Framed and Matted Autographed Items

[Wymers Auction]

Are framing and matting under glass used to hide cut forgeries? The reason I ask is I was looking at a Lou Gehrig cut that looked awesome, but was authenticated by a well known authentication company that deals in forgeries. Are they so bold as to copy real autos and act like they are genuine. Is there any way I could tell the difference without having this in hand. Also I may add that this auction house deals in Marilyn Monroe, Beatles, Mantle, Darwin, Capone, Matthewson, and hundreds more all in the same sale. I am not worried if these items are authentic, but trying to learn to tell the difference if possible not having this in hand.

[drc]

Authentic items are regularly framed and matted, so I don't think framing and matting itself is a sign of anything.

Stamped signatures and some machine-printed signatures can often be identified as such in an online image. For example, the stadium balls with stamped on team signatures simply look stamped on-- there's no ink flow. Even autopens can look unreal due to a lack of change in pen pressure/ink density.

One thing is if your purchase is machine printed, you'd have no trouble proving it's a fake beyond a doubt for the sake of getting your money back, as an expert could testify it wasn't hand written. There would be no dueling signature 'experts' required.

And, as always, know the seller. An reputable autograph expert isn't going to sell you a ink jet copy of a Joe DiMaggio autograph.

[Wymers Auction]

Thanks David. I am a newer dealer and I am trying to learn this craft. Autographs are very confusing to me. Here is the link to the Gehrig I was referring to https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDeta...&lid=12719915#

[canjond]

As you mention, that autograph is extremely fake. I think that a lot of this garbage is originally sold cheap and unframed. Stores then frame the items and sell them in key places, i.e., Vegas casinos, Disney World, etc.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by canjond

As you mention, that autograph is extremely fake. I think that a lot of this garbage is originally sold cheap and unframed. Stores then frame the items and sell them in key places, i.e., Vegas casinos, Disney World, etc.

It sold for $460, need we say more?
Quite possibly from CC or some other nefarious person or site, to that Proxi Bid (boy the auctions they put there are questionable) to that Vegas casino store, Disney World store or a local auction of some sort where they will tell you it came from the estate of a guy who got it in person, hand signed by Lou Gehrig. Yeah, right $460.

[Wymers Auction]

Richard I believe that it is fake, but when I compare it to known examples it looks o.k. to me. Is it copied or forged? Gehrig is one of the signatures I feel I will need to learn more about so that I can be certain to never sell ones like these. I compared to PSA/DNA examples and I thought they were extremely similar. I trust your expertise, but I am simply trying to learn.

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

It sold for $460, need we say more?
Quite possibly from CC or some other nefarious person or site, to that Proxi Bid (boy the auctions they put there are questionable) to that Vegas casino store, Disney World store or a local auction of some sort where they will tell you it came from the estate of a guy who got it in person, hand signed by Lou Gehrig. Yeah, right $460.

That's right--CC is at the base of the supply chain for all the Vegas and Orlando "popular culture" memorabilia stores. Never mind the fact that the Vegas casino store pays more in rent each month than Coach's yearly gross.