Open letter to STAT and Christopher Morales - Page 7

Archive · #**301** 02-16-2008, 05:16 PM

Posted By: Ricky YOn rare pieces, common sense would dictate due diligence in checking out provenance of said items. I know that if I was bidding on a Josh Gibson signature on anything, I'd like the answer to who owned it, where it came from, and how it was obtained...in addition to someone's opinion on its validity. I mean just look at REA Auctions..on a rare piece like that you will get a full page write up or at least a couple of paragraphs regarding the provenance. CC auctions just has one sentence blurbs..rare and authentic signed Josh Gibson pants..certified authentic...okay I'll bid! Ricky Y

Archive · #**302** 02-16-2008, 05:22 PM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonWonder what the size of the pants is as compared to the size of the last pair they auctioned off? <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**303** 02-16-2008, 05:27 PM

Posted By: Dan BrettaCoach's Corner is a parasite and it has taken over the SCD. The parasite has run off many subscribers and now the SCD can not survive without its parasite. Truly sad that a once great publication has been reduced to hobby corruption on a grand scale. Olbermann isn't writing for that rag anymore is he?

Archive · #**304** 02-16-2008, 05:32 PM

Posted By: shelly jaffeRicky, you left out the best part of the description. you can see it from 14 miles away.The other one is Lee Guarantees this item.

Archive · #**305** 02-16-2008, 05:54 PM

Posted By: DJLove the Ali piece. He NEVER signs it like that unless he's being playful and in the mood. You have proof that he signed it in the fact that his mug is right by the album, but did you have it authenticated by an "autograph" expert after you got it signed? That sticker (man I hate any stickers on my stuff) in the bottom left, Global? DJ

Archive · #**306** 02-16-2008, 07:38 PM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosI could just barf... See that comment about the Ali piece above? Another example of someone who has been COMPLETELY turned off of autographs because of corrupt, inept, dishonest, incompetent, idiotic and/or otherwise simply criminal autograph authenticators. Who pays the price? Not just the poor victims duped into buying fake junk, but you and I. Why? As more and more of this fake crap hits the market at garage sale prices, our authentic material just sees its prices get diluted. And the more people are turned off, the smaller the market becomes for our authentic material, and hence the lower the price it will fetch when we finally decide to sell it. So, next time you run into an incompetent forensic examiner, or a shady auctioneer, or an idiot authenticator, thank him for plucking a few bucks out of your kid's college fund every day.

Archive · #**307** 02-16-2008, 07:48 PM

Posted By: soliriJaffe, In your open letter to Mr. Morales you make the following reference, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Forensics kept us in business! Donald Frangipani passed 100% of the items sent to him. Did you see that part on the HBO Real Sports special where FBI special agent Tim Fitzsimmons plucks from a box a dozen or so identical looking Babe Ruth signed album pages, all with Frangipani Loa’s and all authenticated on the same day? Lets explore your statement; You say that Frangipani passed 100% of items sent to him. My question to you is what hard proof do you have that will back up this statement? How many items do you claim you sent him? The next area of your statement I would like to explore is Special Agent Tim Fitzsimmons plucks from a box a dozen or so identical looking Babe Ruth signed album pages, all with Frangipani LOA's all authenticated on the same day? Again I ask you other than you making this statement what proof do you have that these pieces even went to Frangipani and he issued loa's for them on the same day? Can you tell us what reference number/s where on the loa's or are those the same? I think you might have left out a very important fact, one you probably no nothing about and that is Mr. Fitzsimmons was in Frangipani's office prior to the airing of the HBO program. Here’s the important part you left out, Mr. Fitzsimmons showed Frangipani numerous coa's that allegedly he issued. A funny thing happened during this visit, Frangipani was able to prove that a very high percentage of the letters were forged and or copied. That brings me to my last question, Why wasn't that fact mentioned during the HBO program. Look forward to your respose. SIGEXPORT

Archive · #**308** 02-16-2008, 08:04 PM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosSigexpert, A quickie - Why on earth would someone steal or forge a Frangipani COA? That's like stealing Conefederate banknotes and trying to spend them at the A&P.

Archive · #**309** 02-16-2008, 08:49 PM

Posted By: shelly jaffeI would like to take a moment to reflect on how The Donald has been unduly(pause) I will be back in a flash to finish the statement.

