Another Prince autograph - real or fake?

Hey guys - another autograph to get your opinion on. I'll preface this this with the fact that Roger Epperson has already given his quick opinion and thought it was likely not authentic. That being said, unfortunately I was caught up in the moment and had already purchased it! If it is indeed fake and if f I'm to get my money back, I need to get as much ammo as possible.

I found this poster at Art of Music at MGM Las Vegas, who are apparently known for sometimes being less than honest. It's supposedly a Lovesexy concert poster signed by Prince himself in 1986. (Edit: This could be 1988, I honestly don't remember what the dealer told me. It's been noted that Lovesexy came out in '88, so for the sake of argument let's just say "it was supposedly signed by Prince on the Lovesexy tour." Thanks to Bjarne for pointing this out.)

I appreciate any and all feedback. If the general consensus is that it's a fake, any recommendations on who best to involve or how to proceed would be most welcome. Thanks in advance, and much appreciated.

-Brian

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Permalink Reply by Bjarne Soderholm on August 4, 2019 at 3:25pm

Lovesexy was released on May 10, 1988.

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Permalink Reply by Brian D. on August 4, 2019 at 3:29pm

Yeah I'm probably misremembering the year they told me. I wouldn't disqualify it on that alone, but just the signature itself. I'll edit the original post so as not to confuse anyone.

Thanks Bjarne.

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Juice on August 4, 2019 at 3:32pm

100% fake! Get your money back if you can. "Less than honest" is a generous description of Art of Music!

What did they charge you?

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Permalink Reply by Brian D. on August 4, 2019 at 3:55pm

Thanks Bruce. Yeah, I have read some of the stories about them. Definitely hit or miss...or miss...or miss...

The poster itself was actually $1800, but I got it along with another, similarly priced. Since I purchased 2, they gave me the "bulk" discount ($3000 for both). The other poster was not Prince, so I hesitate to bring that one up on a purely Prince forum. It was actually a Star Wars movie poster, signed by many of the cast members. I know those signatures significantly better than I do Prince, so I felt much more confident with the SW authenticity. That being said, I'm still getting that one authenticated as well, mostly because of all the horror stories behind Art of Music.

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Permalink Reply by James on August 4, 2019 at 4:00pm

Hey, Brian..sorry...that is a bummer. The thing is...if your Prince poster was authentic, it would go for much more than $1800, and $1800 isn’t cheap I know. Signed photos typically go for $3500 to $6000. That’s based on seeing results from RR Auctions.

Do you know Art of Music’s return policy?

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Permalink Reply by Brian D. on August 4, 2019 at 4:05pm

It is definitely a bummer. I have seen the same as well.

As for their return policy:

Authenticity Guaranteed

We stand by our products at Art of Music. Each item has been thoroughly inspected and is guaranteed to be authentic. If any item is proven to be unauthentic we will issue an immediate refund. Art of Music insists that only reputable Authenticators be used to verify an items’ Authenticity. Art of Music recognizes only those Authenticators that are testifiable in court. They must pass a screening process by Art of Music. We recommend:

Drew Max (http://aau.com)

Skip Hensel

The funny thing is (and I'm sure you guys probably already know this) that if I look up their two recommended "experts", they are both widely accused of positively authenticating tons of fakes. Long story short, the only people that agree with Art of Music are known to be deceptive!

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Permalink Reply by James on August 4, 2019 at 6:05pm

OMG!! As soon as I read “testifiable in court,” I knew they were meaning “Forensic Document Examiners” which is code for “crooks”!

I’m sure they’ve had this pre-arranged with Drew Max for a long time!

I would see what they say about PSA/DNA, JSA, Beckett, or Epperson. I’m sure they’ll say no. Also, I believe PSA charges $250 for Prince...or they did. JSA might only charge $150 for Prince though. I know, however, you’ve already used the Quick Opinions. See if that does any good first.

However, you may have to threaten legal action because they’ve stolen $3k from you!

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on August 4, 2019 at 6:08pm

Yup, forensics! :( and as usual, a crime is nearby.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on August 4, 2019 at 6:04pm

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Permalink Reply by James on August 4, 2019 at 3:52pm

Agreed. Not authentic. Hope you can get your money back.

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Permalink Reply by Brian D. on August 4, 2019 at 4:00pm

Thanks James. I am definitely going to try. I'll update the post here with details as I go through the process, just in case anyone else gets duped as I did.

I have contacted Art of Music to give them a chance to do the right thing. I've done my due diligence (3 respected authenticators in writing stating likely not authentic - Epperson, AutographCOA, and Beckett). Outside of that, I figure the next step is to contact my credit card company. As a last resort, I have read on here that some have threatened legal action with the Nevada DA. Let's hope it doesn't get to that point!