A Real Shocker

[Runscott]

Sorry, but I had to

Autographs 101 - 'Signing Your Name'

Bottom is a 1923 Urban Shocker signature.
Top is a 1927.

Imagine, if you can, what it would feel like to write the 'b' on the bottom ball. Then imagine the same for the top ball.

Someone had a brain fart.

[GrayGhost]

I don't get it.

[isaac2004]

I think he is pointing out ow awful the b is on the top signature.

[cubsfan-budman]

I think the top "B" just looks really difficult to write. Unnatural.

[David Atkatz]

You're turning into a one-trick pony, Scott.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

You're turning into a one-trick pony, Scott.

If that were true, I guess your predictable rebuttals would make you my faithful sidekick.

Instead of taking little nips at my posts, why don't you say something of substance? Explain how the same person could have written both of the 'b's shown above.

And "it looks real to me" isn't useful. All decent forgeries look real.

[Michael B]

Notice how the upstroke on the 'b' is straight, while the downstroke is bowed backwards. The upstroke and the back of the bowl of the 'b' look like one line when in true cursive the upstroke would be bowed forward and the downstroke would be a straight line down to the bottom of the bowl and crossing the upstroke. Appears that they got confused and did not know how to do a cursive b.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Michael B

Notice how the upstroke on the 'b' is straight, while the downstroke is bowed backwards. The upstroke and the back of the bowl of the 'b' look like one line when in true cursive the upstroke would be bowed forward and the downstroke would be a straight line down to the bottom of the bowl and crossing the upstroke. Appears that they got confused and did not know how to do a cursive b.

See above, David.

(Thanks Michael)

[mighty bombjack]

Interesting. What's the provenance of the second auto?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by mighty bombjack

Interesting. What's the provenance of the second auto?

I picked the second one solely because it came from a ball that was sold in the same auction as the green ball. Whether it's also a fake or not, it at least illustrates how a normal human being (and Urban Shocker) writes a 'b'. If you need another for comparison, here's the one from David's ball - same normal 'b'.

But as David points out, analyzing each letter isn't the way to do this. We've already talked about the problems with the ball as a whole, so rather than beat a dead horse, I'm now simply beating at it's individual parts.