i never buy autographs on ebay mosts are fakes anyway, if i can't get them ttm then i try to get them ip.

dashiet wrote:4. If someone sells a Brad Pitt or any A list star for $20, it's probably too good to be true.

That is not always exactly true. If you are familiar with AutographWorldLLC's auctions (I know Andy is), you will know that some A list stars autographs do sometimes go for around $20-40 on their auctions. It all depends on the photograph in my opinion. George Clooney's autograph usually goes for up to $10 which is nothing. This is because the photographs that have the autograph on them aren't that great

TheMailman

Have you guys seen the items for sale on this website?

dashiet wrote:1. COAs don't mean anything.
2. If the seller didn't see it get signed, then it's not 100% authentic.
3. Even if it's signed with a sharpie, it could still be autopenned. (see if the celeb is notorious for sending autopens)
4. If someone sells a Brad Pitt or any A list star for $20, it's probably too good to be true.
5. Always compare the sigs to certified sigs if you can.
6. If someone's mom's coworker's uncle got it for them, that doesn't make it authentic.



Have a nice day.

In other words, use common sense.

If something is proven unauthentic and the seller has good ffeedback, eBay won't pull it.

I think that we shouldn't condemn eBay as a whole as say "don't ever buy off there" for that matter don't buy off the internet at all. But then you wouldn't get any good autographs, would you?

People just need to learn to be responsible. I won't feel sorry for someone who says "Oh my gosh, I bought Tom Hanks' autograph for $5 and it's fake!" or such. People need to take responsibility to do research or know what they are buying.

I buy/have bought from eBay mostly as well as a few official sites or some UACC dealer sites like autographworld. I know what I'm getting into when I buy an autograph as I use my common sense. I buy from eBay only from those that provide very good photographic proof/information of how/when it was obtained and UACC registered dealers (and I usually check the UACC site to make sure they really are and aren't just lying). I don't even look at auctions that are $5 or something because I know that no matter who you want, you're not going to get them for under $20, $15, or $10 usually.

There are a lot of fakes, people shouldn't stop using certain sites like eBay but they should make themselves aware of the pretty common knowledge that big autograph collectors are already aware of like COA's mean nothing because anyone can make them and they are only as good as the seller issuing them, you aren't going to get a real autograph too cheap, "guaranteed authentic" means nothing because anyone can say it and unless you can read minds like the cop on Heroes then you aren't going to know if they are lying.

In the short, people just need to educate themselves. Too many people are clueless to the fact that autographs are forged all the time and must not realise how many are out there, and they unfortunately use little common sense when purchasing.

Autograph collecting is fun, but it's also expenseive but anyone that sells them for a living either spent a lot of time tracking down that celebrity or a lot of money putting together an autograph signing for their store which is why most UACC dealers are so expensive and why any real autograph usually costs a decent bit.

If you want autographs for cheap, just try writing to a lot of people...maybe you'll get back a real one instead of a pre-print, auto-pen or a number of other less desirable kind that get returned often.

This is basically the same stuff that is put up on sticky at the top of this forum area. I even did a reply the other day and added basically the same information as you just said. I'm not trying to be rude, just saying maybe you should reply to the How To Tell If Your Auto Is Authentic sticky post above.

But everything you said is true. COA is only as good as the seller issuing it (meaning a COA from a UACC dealer is a good one). Nobody's going to be selling Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt for $20. Some items are easy to tell are fake (you can't get an authentic signature on a dvd from Marilyn Monroe, that's just stupidity upon the part of the forger). Fuzzy and small photos that make it difficult to examine the signature aren't a good sign. Anyone can lie and say "It's guaranteed authentic". People sign differently depending on if they are rushed or not, what pen/marker they use, etc but generally their signature won't look too different. As someone else said - you sign your name 1 million times and no two will look exact but they will all have similarities enough to tell.

Best way to buy autographs is buy from a UACC dealer or someone with seriously good photographic proof and detailed information of date and location it was obtained.

There are exceptions depending on if it's someone you trust, etc, etc. But it's my general rule.


95% of autographs sold on eBay are fake. I can't verify that number but I believe that it's no lower than 95% of them out there that are forgeries.
Sad thing is people are gullable. Isn't it weird for you to find a Brad Pitt autographed photo from a seller with private feedback that has a small fuzzy photo being sold buy it now for $4.99 and guaranteed authentic? C'mon now!

http://www.fanmail.biz/mboard/viewtopic.php?t=9991 is the topic I was referring to. Which is actually on "collecting help" form. But anyways..

1. COAs don't mean anything.
2. If the seller didn't see it get signed, then it's not 100% authentic.
3. Even if it's signed with a sharpie, it could still be autopenned. (see if the celeb is notorious for sending autopens)
4. If someone sells a Brad Pitt or any A list star for $20, it's probably too good to be true.
5. Always compare the sigs to certified sigs if you can.
6. If someone's mom's coworker's uncle got it for them, that doesn't make it authentic.



Have a nice day.