Archive · #**310** 02-16-2008, 09:10 PM

Posted By: soliriIf you think about it, what better way to legitimize your product. Use a recognized name. Back then Frangipani was a premier name as far as authentication and one of few who actually had and still has legitimate credentials.

Archive · #**311** 02-16-2008, 09:32 PM

Posted By: shelly jaffeI am still thinking about something nice I can say about the Donald. I will take to task the above statement. He had no reputation that I knew of other than the fact that he would authenticate any thing put in front of him. I am putting together an reply to your other questions Rich. Please give me a moment more.

Archive · #**312** 02-16-2008, 10:08 PM

Posted By: shelly jaffe Rich, I was trying to think of something nice, I waited and waited and waited and can’t think of anything thing that wasn’t derogatory. Let’s explore your questions to me: Rich says: You say that Frangipani passed 100% of items sent to him. My question to you is what hard proof do you have that will back up this statement? How many items do you claim you sent him? WHAT HARD PROOF? Your own man confessed in a Sports Collector’s Digest interview. SCD: Were there instances in which you got fooled by a group of forgeries? DF: I've been wrong many, many, many times. During Operation Bullpen, there were a lot of professional forgers out there. I was fooled; I've been duped many times, and I'm the first to admit it. Sheldon Jaffe (who was convicted in Operation Bullpen), I did over 474 pieces for him, and he paid me $4,060. How's that (for honesty)? Frangipani admits to authenticating over 450 pieces for me and that figure I think is low. I used to send him between 75 and 100 pieces and he would overnight the certificates to me with separate authenticating numbers. I’m sure the Donald has kept records of all the items he passed, since he is a professional at what he does. He has never failed an item I sent him. I repeat: HE HAS NEVER FAILED AN ITEM THAT I HAVE SENT HIM! Rich writes: The next area of your statement I would like to explore is Special Agent Tim Fitzsimmons plucks from a box a dozen or so identical looking Babe Ruth signed album pages, all with Frangipani LOA's all authenticated on the same day? This was on the HBO Real Sports Special. There were thousands of these items sorted in the San Diego warehouse. He could have picked up any box filed with forgerys. He merely picked up a pile from the closest box of crap near him. That box contained numerous items most of them being pieces that the Donald authenticated. Part 1:<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bZF5rvPPIY" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bZF5rvPPIY</a> Part 2:<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3I8VE2aUU&feature=related" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3I8VE2aUU&feature=related</a> Rich writes: I ask you other than you making this statement what proof do you have that these pieces even went to Frangipani and he issued loa's for them on the same day? Can you tell us what reference number/s where on the loa's or are those the same? It’s from his own statement that these items went to him. READ THE INTERVIEW! I’m only talking about what I KNOW I sent him. I do know that most of the people within this group sent items and they all came back with Frangipani certs. Stan, Smokey’s Nate Harrison etc,. Rich writes: I think you might have left out a very important fact, one you probably no nothing about and that is Mr. Fitzsimmons was in Frangipani's office prior to the airing of the HBO program I have no knowlege of that fact. Do you? Rich writes: Here’s the important part you left out, Mr. Fitzsimmons showed Frangipani numerous coa's that allegedly he issued. A funny thing happened during this visit, Frangipani was able to prove that a very high percentage of the letters were forged and or copied. Are you telling me that Fitzsimmons admitted he had numerous illegally forged Frangipani documents. . As my colleague above says, why would you forge a Frangipani cert. To save $5? Rich writes: Why wasn't that fact mentioned during the HBO program. I didn’t have anything to do with the HBO Special. HBO was responsible for all the content. HBO appeared at Frangipani’s door, not the FBI. HBO chose to do what ever they felt was right for the show. I am sure that if push came to shove you could get the outtakes.. Let me ask you this; why is your man still in business? He went 0-7 and he continues to authenticate garbage. I know that you guys represent him. Come out of your shell and tell me. Your own man admitted to SCD that he authenticated 475 forgeries for ME. He is banned from eBay. Coach’s Corner doesn’t even use him anymore. No auction house uses him. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? If I was an attorney and I knew he was the expert I would jump for joy. If there was a devil and they had disciples, Donald Frangipani would be the devil of the forensic world. Not a disciples

Archive · #**313** 02-16-2008, 10:34 PM

Posted By: Corey R. ShanusMr. Morales, If as has been reported it is the case that a significant percentage of items you authenticate typically sell for literally pennies on the dollar, the market is telling you that it does not respect your opinions. If the truth was anything else, then purchasers of Morales-authenticated items would have them authenticated by authenticators respected by the market, reconsign them and almost certainly see them sell for multiples more than their purchase price. This then would cause future Morales-authenticated items to sell for more (after all, people will learn they can make money buying your items) and the cycle will continue until the prices of items authenticated by you roughly correspond to the prices of such items as if authenticated by market-respected authenticators. None of this (significant price rise) has happened. The market is emphatically stating that items with your seal of approval are essentially worthless. In time I believe the law will take a long hard look at what you and others of your ilk are doing and take actions to put you out of business.

