with steals comes fakes, u just have to be able to know the difference between the 2. eBay has its positives & negatives.

With EVERYTHING in retail there are good/bad or honest/dishonest merchants. I buy tons of autograph type magazines and there are so many advertisements that lead to sites with fake stuff, however like most there is also real stuff. If you do the research you can decide what is good and bad. Price isn't always the tell tale sign. Often someone needs $$$ so they list their stuff. They might not know the going rate or they might hope a low start increases traffic. I've never gotten burned on ebay but I do my research and only buy on RARE occasions. However I have knowledgable friends who don't have the time to do TTM or IP graphing and they have excellent collections of real stuff all purchased online.

Bottom line is simple: Do your homework! Treat an autograph purchase like a used car. Know the going rate, what good examples look like, what to expect a heavily driven/rushed autograph should look like. In the end if YOU feel the item is up to YOUR standards and YOU are happy with the price, then you should be happy. After all isn't the whole point of buying an autograph or any item for that matter, your OWN personal satisfaction?

Ebay get's a bad rap because it's the biggest online outlet. There are far worse places you could buy from.

I found a website (psadna.com) that, if you send them the link, they'll check and see if it's real. It cost 7.50 and if they can't tell then they refund you.

i find one thing tricky about ebay or any autograph is if someone got it at a private signing or met them in person it may be neater and more full because they can take their time and dont get as many requests compared to a premiere event where they go down the line slopping them as fast as they can...so a forge can be easier on ebay because its sloppier

There are still some very authentic bargains on Ebay if you take the time to search. I buy lots of vintage material on there. I just got a Leonid Kinskey signed letter for $5, because the listing had his name spelled Lenoid. Anyone looking for one and searching the correct name didn't find it because of the misspelling.

there are many many good bits on ebay aswell as many fakes. i have got bits from there but i always do my homework first.

aslong as you careful there are loads of bargins to have on there.

Exactly. I notice more and more people will do buy it now or make an offer. These people want to play it safe. They know that they're auto will sell for $60. They chance it going for more, but they feel good about $60. I search out the bidders cause usually they'll start you out lower. I did my math on the signature of O'toole and it fits with every other one I've seen. It's those high ones I stay away from. I made an offer on the Jennifer Connelly photo and the guy said, "90's as low as I can go." Not for her (as much as I like her). Maybe $60 but not $90. I have a friend whose b-day is coming and she LOVES Zac Efron. She wants his rollingstone picture signed. This Connelly seller also has him for $200! Out of his mind. He claims to have backing but for that price? If it's real and you want it to sell high, take it to a professional auction house. Ebay's for us less endowed in the wallet.

But yes, I like bidding cause they think they'll go higher and sometimes you luck out. The "buy it now for $200" I don't even go near. Especially if they say no returns. However, always do your math

by the way, what are credible autograph websites? I'm new to that game.

You make a VERY VERY good point, and one that is often not thought of by ebay cynics (myself included) Why go to the bother of forging an autograph, and then sell it for $10? That probably gives you a five dollar profit after postage and cost of photo printing!

I do believe for the most part, that they can. Some names may bring a higher risk, but with my experience they have been authentic (i.e. they have matched up to known signatures). Someone earlier said that if (I believe they used Labron James) was on sale for $25 it's probably fake. Whereas he may be high profile, I still find that successes can occur when a seller starts off with a low bid, hoping it will sell for higher. I for one made that mistake when I sold one of my Jake Gyllenhaal auto's. He signed it quickly and since the other was his name written out, I sold it. I started the bid at $15 and it sold for $20! How sad was I? Very, but that's the name of the game. I find that when someone has a price that's ridicules (i.e. I'm looking at Jennifer Connelly for $125) I'm more cautious. People like Paul Newman or Katharine hepburn go for hundreds. But someone whose alive and not really THAT famous...that's too high. I also stay clear when they have a movie that just came out. People want the auto so bad that they bid on whatever. Wait til it dies down i.e. New Moon. Who knows how many can slip a fake in there. The risk is still there in "off" season, but less likely to occur. Some people I've seen their handwriting so much I can tell instantly. I know Taylor Lautner's full signature and his quick signature. I've also seen Vanessa Redgrave signatures pop up that weren't hers (3 in the past 4 years) and believe me, I know HER handwriting!