Al Kaline RC Auto
 

I've seen a lot of Kaline autos, but never one like this. Is there maybe a time period I'm not familiar with?

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/z...-11/img630.jpg

That looks like his autograph but a little rushed. He must have signed in a hurry and didn't pick up his pen on the K in Kaline.

After the first downstroke to start off the K in Kaline, instead of picking up his pen and then starting again, he just brought it all the way around and kept it on the card to finish off the K. It isn't like him to do that as I couldn't find another example of it in the short time I looked, but the rest of the auto matches.

Take off the top of the K in Kaline and it will look more like we are used to seeing.


It seems to be an older signature of Kaline as the L in Al is higher than all the other sigs that are more recent. All the reproduced signatures on his topps cards seem to have the higher L too.

Here is another signed card of 54 that looks like the one you posted if you take away the swoop he made by not picking up his pen. you can see it had the higher L too like the old reproduced signatures on his cards. Sorry the photo is a little small.

Good points, Travis. I still don't liike the K too much, but I see what you're saying. Also, he usually doesn't close the top of the "A" either, does he?

Just wondering. Not trying to accuse anyone of anything.

yes, almost always the A is open, but not always, i think this A is an anomoly, but not impossible.

just searching for a little bit I saw this card signed by Kaline with the closed A.

Looking at each letter, I see more than enough similarities with other Kaline autographs to feel comfortable that this was signed by Kaline. I just think it was signed a little quickly. I didn't do enough research to figure out which year it would have been signed. I think it is a little bit more vintage than the recent signatures, but it would take some research to figure it out.

And this is why I am not an expert. :D

Thanks, Travis.