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Michael Jackson Signing Styles in Julien's Tompkins and Bush Sale

On December 2, Julien's Auctions is selling The Collection of Tompkins and Bush. The collection contains 465 lots of Michael Jackson memorabilia, 287 of them autographed.

Michael Bush and the late Dennis Tompkins were Michael Jackson's costume designers for 25 years, during Jackson's most successful period. They were the consignors of the signed Thriller jacket that Julien's sold for $1,800,000 in June 2011.

Almost all of the autographs in the Tompkins and Bush sale are a variation I'm not familiar with. I've only been looking at Jackson's autograph for a few years, though, and we have members here who have collected him for decades, so I'd appreciate your input and exemplars.

If you know Michael Jackson's autograph well, please look at a few images below from the auction and let me know what you think. Even better, browse the auction and upload any similar examples you have: http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/77/

Julien's is the world's premier auction house for Michael Jackson memorabilia, so they would know his autograph better than most of us. I'm just surprised I haven't seen this style before.

Thanks for your help.

Tags: 2012, Julien's, auction, michael jackson, tompkins and bush

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Charlotte Stanley on January 10, 2013 at 8:43am

Great work, yes. How can it be possible to bootleg a product that wouldnt exist unless MJ had passed? Thats the point seems to be missing with Darren's lame excuse. I believe bootleg products do exist and maybe even before a product comes out, usually happens with Tour shirts and programs etc. But in this case it doesnt hold water and is impossible. For sure you know they destroyed the standee, but destroying it only makes them look more guilty. Did the buyer ever take posession of the item. Surely there are good pictures from people who went to the auction?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 10, 2013 at 9:20am

Large images are taken by every decent auction house's photo department, and for print catalogs like Julien's makes, they are huge. Plus the images in the digital files used to print the catalog are at least 4 times larger onscreen than they are in a printed catalog.

I don't think Julien's or Bush will destroy the standee, though. It will be seen as destroying evidence, and while that isn't a crime at this point, there is enough photographic evidence of the standee to use against them in court.

Plus why destroy a genuine MJ autograph? Darren Julien said they sell bootleg memorabilia sometimes, and that it's OK to. They can list it in a later auction as bootleg if it is.

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Permalink Reply by Helen on January 10, 2013 at 9:48am

I hope you're right. I have a bit less faith in the judicial process I'm afraid. As MJ fan you get used to all your best research and arguments being dismissed out of hand and not taken seriously. I still fear the police aren't overly interested in the whole thing and a missing standee might be a good excuse to claim "not enough evidence".

And Julien has been doing a lot of very stupid things, like telling incredibly dumb lies, so I do not trust their actions to be logical or thought through.

But I hope you're right :).

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Permalink Reply by Helen on January 10, 2013 at 9:23am

Julien said they "cancelled" the sale and they were alerted to its existence very soon after the auction, so I doubt it was ever sent out.

I also doubt good pictures exist because a cardboard standee would not be very spectacular next to all those gorgeous outfits.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 10, 2013 at 9:38am

Auction houses generally take good images of everything, and then the art and cataloging departments decide what images and sizes to use. The same system they use to shoot those great outfits would probably be used to shoot the standee; or if not, a large, flat surface with a camera above it that can take it all in.

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Permalink Reply by Helen on January 10, 2013 at 10:08am

Time for a search warrant, then :).

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Permalink Reply by MJ-fan-1965 on January 10, 2013 at 11:01am

Especially since "MJ's" signature is over part of the Logo's (what an idiot he is/was) lol. It's almost comical if it wouldn't have ripped people off over 5 million.

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Permalink Reply by MJ-fan-1965 on January 11, 2013 at 1:18am

This is a copy of the corner of a different standee (Christine's - nabbed it from your facebook lol) just so we can see that the mj feet logo really does say what I thought it said. Now to find that trademark logo registration #. Anyone good at searching out the USPTO site?? Its a real nightmare lol.

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Permalink Reply by Helen on January 11, 2013 at 2:05am

The feet themselves were registered by Triumph in 1991. http://www.trademarkia.com/logo-74156362.html.

This research into the animated logo (MJ's legs walking in and doing the spin to end in that pose) supports the theory that the logo in this exact version is new:

http://www.closinglogos.com/page/The+Michael+Jackson+Company,+LLC

Here we have the exact version of the image as active from ca. 2009, but maddeningly there are no words included:

http://www.trademarkia.com/company-triumph-international-inc-126354...

BUT the 1991 square version is also included on a later page of the list, so clearly a different thing:

http://www.trademarkia.com/company-triumph-international-inc-126354...

Nothing conclusive, but pointing towards the assumption being correct rather than the other way round.

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Permalink Reply by MJ-fan-1965 on January 11, 2013 at 3:06am

Well I do have faith in Leslie's word (she really does know more than anyone I know about MJ business--her blog is amazing), but I want the actual trademark #

It may just be trademark# 77806863 http://www.trademarkia.com/logo-77806863.html and this one was filed 08/18/09 - this mark would go on paper/cardboard etc. (it has an area, where it describes what type of goods this would go on). And the wording may be added by the printers? I don't know. I have been all over every MJ "feet" trademark in the USPTO for Ziffren, John Branca, Jeffrey M Smith, Triumph International Inc etc. lol. This is why I put it here for public view, I NEED it fact checked. Anyone in the MJ Community who see's this is welcome to help us and join us here to give the information. If you don't want to join the group or want to remain anonymous please email the info if you find it to editor@autographmagazine.com and Steve C will get it to us.

I really do believe it is its own trademark logo though, with the words.

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Permalink Reply by TeamMichael777 on January 10, 2013 at 7:32am

Helen, where can i see Don and Rons response, can you copy and paste and post on our private group please, http://live.autographmagazine.com/group/the-mj-justice-league

To everyone else on this thread, i think its about time we stop posting all our finding here, its been proved beyond a doubt that Juliens have sold multiple forgeries, posting all our evidence here is just screwing up the case, If there is going to be one, so please post anything that can help the case in our private group. Thank you