Mickey Mantle - yes or no?
 

This was posted on another forum. I personally do not like it. What does everyone else think?


http://photos.sportscollectors.net/222225.jpg

I say no, but wait for the more experienced folks to chime in.

I'm positive it's Marino Mantle. Folks on another board don't know about Marino or his style of Mantle. All of his characteristics are there.

+1

Fake, but not Marino. What year was the litho done?

definitely fake...It is the forgery that is highlighted in The Operation Bullpen book, however. I presumed it was a "Marino" as well.

The Marino Mantle that Shelly is showing is "Marino on Marino". That's when Greg Marino signs his Dad's (Angel Marino) beautiful lithograph work that no one would buy. Greggy would have to add the fake signature to sell the piece. (of S***)

There seems to be two or three different styles that have been identified as Marinos. I presumed the differences were due to him improving as time went on. The first example in this thread is clearly much cruder and less deceptive than the second example (signature on the Angelo Marino lithograph), but I have seen both styles identified as Marinos. :confused:

the earliest of Greg's work.

Attachment 94915

Same here. I put together this graphic of supposed Marino Mantles. The characteristics all seem to be there.

http://photos.sportscollectors.net/222642.jpg


Shelly - Not sure on year. The image I posted in my post was what the other person posted on the website.

another early Greg. greg had many different styles so I could be wrong about the one posted earlier.There are few things that still bother me. The n and spaceing. The one thing we all agree on it is bad.

Attachment 94918

Greg definitely had his own unique style with Mantle. The M's, connecting of i to c, and the y's all seem to be the same throughout his Mantles as time passed by. His high K is an easy point out as well.

Attachment 94935The biggest thing about his Mantles where the sraight line from the e to the y. Like on his Williams he would always sign through the top of the s.

Wow - After following the Mantles on this site for a few months, helpful PMs from several generous members with lots of criteria to look out for and restudying several of mine own received in person, I don't see a single aspect of these fakes that would fool me now.

The Marino's in particular seem to miss on almost every single letter - The M's are all wrong in shape, loop and finish, the connection between the i and c is wrong, the shape of the c and k are pathetic as is the connection between the k, e and y. And thats just the first name. Spacing, slant, size and pressure for all the letters in the second name are just as bad.

Feel pretty good with my progression which is directly related to all the help I've received on this site. So much so that I now have a hard time believing that anyone could be fooled by a Marino.

+1

Just remember it was 13 years ago. The so called authenticators at that time had no idea what was going on. I can tell you for a fact that every major auction house sold not only Marino but all the crap out of the East Coast as well. B and J, Howards and Madison sports. They sold more junk than Marino ever did.

Good point! However, if I knew than what I know now about authentic Mantle autos, I believe any version of Marino's fakes would have still raised flags for me.

Trust me he did Jersey's so well that when Mickey came by and saw them He said don't remember signing those but they look beautiful. It was at the Vegas show after he stoped drinking.:) He fooled a lot of pros.

Bull. Let's see an example. (And don't put up a genuine signature!)

I've said it before, and I'll continue to say it: Marino's stuff--all of it--was garbage. The only people he could fool were those who shopped at HSN or Smokey's or other such places. Hardly those whom you'd call "collectors."

On a semi-related note... I recall hearing this story years ago..

At a paid signing, The Mick was presented with a stack of the Mantle/Maris pose 8x10 photos. They were all signed by Maris.

Mantle thumbed through the stack, took out a pen and as he started signing noted, "Well, at least we know one of these signatures is real."

Anyone know if the story is true? Has anyone seen a Mantle/Maris with a fake Maris and a good Mantle?

Horrible

Geez, David, you might be right about your claim "whom you'd hardly call collectors."

After all, wasn't it thirteen years ago that you purchased that Fang penned "1927 NY Yankees" team-signed forgery for $10,000.

I guess you weren't a "collector" back then, David.

What an asshole you are Chris. Fang fooled everyone. Marino fooled no one.

Love it!!!!

Do ya, now?

Show us one Marino--just one--in a major auction. One Marino in a Mastro, or Leland's, or Robert Edwards, or SCP catalog.

Now, any Fangs in those catalogs? You bet there are.

Help me out on the cussing please....

Aw, C'mon, Leon. They say a**hole now on prime time network TV. Sh*t, too. :)

Hindsight is 20/20. :D

Christies 1997. Hammer price ~$4000.

:)

Well, I guess I'm wrong. I'll take your word that it's a Marino.
Sure looks like sh*t, though, doesn't it?

There's your one, Mr. Collector.

What "Don't you think so," David?

That's a Marino penned baseball. I have it in my files, too.

Attachment 94965

As Casey said, "You can look it up."

:)

I changed my post, because I first thought it was a single ball, with all the signatures. On second glance I saw it was four different balls.

Find one yourself, Chris. Don't leave your challenges for others to fulfill!

Man up!

I would have, but Zipper beat me to it.

Well done, Steve.

"I would have." LOL!

You forgot to say something like "Thanks for pulling my bacon out of the fire, Steve."