How could this get authenticated?

[khkco4bls]

let me tell you. im a memorabilia collector, but as a autograph collector the way they sign these days real or not who would want them. they all sign like crap any way.

[tinkereversandme]

I was once, as many, a heavy Nolan Ryan collector and I am very familiar with his signature (not so much with Mattingly) and I don't like these signatures at all. But in saying this, I think it goes with the territory that a big seller who is trusted and uses an authenticating firm may get the benefit of the doubt. Look at some of the Ali signatures out there. If I sent them in, it would fail but if Mr. PSA sent it in, they would pass. Ditto for Lennox Lewis, who I got, and received a different scribble when I met him. It's like these guys sign to get rid of the mob sometimes.

Larry

[RobertGT]

Funny how a lot of sigs like this suspiciously turn up on worthless 80s junk cards, usually with the same sharpie used on all/most the cards. Local auctioneer out here in Pennsylvania has 10-20 card lots that look just like these every month, with every third card signed by the same sharpie with similar pressure, similar flow, etc.

[Exhibitman]

Ali has undergone rather dramatic changes in his signature over time due to his illness; even when he does private signings in the best of conditions now his sig looks nothing like it used to.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Ali has undergone rather dramatic changes in his signature over time due to his illness; even when he does private signings in the best of conditions now his sig looks nothing like it used to.

and forgers take advantage of that fact.

What's amazing is Ali has probably signed more legitimate autographs then Bob Feller, and the forgeries still probably outnumber the real sigs, about 20-1.

[danc]

Bergin and Tinkers hit it on the head, even though I would think that Feller has signed more as he's across the street right now signing for loose change, but people still feel the need to forge the champ. The day he passes, there could be 100,000 signatures on eBay and probably 80,000 of those will be fake. It will be an immense prison break.

DanC