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Permalink Reply by Carl Ryan on April 28, 2013 at 6:43pm

If i were you i would share the name of this dealer. If he is using kids in that fashion, i would let it be known who he is. I am sure this guy is well known in collector circles, from the way you describe him, and if you reveal him, its very likely that fellow collectors will have seen him around and will know if he has been getting legit guitar pickguards signed. Their are always people watching, and if this guy is pumping out lots of signed pickguards when no one else is, then their is probably something to it.

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Permalink Reply by Darren Ruskin, III on April 29, 2013 at 12:11am

whether you know it or not, i think you have answered your own question. i looked at the second listing you have hyper linked above..the .PSA-DNA one with "CHEERS and looked at the other items he has up for sale. The guys face is posted in more than half of the auctions. Anyway - I drove up to Vancouver for McCartny last year (wasted trip for him..but I did manage to get a Springsteen out of the time spent there) and this guy was in a wheelchair waiting for Paul!!! One of the other collectors said his name but I do not remember it. I would definitely know it if I heard it again. Seems to be a tall fella - looks like he has a lot of meat on his bones - weighs between 14 & 15 stone. Whether he is always in a wheel chair or not, I cannot tell you - but he appears to be standing up with no problems in his proof pics. I cannot fault him though and it sounds like that is what is happening - if it helps him get the signature more power to him. Back when I was really putting in the hours I remember seeing (and participating) in some despicable acts myself that should put a lot of collectors in the running for actor of the year.

With regards to the companies that authenticates signatures, they could care less (and it isn't really their job) what item is signed or how it was signed, or how it is on the item. they only care if it is a legitimate signature signed by the person it is supposed to be signed by. I do know that PSA will supposedly not pass the photos that the hired collectors get signed on plain white photo paper then run the paper through a printer to produce the celebrities photo on top of the photo (the signature will bleed through and it is hard to tell it wasn't signed on top of the image)..and that is how the whole blue/black ink mess got started with celebrities in a round-about way a dozen years ago. Blue ink will bleed through and show up well through the photo...black will not. I was told by a dealer friend of mine in Chicago a few years ago that he knows of someone that can make a signed scratchplate out of anything that is signed.  Whether it is on an index card, photo paper, a poster - whatever. This guy had taken something signed by Elvis and turned it into a scratchplate. As long as it is signed in ink or paint pen it didn't matter what the signature was on. I didn't really ask too many questions because I could care less about an item like a scratchplate unless I am getting it signed myself, but a lot more "lazily" I have seen a lot of NYC and Philly sellers on ebay that have been getting photo paper signed and have been what looks like casually cutting them with scissors into the shapes of scratch plates and attaching them to guitars over the last couple of years too. I suppose Joe average doesn't know if they are buying it for their kid, but I know I would not care to have it. The plain ol scratchplate material game is an age old ruse too. I have been seeing collectors get that stuff signed for probably 15 or 20 years now. Yes - musicians have always been dicks about signing guitars so I guess it is the only alternative. I prefer autographs on the wood of a guitar too but if you have the time to cut it out and make it look decent more power to you. By the way - I see Mac is playing in Seattle in July why don't you beat your competition to the punch and get your craig list help together..don't worry about me driving there, i'll unfortunately be out of the country with work.

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Knublauch on May 25, 2013 at 9:10am

Hi - yes those guys are on ebay. one is called bbauthenticated and the others you have in your listing. Once in a while they offer double signed albums - Ringo and Paul. It is they business and well paid. In the last years there were too many on the market and the covers are worthless and they dont tell the bad condition...

I heard the story a bit different as they let them sign 50cent worth worn out sleeves AND white DVD trays. If you sign them inside you can cut out a pickguard (if Paul signs them right to shape them out). The story of the clear plastic was new to me but it is a good idea. Surely this won`t last long.

As for the authenticators - they just get a scan or photo and don`t bother if the pickguard is a real one - or better a genuine Hofner pickguard.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on May 26, 2013 at 6:46pm

Some of this nonsense is the reason I got away from chasing autos. Disgusting.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on April 5, 2015 at 11:11pm

This is an old post. But once again the more I read these things the more of a turn off it is to collect Beatles.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on April 6, 2015 at 1:00am

Just realised Jim officer is N. steiger s post 2013.

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Permalink Reply by James Stone on April 14, 2015 at 5:12am

Trying to get Paul Mccartney to sign is like a one in a million chance these days I imagine. I am sure they go to great lengths to make sure he has no interaction with fans.

I gave up on trying to meet famous people in general. It is a waste to spend 8 hours standing around only to find out that the celebrity has found a great way of avoiding you.

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