by Hartster » Tue Nov 19, 2019 6:17 am
Goes without saying: Trust the autograph, not a piece of paper. Where does the person usually sign? How do they usually sign? Even rushed in-persons have similar characteristics. What do they sign? Are there photos or other material that they don't sign? Is it a rare, not usually seen photo, or one that's been signed plenty of times? (Sometimes, as consideration for appearing at a public event like a convention, the celebrity is asked to sign a stack of photos. Sometimes a dealer will ask them to sign a few as well.)
Autograph authentication companies can and do make mistakes, and you're relying on a third party who may not have witnessed the signing. You want provenance - how does the person get their autographs? Where did they get them? What kind of money-back guarantee do they offer? Are they a registered dealer with a reputable autograph organization (like UACC?)
That said, questions of authenticity aside, some of your autographs are not worth the price you're asking simply because they were not signed in optimal places. The Patrick Stewart, for example, could have been signed with a silver or gold Sharpie in its present place. But it's signed in a dark marker on a dark spot, where there are lighter places to sign.
Goes without saying: Trust the autograph, not a piece of paper. Where does the person usually sign? How do they usually sign? Even rushed in-persons have similar characteristics. What do they sign? Are there photos or other material that they don't sign? Is it a rare, not usually seen photo, or one that's been signed plenty of times? (Sometimes, as consideration for appearing at a public event like a convention, the celebrity is asked to sign a stack of photos. Sometimes a dealer will ask them to sign a few as well.)
Autograph authentication companies can and do make mistakes, and you're relying on a third party who may not have witnessed the signing. You want provenance - how does the person get their autographs? Where did they get them? What kind of money-back guarantee do they offer? Are they a registered dealer with a reputable autograph organization (like UACC?)
That said, questions of authenticity aside, some of your autographs are not worth the price you're asking simply because they were not signed in optimal places. The Patrick Stewart, for example, could have been signed with a silver or gold Sharpie in its present place. But it's signed in a dark marker on a dark spot, where there are lighter places to sign.
