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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 16, 2011 at 1:23pm

I'd like to. I don't know where he got them specifically. Some from dealers I believe, some from collectors, perhaps friends selling collections. Hopefully he'll come on board and tell his story.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 16, 2011 at 1:28pm

You gave me an idea. Why don't do something where people upload their collections or part of them for members to opine on? Stuff you buy, stuff you got in person, but at the start we don't reveal the source?

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Permalink Reply by mark peterson on July 16, 2011 at 5:10pm

Good idea,I bet some great stuff will fool a lot of people.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on July 22, 2011 at 5:29pm

Where did the buyer get these collectibles?

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Permalink Reply by Darren Ruskin, III on July 16, 2011 at 3:59pm

these are the kinds of autographs you used to see on ebay all of the time. same handwriting, same band, over and over, week after week. just try completing a u2 album now...you'll get bono the first day, the edge in 2 weeks, adam next year, and larry in 7. they are aLOT of work

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Duncan on July 16, 2011 at 6:50pm

I think every one is pure garbage.  Those Rolling Stones and Police ones are a joke. 

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Permalink Reply by James R. Altmann on July 16, 2011 at 6:53pm

Definitely sounds like a good excercise to keep us all sharp. And a way to get the sellers/owners of this material getting seriously p.o.ed at us all...haha

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 16, 2011 at 7:06pm

James,

You brought up a good point. The person whose autographs these are knew he probably got taken and wanted opinions, but he doesn't want to be known because of the comments some people make. They can be demeaning to the victim. 

I know how angry people get when they see what people sometimes get stuck with, but we need to be kind. It's generally not the victim's fault. They were taken by criminals confidence men and women. Thieves...they all belong in prison.

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Permalink Reply by James R. Altmann on July 16, 2011 at 8:48pm

Steve, I agree wholeheartedly. It's one thing to alert people that an item (or entire company) has some serious issues with it before it is purchased, it's another to start telling people that don't necessarily ask that their purchased items are quite possibly fakes. Though we are surrounded by this hobby and it is a part of our lives to some extent, I have met people that truly 100% do not care that the item they have purchased is not real. It is beyond belief to people like you and I, but it is a percentage of the population that does actually make up a part of this industry. Generally, these are people that are given the item as a gift or something to that effect. It isn't the guy buying pieces as investments, but you would be absolutely stunned by some of the people in the world today.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 16, 2011 at 9:38pm

James,

This is interesting, because I think you misunderstood me and it shows a difference in how we look at things.

What I meant was that, as in the case of the collector with these albums, he wanted an opinion but he didn't want to be looked at negatively for being defrauded. It's humiliating for some, although I don't think they should feel that way unless they knew they were paying way under market value.

He realized he probably made a lot of mistakes, and didn't want anything fraudulent in his collection and wanted to destroy them if they were. But it didn't make sense to pay a lot of money to get PSA/DNA or Epperson to opine just so he could figure what to throw out. He's used PSA/DNA and JSA for sports items for years.

He's the kind of collector we all appreciate and respect. He is fine if fakes he purchased are made public, because he is going to destroy them. He just doesn't want that he made such mistakes to be rubbed in.

That's something I think we need to change here—blaming the victim or not taking their situation and feelings into account. That's the one thing Chris Williams (TomTresh2) and I disagree on, too. Chris believes the victims are often partially to blame. I don't think they are unless they know the realities of the autograph business.

But I do agree with you that in our social lives we have to think carefully before we give an unsolicited opinion on authenticity. In most cases, and every case where they're active or recent buyers, I've told them.

There can be mind-banging decisions, though. I once dated a lady who was a total Metallica fanatic. She asked my opinion on a signed guitar she bought on eBay in the corner of her bedroom as she led me in.

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Permalink Reply by sling on July 17, 2011 at 5:53am

People are less likely to care about authenticity if they have no money at risk such as those who recieve as gifts...

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Permalink Reply by James R. Altmann on July 16, 2011 at 10:10pm

I do not disagree with this at all. My point about the people who do not care what they have is real or not is a totally different animal and I understand that is not the premise here. I was just stating something off the cuff that I have witnessed throughout that I should not have assoiciated with my prior quip.

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