Archive · #**314** 02-16-2008, 11:16 PM

Posted By: David DavisThere is always a money trail. If any of these 3 (CC/Morales/STAT) were smart, they would not be involved in the forgery business. I would think that a certified forensic document expert would be smart enough to anticipate what a "certified" forensic auditor can do. I would surmise there may be a bigger fish waiting to be fried. Remember, the smartest one is usually the one that cuts a deal. What does Coaches Corner pay for each item authenticated by Morales? How much does STAT charge them? How many per auction for each? How much of Morales/STAT authenticating business is from CC? Who consigns the material in the auction? What percentage of the items in each auction are owned by CC/Morales/STAT? What percentage of signed material in CC auctions are authenticated by someone other that Morales/STAT? How many signed items have an actual reserve on them? How many end up being paid for? How many are returned (or attempted) to CC? There are hundreds more questions like this waiting to be answered.

Archive · #**315** 02-17-2008, 05:16 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonTo clarify something for the board here - soliri (the person that Shelly Jaffe refers to as Rich) is almost certainly Rich Solis. A partner (owner?) in the firm of Forensic Signature Authentications. When the website for this company first went up Donald Frangipani and Chris Morales were listed as part of the authentication team for this company along with Andrew Bradley and Mr Solis. Mr Morales has denied any involvement with this company. There were links to resumes of the Donald and Mr Morales on the website of this company. This page is no longer on the website of the company. So either Mr Solis was working with Mr Morales or he or someone connected to this company put Mr Morales' info on the site without Mr Morales' permission. NOTE TO MR MORALES - when you post here again, will you please tell the board if your resume and picture were put on this company's website with or without your permission. Mr Solis worked with the Donald. He has been a defender of the Donald since Day 1. As dialogue with Mr Solis is totally pointless and fruitless, this is all I will ever say about him, no matter what bait he attempts. When you answer him, he becomes like a fly, he never goes away. He does not deserve my effort or time, and he will get neither. -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**316** 02-17-2008, 05:38 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonMr Davis - good post. You are oh so right when referencing the money trail. Follow the money for what would be the best evidence. -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**317** 02-17-2008, 05:44 AM

Posted By: Al SimeoneRichard, I like flies! You know what they say it only takes one good swat!! Well maybe 2 in this case!!!!

Archive · #**318** 02-17-2008, 05:51 AM

Posted By: johnBill, I thought about starting a new thread for this but since this one is all over the place, I left it in here. In your last auction, the following lots that were sold in the sports section are,in my oinion, no good. Shelly may want to step in here and comment also. The lots are : LOTS: #1918 Joe DiMaggio photo #1919 DiMaggio Williams Mantle photo #1932 Mantle photo #1944 Williams 8x10 #1948 Jeter ball Shelly can speak to you privately or I can. He can tell you the source too. The major authenticators are aware of the source and will tell you quickly that they're not authentic. Richard maybe can help you on this also. I didn't go through the sports sectioin as a whole but these jumped out at me. I wanted to alert you as soon as possible.

Archive · #**319** 02-17-2008, 08:10 AM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosJohn, Thanks for your input, which, believe it or not, is very much appreciated. Let me open by saying: I HATE BASEBALL! I mean not the sport, the damned autographs. Almost as much as I hate modern Hollywood. Why? Because the forgers of both now have reached an astounding level of competence. Anyone who has dealt with us in the past fifteen years will tell you that whenever there's been a question with a lot, we go to the best in the business, seek out their opinions, and if there's any question, we yank the item. Period. Also note that 99% of what we offer is non-baseball autographs, and in future sales we've decided to cut out essentially all baseball unless its provenance is ironclad. I mean, Babe Ruth's liver will have to accompany his signature... Yours is the first I've heard about those items. Whenever we offer something, I WANT to know if it's bad. Unlike so many other houses, we offer a lifetime guarantee of authenticity, so if a piece comes back ten years from now and my consignor is in Bolivia, I eat it - so, tell me now! Obviously, auction ethics will not permit me to disclose the consignor's name (nor do I ever disclose buyers' names), but I suspect these pieces came from the same guy. If you or Richard or Steve K. know the identity of the forger and can give me good, solid info, I'll follow up with the Feds with whom I have worked before on many occasions, and issue refunds. Also send me your particulars (if you want) and eel free to vet my catalog once it's out. Let's not digress from the topic at hand, which is the wholesale issuance of certificates backing patently bad material worth millions.

