PAWN STARS Shoeless Joe Jackson signed book...

[Herman Darvick]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

Thanks a million for chiming in on the subject Herman. Yes, it was 18 1/2 years ago and I'm sure much has changed as well? I respect any man that stands behind his work and speaks freely about it on an open forum.

What your saying then, is that your opinion hasn't changed on the item in 18 1/2 years and I can appreciate that. This was authenticated before PSA & JSA so my question is this.....Are you still authenticating for either company and if you were, why did they not pass the item or did they come back to you for your opinion? Or, was it just they didn't want to go out on a limb on the item?

It's very refreshing to have you clear up what you remember 18 years ago. Even if it meant you changing your mind, I would have no problem with that either, due to the advancing technologies and information that may have been gathered since then.

IMHO, anyone to spend actual $$$$$money on an item like this in any setting needs his head examined. Thanks again.

I voluntarily authenticate for JSA. I hadn't seen the signed book, or a copy of the Joe Jackson signature in it, since 1994. I see no reason for me to change my mind. With the existence of the Foster + Freeman Video Spectral Comparator, I probably would want to examine the signature to possibly learn if it was signed between the book's publishing in 1947 and Joe Jackson's death in 1951, and not after I sold the first authentic Joe Jackson signature at auction in 1990 for $23,100.

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by Herman Darvick

I voluntarily authenticate for JSA. I hadn't seen the signed book, or a copy of the Joe Jackson signature in it, since 1994. I see no reason for me to change my mind. With the existence of the Foster + Freeman Video Spectral Comparator, I probably would want to examine the signature to possibly learn if it was signed between the book's publishing in 1947 and Joe Jackson's death in 1951, and not after I sold the first authentic Joe Jackson signature at auction in 1990 for $23,100.

Just curious, where did the first authentic Joe Jackson come from and any details about the signature? Was it a check, a document, a baseball? What steps were made to prove its authenticity? Thanks!

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by mschwade

Just curious, where did the first authentic Joe Jackson come from and any details about the signature? Was it a check, a document, a baseball? What steps were made to prove its authenticity? Thanks!

Matt,
Somewhere in this thread it was mentioned that the first Jackson sig was a cut from a legal document...and there's the rub. Putting all these comments together, and what we know about Jackson, you have the following:

1. He could sign his name, but barely and it was very labored.
2. He wasn't one to sign his name in front of anyone (probably because he was embarrassed by how long it took him.
3. If he didn't sign in front of someone, and took an item home to sign it...and Katie signed all of his autograph requests, why the heck wouldn't she sign that.
4. Every other legitimate Jackson sig has been from a legal type of document.
5. With his, or any other signer that has a slow/labored signature (and where a letter or two may be erased and re-written from time to time), how the heck would you be able to honestly give an opinion that it was legit.

If some fool wants to spend 13k on an item that "might" be legit even though there's no logical reason why it should be, well, that's their business.
Sure, you look at the autograph and judge it on it's merits, it's just that you can't do that we something like this.

[Bocabirdman]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Matt,
Somewhere in this thread it was mentioned that the first Jackson sig was a cut from a legal document...and there's the rub. Putting all these comments together, and what we know about Jackson, you have the following:

1. He could sign his name, but barely and it was very labored.
2. He wasn't one to sign his name in front of anyone (probably because he was embarrassed by how long it took him.
3. If he didn't sign in front of someone, and took an item home to sign it...and Katie signed all of his autograph requests, why the heck wouldn't she sign that.
4. Every other legitimate Jackson sig has been from a legal type of document.
5. With his, or any other signer that has a slow/labored signature (and where a letter or two may be erased and re-written from time to time), how the heck would you be able to honestly give an opinion that it was legit.

If some fool wants to spend 13k on an item that "might" be legit even though there's no logical reason why it should be, well, that's their business.
Sure, you look at the autograph and judge it on it's merits, it's just that you can't do that we something like this.

All five of your points resonate with me. My grandfather was unable to read or write. He was taught to sign his signature by my grandmother. For the remaining 70 years of his life he had my grandmother, then my mother and finally me to do the day-to-day check signing etc. He only signed his name when he was required to for a mortgage, or selling the home or a couple installment loans. I would not be exagerating to say that it was years, sometimes decades in between signatures. His embarrassment was evident as he would struggle to make eleven letters. Each letter was an adventure. Erasures were the norm. I can still see him struggling to write his name, his tongue poking out of one side and then the other of his mouth. He often would stop in the middle of signing, to relax his hand. Each signature was a different train wreck and there certainly was no practicing in between. I can fully understand why Shoeless Joe's labored signature varied greatly over his lifetime. Authenticating it without documentation must be a real crap shoot...

[alexautographs]

Geronimo signed the same way - they weren't letters but more like "pictures" that he memorized and they really meant nothing to him. Yet every "signature" had certain similar traits that forgers to this day haven't picked up on.

[travrosty]

[QUOTE=Herman Darvick;1033963]I voluntarily authenticate for JSA.



that's the dumbest thing i have ever heard.


who FORCIBLY authenticates for jsa? do they have people chained to their desks over there?

[alexautographs]

[QUOTE=travrosty;1033973]

Originally Posted by Herman Darvick

I voluntarily authenticate for JSA.



that's the dumbest thing i have ever heard.


who FORCIBLY authenticates for jsa? do they have people chained to their desks over there?

Travis - Not speaking for my respected colleague, but I believe he meant to say that he is not paid to authenticate for them.

[travrosty]

[QUOTE=Herman Darvick;1033963]I voluntarily authenticate for JSA.



that's the dumbest thing i have ever heard.


who FORCIBLY authenticates for jsa? do they have people chained to their desks over there?

[alexautographs]

Originally Posted by Herman Darvick

With the existence of the Foster + Freeman Video Spectral Comparator, I probably would want to examine the signature to possibly learn if it was signed between the book's publishing in 1947 and Joe Jackson's death in 1951, and not after I sold the first authentic Joe Jackson signature at auction in 1990 for $23,100.

I'm not quite sure that that machine can tell you the AGE of writing sample, as it uses different sources of light for its analyses. I believe it can tell you differences in ink colors, erasures, overwriting, etc., but nothing about age.

I believe that one would have to take a minute sample of the ink, or use the latest advances in mass spectrometry (non-destructive) in order to determine the actual age of the ink (comparing it to known manufacturer's samples). This was done with a Clyde Barrow letter we once handled to determine that the graphite was not of the period: an analysis using a light source of any kind would have been useless. Of course, the cost of such apparatus is far beyond the reach of any autograph dealer or authenticator.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.