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Authenticity Check: Autograph Album with Clark Gable and More

Hi everybody,

I’m planning an upcoming auction on ebay for an autograph book and am seeking advice and comments.  I have posted the photographs on photobucket:

http://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af334/rbmcgee/autograph%20book/...

The autograph book contains the following 26 celebrity’s autographs:

Waymond Wadcliffe, Conrad Veidt, William Powell, Virginia Weidler, John Carrol, Clark Gable, Robert Taylor, Rosiland Russel, Walter Pidgeon, Gene Lockhart, Eleanor Powell, Ann Rutherford, Jack Benny, Virginia O’Brien, Anne Shirley, Marjorie Main, Pat Dane, Vera Vague, Ruth Hurrey, Mary Martin, Mickey Rooney, Lana Turner, Kathryn Grayson, Laraine Day, Gene Reynolds

I don’t know anything about, or have any real interest in, celebrity autographs.  I only recognize probably half of these celebrity’s names.

My Story

I have been volunteered to auction off, on ebay, the contents of a large house my family has lived in since the 1940’s (vs. a standard estate sale).  I have been conducting auctions for about a year and probably have another year to go.  Members of my family pack up boxes with stuff and send them to me for auction.  Sometimes I can identify the items and sometimes I cannot and am forced to research and identify them via the Internet (this brings me to this website/forum).  My user name is rbmcgee (check me out).

One of the items I received was this autograph book.  I could understand the basic item but still had some obvious questions.  I called back to the family to get additional information.  Turns out, it was my mother who acquired this item. 

This autograph book

She bought this book at the antique sale in 1991 that can be found on the enclosed “receipt” (this receipt only includes a listing of 23 of the 26 autographs).  When purchased, she asked the proprietor about the book.  The proprietor said that people who worked as bank tellers in Hollywood would slip an extra piece of paper to a celebrity while they would be conducting their banking business and ask for an autograph.  Obviously, many of them agreed.  This person, obviously, then took those pieces of paper and glued then into an autograph book given to them by “Aunt Fanny” as a graduation present,

Somehow, that book made it’s way through the years to an antique show in Countryside, Illinois in 1991.

The proprietor claimed the book/autographs are authentic and my mother bought it for the $325 price.

Inside the autograph book was another receipt (Vitamin Power).   I have no idea who “Vitamin Power” is. This receipt includes the list of all 26 celebrities and reflects an itemized cost for each autograph.  I do not know whether the “Vitamin Power” people ever got their asking price.

Here are some questions

Is there any reason to believe that this item/autographs is not what it appears to be?

Would there be a tremendous difference in value if I used a 3rd-party authentication service … who would you recommend … what would it cost?

What should my opening bid be and what do you think I should expect in terms of final price?

Is there a specific ebay category (219?) is should use?

Thanks for your time.

Tags: album, autograph, clark, classic, gable, hollywood

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 7, 2011 at 1:00pm

Bob,

Your link only goes to the page with the $325 price on it, so my advice may change once I see everything:

It probably won't pay to get it authenticated if you're going to sell it as a book and not individual pieces. The fees could easily amount to more than you'd get. I'd just get opinions on authenticity and they're positive, upload good photos of each page or page spread to eBay and sell it to the highest bidder. 

Permalink Reply by bob mcgee on October 7, 2011 at 1:17pm

I' so sorry, I copied the wrong link.

Here is the correct link: http://s1021.photobucket.com/albums/af334/rbmcgee/autograph%20book/

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 7, 2011 at 2:55pm

No problem. Thanks...hopefully you'll get some good feedback on authenticity.

Permalink Reply by bob mcgee on October 11, 2011 at 4:14pm

Before I started this thread I skimmed some other threads and I realized a couple things:

1) Most people here are much more inclined towards athletes and musicians vs. other types of autographs, and,

2) Comments/discussions are much livelier when there appears to a fake or fraud vs. a legitimate autograph ( I guess that's good for me) ...

 

Therefore I'm wondering if perhaps someone could suggest another website that might be more in touch with my questions/issues.

 

Thanks.

 

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 11, 2011 at 4:33pm

I changed the title to hopefully get you some authenticity opinions, and people who answer may have eBAy suggestions. The only site I can think of where you can get more eBay sales help would be eBay forums. Have you tried them?

Permalink Reply by bob mcgee on October 11, 2011 at 6:29pm

Thanks for your help Steve.  Although I did list multiple questions the #1 help would be comments on whether the book appears authentic and anything I could point to that would let a potential bidder feel more comfortable.

 

I'll be patient.  Thanks again.

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 11, 2011 at 6:32pm
Don't be too patient. Check eBay seller forums, and you may want to join the Hollywood group and leave a comment asking for help. We don't promote our groups as much as we should, but most members get notified when things are posted in it. Take a shot:  http://live.autographmagazine.com/group/hollywood
Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on October 12, 2011 at 3:16am

It certainly seems like at least some of it has the potential to be authentic. The Clark Gable looks pretty good. He's not my strong suit and I'm not an expert though. I much prefer to see checks or an inscription with Gable because his signature is rather simple, hence easily forged.

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