General Questions on Authenticity
 

Does it seem as though it is more of a challenge to discern authenticity in modern guys? It seems as though prior to autographs becoming an "industry" players took care in signing their names which presumably made it more of a challenge to forge - signatures looked like a work of art. I am a Tigers guy, and I have physically seen guys like Verlander signed autographs at the ballpark that are illegible aside from "JV 35" and look like a 5 year old had written it. I am not sure there is a question here, just looking for some broad thoughts.

One of my pet peeves is picking up a modern day autograph, and having no idea who signed it. Pick up any autograph from the 70's or earlier, and you can read them. Beautiful signatures I have, and there is no question who signed them, regardless of sport... Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio, Banks, Howe, Richard, Beliveau, Orr, Payton, Nicklaus, Palmer. I know there are exceptions, but overall signatures from modern athletes are much tougher to decipher than autographs from yesterday's athletes.

My kids understand my frustration too. I picked up a couple of current Calgary Flames autographed pucks for them for Christmas, and unless I told them who they were, they couldn't read the name.

Without sounding like an old guy, it is the lack of cursive writing taught in schools today? Either that, or they somehow take pride in producing as poor an autograph as they can.

Personally, I wonder if I don't collect autographs from contemporary athletes because I'ma vintage guy, or because they look like a scribble. I think I might like to add a Lebron signature to my collection, but I have not seen one that I can actually read.

They only recently stopped teaching cursive and that's only in some places. I'm 31 and I learned cursive. I would think the issue is that the modern athlete signs WAY more autographs than vintage athletes. The insert cards alone would drive a guy crazy. Then you add in person signings on top of that. It pays to have a short signature when you're writing it so often.

Some of the problem too is the agents. They teach the player to have singature for legal documents and then a different one for fan autographs. So for instance from his first time in instructional league you never got a full Madison Bumgarner autograph.

I am going to go with increased demand, players have increased demand and less time to sign and make everyone happy. Less time you spend signing an autograph the more autographs (and usually money) you can make. Over time these bad habits just get worse. I have asked players, when I pay at sit down signings, to please sign their full name. It usually works more times than not.

One time my dad asked Rod Carew to sign his full name and he told him he didn't know how (not kidding).

This is a small example of course but I sign all of our payroll and vendor checks at my office. Once a week that amounts to about 300 checks. At first I signed my full name. Now I only sign my first. Imagine signing 3,000 cards instead. Soon you're down to only a scribble.