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The GAI Mantle, DiMaggio & Ted Williams Hoard—Are They All Forgeries?

A hoard of thousands Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams signed photos have flooded the market over the last few years. All authenticated by Global Authentication Inc., with COAs signed by former GAI executive Mike Baker.

The hoard has driven down prices on these legendary Baseball Hall of Famers by 50-percent or more, and it's not rare to find one for well under $50.

The problem?

Every baseball expert we asked is emphatic that they're forgeries. And they've had that same opinion since the hoard came out of Florida in 2008.

If the experts are right—and I don't doubt that they are—not only are thousands of collectors stuck with these worthless photos. Thousands more have unfairly suffered a catastrophic drop in the value of their genuine Mantles, DiMaggios and Williams due to the flood of fakes.

And as we all know, GAI went bankrupt in 2009 after certing thousands of forgeries of Mantle, Williams, DiMaggio, Koufax, etc.

 

Why Do So Many Think They're Forgeries? Let's find out!

If you're a regular collector like me, it's hard to tell good Mantles from decent forgeries. DiMaggios and Williams are easier, but I'd never buy without an expert opinion. So I thought it would be a great education for those experienced in these autographs—experts and experienced collectors—to show us why they're so widely considered forgeries.

I've included a few of the GAI authenticated photos to start with. Feel free to upload more. Ask  questions, share your knowledge...and help make collecting these Hall of Famers safer for everyone!

Look at all this garbage!!!

Forged Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams photo.  Laughable forgeries.

Forged Mantle, DiMaggio and Williams photo with a worthless COA from GAI.  Look at this garbage.

Ugly and laughable forged Mickey Mantle with a worthless COA from GAI.  I've observed hundreds of this-style forgery over the years. 

Mass-produced forged Mantle, DiMaggio, Mays and Snider photo with a worthless COA from GAI.   Ugly.

Forged and mass-produced Mickey Mantle.  Ugly and laughable.

Forged Mantle, Williams and DiMaggio photo with a worthless COA from GAI.   Horrid-looking forgeries.

 

Forged and mass-produced Mantle and Williams forgeries.  Worthless COA from GAI and Mike Baker.

Forged and mass-produced forged Mickey Mantle photo.  Pathetic.

This is one of dozens forged Mickey Mantle business cards that were "authenticated" by GAI and Mike Baker.  Pure garbage.

GAI (Mike Baker) "authenticated" hundreds of Mickey Mantle forgeries on the below image.

Laughable Mantle forgery.

Here is a mass-produced set of Mantle and Williams forgeries.

GAI "authenticated" thousands of forgeries before they went bankrupt in 2009.

Tags: authenticate, authentication, baseball., dimaggio, forgeries, gai, genuine, global, hall, joe, More…mantle, mickey, of, ofame, ted, williams

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on March 17, 2011 at 7:44am
Garbage like this has helped to dilute the "Mantle, Williams, DiMaggio, etc., autograph market."  So-called collectors who know nothing about autographs are going to purchase a GAI certed Mantle for $50.00 as opposed to purchasing a PSA certed Mantle for $175.00.  And that's why ALL GAI certed autographs with the Baker signature should be removed.  It can be done.
Permalink Reply by CJCollector on March 17, 2011 at 8:01am
It's amazing to me that when all of this crap started, that "they" didn't think that anyone would notice that the autographs were all garbage.  But they counted on the fact that GAI was a Ebay prequalified authenticator and that no one would notice they were really all forgeries.  That is why I NEVER look at a cert; I ALWAYS look at the autograph.  As this discussion progresses, more and more of this garbage is being auctioned off on Ebay (and other sites).  The so-called collectors who bid and buy this junk DO NOT look at the autograph; they look at the cert and bid.
Permalink Reply by CJCollector on March 17, 2011 at 8:11am

Check out the below GAI certed signed photo Mantle,  Joe D., and Ted Williams.   The Joe D. is cartoonish at best.  The "J" is Joe is awful and the "D" in DiMaggio isn't close.  The one thing I will apologize for in advance is not going into detail about why a certain autograph is a forgery.  That I will not do.  But I will write this; it is important to do research and "train your eye." 

 

Permalink Reply by DB on March 19, 2011 at 7:37am

Here is without question an authentic Joltin Joe DiMaggio signed by himself as a "mystery guest" in 1955 on what's my line following his recent intro into the HOF.  If you find one of these - Bingo~

 

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 19, 2011 at 8:00am
Are these cool or what?
Permalink Reply by CJCollector on March 17, 2011 at 8:17am

If you ever see a Mantle like the one below stay away from it.  It is a 100% forgery.  This is the type of forgery that was sold by the Home Shopping channels back in the 1990's.   Roach's Corner sells a ton of these particular Mantle type forgeries every month.

 

Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on March 17, 2011 at 8:58am
This 1st one has a PSA/DNA coa  The second one hasa JSA coa...what about these? 
Attachments: No photo uploads here
Permalink Reply by CJCollector on March 17, 2011 at 9:24am
Perfectly 100% Mantle sigs, Brandon.
Permalink Reply by John91C on March 17, 2011 at 9:00am

Here's the result of the Mantle that I showed earlier

 

Before PSA/DNA submission:

 

Attachments: No photo uploads here
Permalink Reply by John91C on March 17, 2011 at 9:01am

Mantle after PSA/DNA submission:

 

 

Attachments: No photo uploads here
Permalink Reply by John91C on March 17, 2011 at 9:02am

Here's another before and after of a framed item...they never took it out of the frame but still certified it...

 

 

Attachments: No photo uploads here
Permalink Reply by Brandon Mysinger on March 17, 2011 at 9:08am

As an authenticator ( granted, NOT in anything other than NASCAR ) I do feel that a comprehensive signature study is needed here.  It's vastly important that buyers and collectors are as educated as possible.  There needs to be a tool that new buyers or un-informed buyers can use when determining if a purchase is worth the risk.

 

DB, do you have a link to the study that was previously done?

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