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How important is a back story/Provenance to your autographs

So i have just noticed an autograph i used to own listed with a major auction house with a so called detailed letter of provenance ,the owner tells how he attended the show and gives full  details of how he obtained the autograph ,the story is very detailed it is however a total fabrication , i dont want to say which item or auction house it is as i really dont want any hassle from it i had enough of that last year  never again ,people may be able to put two and two togethor and work out what it is,i am thinking of letting the auctioneers know its not their fault they are a decent house they can only go on the story they are told 

I owned the item around 7 years ago it had no back story or details at all i found out the history of it because of the signature on the back and tied the two artist togethor to a particular place and time i sold the item on a year or so later after having it matted /mounted and framed with no story at all just a time and place where it was signed ,a few months ago i saw it on e bay with a total b******* story quite laughable it was told as if they obtained the signature and had owned it since then so i know its all a lie, im unsure if someone bought it on e bay or if the same seller has consigned it to the auction house but its up with the same long story and its still matted as i sold it with the photos i used

Would this annoy you if you bought it and found out the story was a total lie or would it not bother you either way do you think it happens often in order to get a better price and has anyone come across something similar     

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 Altho the quality of the autograph  always come first , -  provenance and an interesting sotry of how an autograph was obtained does increase value.  I would be pretty cross if I discovered the provenance story was a load of rubbish if I had paid over the odds for the item . I think I know which autograph you are talking about and imo I would contact the auction house concerned and tell them 

I saw something similar recently. A signed item was offered at auction with no provenance and then showed up on eBay with a detailed story of provenance including a claim that the signatures were obtained in person by the seller. I don’t believe the signatures are even authentic.

This would not surprise me even slightly.  The level of total BS seems to just keep increasing.

It would annoy me if the story was fabricated! It would be naive to believe most modern day graphers tell the truth when you read their listings but for myself provenance speaks buying graphs with photos or something that is totally distinguishable to date the autographs or without having any doubt in my mind the items bang on real. 

Yikes. I just saw it in the auction and it’s the same item.

Someone want to share the item ffs

It's a shame someone has to think lying is a good idea. Especially when an autograph is genuine. Speaks volumes about that person. Bad karma!

To me provenance is in the word, PROVENance; "story" - third definition Merriam Webster = fiction...and it usually is. 

BUELLER

Surprisingly, people use fake stories to sell real autographs all the time. I can only speculate that they think the story will add to the value or serves as some sort of marketing enhancement. 

Stories are BS more often than not. I never rely on them to determine authenticity.

The only time provenance matters to me is if it’s an item that sourced from the collection or possession of someone of interest.

Many stories are obviously untrue.  Yes, I would say over 50% are false.  How much over 50% I’m not sure because there are many stories that are indeed true.  Not everyone is a crook or unethical.  For every authentic autograph up for sale somewhere, someone got that autograph in-person...except for TTM.  So every autograph has a story, and that story can be legitimately told if the autograph being sold is still owned by the original owner.  Of course, the problem is verification of the story.  

I once bought a relatively high-dollar item based partly on the original owner’s story of her acquisition of the autograph.  Based on her story, the autograph had great provenance, making the autograph even more desirable.  But I just didn’t trust her story right off the bat.  Unbeknownst to the owner, I did my own homework and was able to verify much of her story.  The things she told me checked out.  Most importantly, the autograph looked good to me.  Furthermore, she wasn’t some high-volume eBay autograph dealer.  This autograph was the only thing she had for sale on eBay.  All of her other ebay transactions were for purchases for herself.  She had never before sold anything on eBay.  She wasn’t churning out multiple fake autographs for sale.  Her livelihood did not depend on the sale of this one autograph.  I also got to know her over the phone on multiple occasions.  Yes, I trusted her, and I’m glad I did.

Over time, I’ve heard many stories about so-called in-person autograph hounds or chasers.  And many of these autograph hounds don’t have video or picture proof for every one of the many autographs they are selling.  In many cases, all these autograph chasers have is a story, yet I’ve been told...oh he’s good...you can trust him...he’s reputable, but then I’ve looked at the inventory, and I’ve not always been impressed.  Of course, part of the problem could be that many of their in-person autographs are rushed examples.

Ultimately, it all comes down to whom you can trust.  And yes, if I did find out a story of provenance was nothing but a lie...even if the autograph was real, I’d still be ticked.  You often see Beatles or Stones autographs offered for sale with a story of acquisition that even gives you an exact date, and even time of day.  And I’m like...really?  50+ years later, you know the exact time and date?  It is possible to know this, but often these stories sound contrived to me.  And yet many auction houses offer Letters of Provenance even when they’re probably not even sure if the background story is true.  

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