autograph variations

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Posted By: stutor

I thought this card was interesting in that it demonstrates the variability of player autographs over a career/lifetime.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1581417429

Mantle's autograph looks nothing like the facsimile signature. I'd have to say buying an autograph is sort of like a crap shoot.
It's still a pretty neat card.

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Posted By: jeff s

for players like Mantle, who signed so much, we can be sure that his autograph looks like the sharpie one on this card. (now...there are pretty good forgers out there, but many of their techniques are easily recognized)

Also - I don't think that all of the autographs that were used for facsimilies were the player's actual signature. Many are accurate, of course (it's always cool to have an old card with a fac. sig with a real sharpie auto that looks exactly the same), but many facsimilies are either a) not accurate at all, or b) much less "stylish" than the autographs they sign for fans because, perhaps, of space restrictions, or c) their entire name -- "Gordon S. Cochrane" instead of "Mickey Cochrane."

now, that isn't to say that autograph collecting is free of risk......but that's another story.

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Posted By: David

From other examples as well, Mickey's 'M's have changed over time.

The faux signatures on old Topps cards were created from the player's actual signatures. In fact, Topps would send the players documents asking them to sign their name many times so they could be used as samples.

In general, the printed signatures on the cards are more formal (more careful, often full name, as if signing a contract) then if the player was signing a card or ball at the ball park.

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Posted By: David

I've also got a cardboard box full of 1920s- DP, McGregor and Goldsmith player equipment contracts. In the contracts the player was usually asked for signature samples to be placed on the contract for use in advertising, on gloves, etc. On many of the contracts, the players signed multiple times on front and back. Interestingly, many of these sample signatures were not formal (Bill Jones versus William P. Jones).

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Posted By: jay behrens

I remeber the time I was forunate enough to go to dinner with Joe DiMaggio (only rule, don't ask about Marilyn. No sweat, I wanted to hear baseball stories) someone asked him if he could tell the diffreence between a fake sig of his and a real one. He said, no. Tells you all you need to know about autograph collecting right there. If the person signing the sig that verify it, then who else possibley could?

Jay

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Posted By: David

I don't buy the theory. Probably over half of the people on this board haven't closely analyzed their own signatures. I bet if I gave signature samples to Mike Gutierrez or Jimmy Spence, either one of the two would be able to point out numerous details I didn't know existed in my signature.