later. I love The Kid! As a matter of fact, I have it on a Blu-Ray....incredible quality...you can even tell Chaplin had blue eyes even though its a B / W film!
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Incredible. Thanks. I will check it out.
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on
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Absolutely, very important to welcome new collectors to the forum as we learn and can keep helping others, although not a new collector, I’ve not been actively collecting for a long time and coming on here, I’ve felt very welcomed and although sometimes there’s been debate, Imfind it healthy.
Spreading knowledge and caring for the collecting community is the way to go to preserve our wonderful hobby, whilst hoping to steer fellow collectors away from the fraudsters.
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I agree with you 100%. Knowledge is key and will help prevent fraudsters from ruining our hobby.
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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on
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nicely done, Claudio
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Thanks....hope it will help especially those new to the hobby. I think that technology has made it an even bigger challenge when it comes to authenticity....these days its too easy to create forgeries and copies.
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Permalink Reply by Adam Halloran on
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This needs to be added to, called the "Autograph Collectors Bible" and pinned here and everywhere autographs are discussed and sold.
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Thank you Adam, that is very nice. I used to live and breathe autographs, and I still enjoy the hobby very much. In reality I kind of put it on the back burner because of family responsibilities, but it is still one of the best hobbies out there. Back in the day I collected before computers and scanners, so forgeries mostly were done by hand. Now with laser scanners we have to be extra vigilant.....I see a lot of fake Chaplin stuff out there, for example. The best way really is to get stuff in person, but number one, there is no one I am really interested in at this point, and number two, it would make for a very limited collection!
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