Horrible signatures

[packs]

I've said it before but the concept of collecting a signature only if it appeals to you in some artistic way is weird to me. I don't care if Babe Ruth's signature is his thumb print. I'll take it.

[djson1]

Originally Posted by packs

I've said it before but the concept of collecting a signature only if it appeals to you in some artistic way is weird to me. I don't care if Babe Ruth's signature is his thumb print. I'll take it.

Sure, I understand that. I also collect guys like Ichiro and his signature is a mess! I'd rather take a thumbprint because at least it would be unique and something that can't be duplicated. The problem with these simple signatures is that they're so easy to forge (not to mention not even close to his name). If a really popular and great player has a signature like Goldschmidt's (and I'm not saying he's a great player yet) that would be chaos for people who plan on buying it second-hand, unless there was some reliable holo or cert with it.

[packs]

True, but a signature is your own personal mark. If everyone just wrote their name in cursive, it would be just as easy to forge.

[dgo71]

It's a generational thing. People in general, not just athletes, don't take pride in their handwriting like they did 80 years ago. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't all that long ago that a person's social status could be determined by their handwriting but we've come a long way since then. It's almost like complaining that a gallon of gas doesn't cost 12 cents anymore.

[khkco4bls]

Catholic school.

[packs]

I agree with the generational theory. Complaints have now trickled all the way down to the way people write their name.

[chaddurbin]

i don't care to discuss the legibility of a player's signature (again), but yes goldschmidt is a great player, a superstar...it's ok to say.

[djson1]

This article is 2 years old, but sums up this topic well:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/sp...lyst.html?_r=0

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by djson1

This article is 2 years old, but sums up this topic well:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/sp...lyst.html?_r=0

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing this!

[w7imel]

Originally Posted by packs

I've said it before but the concept of collecting a signature only if it appeals to you in some artistic way is weird to me. I don't care if Babe Ruth's signature is his thumb print. I'll take it.

But here is the thing, If the Babes auto wasnt so bold heavy handed and so legible would anyone really care to collect it at all? Same to be said with all the greats....Mantle, Cobb, Gehrig, Maris, Rose, Robinson, Jackson, (maybe not Joe Jackson)...you get the point, they took pride in their signatures and folks like us were proud to display them!!! I dont ever want to have to explain an autograph to my friends or kids. When I pull out my Ruth or Cobb I love that they Know exactly the auto I am showing them and love how they are "wowed" by this....sad how you have to explain even Jeter auto these days...JMO . I fell in love with autograph collecting when I was 6 or 7 but I am sorry I am not going to collect a bunch of unreadable scribbles on a ball or card that years later I need to post in for help identifying the signature...

[packs]

Signatures are the same as anything else in my opinion. You get to know them because you're familiar with how they look. That's how you tell a fake one from an authentic one. I see no difference in learning what Derek Jeter's signature looks like vs. reading Babe Ruth.

[Exhibitman]

One I recently picked up:



What is it, Arabic? Cause it sure isn't the Alphabet...

[Scott Garner]

Here's another laughable modern signature.
I don't know about you, but I don't see how you possibly can get Hisashi Iwakuma out of this signature, but this is his sig from 2012. Umm, OK...

Why do I care?
Hisashi Iwakuma just threw a no-hitter a couple of weeks ago in Seattle & I collect the signatures of all no-hit pitchers. That includes nice ones and some that look like these.

Just to add to the intrigue, Iwakuma now has a newer version of his sig that looks nothing like this and is equally as illegible...

[yanksfan09]

Check these out....

[yanksfan09]

Amazinlgy those are all apparently authentic "signatures" of the same individual, a rookie by the way. He looks like he could be big player too....


Here's 4 more that all still look different .... it's....Miguel Sano