Archive · #**320** 02-17-2008, 08:28 AM

Posted By: johnBill, I've tried to email through your site. It may be my provider but I can't get through. I am asked for a 25 digit product code? It never allows me to go directly to an email box. Email or call Shelly, he has the most information. He and I recently had a conversation about the product and source. The FBI is aware.

Archive · #**321** 02-17-2008, 08:31 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonJohn - bill@alexautographs.com -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**322** 02-17-2008, 08:33 AM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosThanks again, John! Will be calling Shelly and Richard momentarily. Will follow up.

Archive · #**323** 02-17-2008, 09:34 AM

Posted By: shelly jaffeIf there is a lawyer on this site that I can ask a few questions with out being charged, please email me. Civil or Criminal would be fine. It does have to do with this thread.

Archive · #**324** 02-17-2008, 11:06 AM

Posted By: shelly jaffeThanks for all the emails. I got my answer.

Archive · #**325** 02-17-2008, 11:26 AM

Posted By: PaulIs it really true that the Hall of Fame has "many examples" of Josh Gibson's signature? I'm no expert in this field, but I would find that very surprising.

Archive · #**326** 02-17-2008, 01:32 PM

Posted By: johnPaul, The Hall has so much that it is really a sad situation. I can't speak for Josh Gibson but they have so many items that will never be shown to the public. I begged George Kell, HOF member, to not donate his Silver Slugger award and other items. The Hall put the hard sale on him and he donated everything. To this day, 17 years later, his items have not been displayed. My experience with their archives have been with photos primarily. Their 18000's photo archive is indescribable. So much on rarities like Carl Horners, Van Oeyen, Conlon, and on and on. Everyone over the years including teams, league offices, players and fans have donated to them. They need 10 times the space they have now. Two years ago I made a request for anything on Lon Warneke to give to his wife. His 98 year old widow is still alive and kicking. I paid for the scans and duplicates of their photos on Warneke. I expected to see a dozen or so. I made them stop at 200 and they had more. This was on Lon Warneke, not even a Hall of Fame member.

Archive · #**327** 02-17-2008, 04:37 PM

Posted By: soliriSimon, once again you simply mislead the readers and misrepresents facts. Mr Koschal and myself were hired by Bill Daniels and deposed in a court case last year, Bill Daniels vs Mastronet. The judge did not feel that Mr Koschal and I were scientifically trained, we are not, and based solely on Indiana law, he did not allow our testimony. The law in New York State is different. Simon, The following is part of a post from a Feb 15 post, 3 - Mr Koschal and myself were hired by Bill Daniels and deposed in a court case last year, Bill Daniels vs Mastronet. The judge did not feel that Mr Koschal and I were scientifically trained, we are not, and based solely on Indiana law, he did not allow our testimony. The law in New York State is different. Simon, The following is the wording for the court decision. The decision rendered by Judge Matthew C. Kincad reads as follows in regards to Simon and Koschal " Neither Simon nor Koschal is qualified to render any expert testimony. Evidence rule 702 with all courts abide by also requires that the purported expert be "qualified... by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education." Ind. Evid R. 702(a). Continues with, where an expert's testimony, as here, is based upon the expert’s skill or experience rather than on the application of scientific principles, the proponent of testimony must demonstrate " that the witness poses[es] sufficient skill, knowledge, or experience in the field to assist the trier of fact." McCutchan v. Blanck, 846 N.E.2d 256, 261 (Ind. Ct. App.2006. Neither Simon Nor Koschal Posses Sufficient skill, knowledge or experience in the fields in which they were asked to render opinions. Care to explain how New York law is different? I think most if not all will agree that no matter how you slice this pie the conclusion is obvious and is stated very well by Judge Kincad, Neither Simon Nor Koschal Posses Sufficient skill, knowledge or experience in the fields in which they were ask to render opinions. We look forward to your response. SIGEXPORT

Archive · #**328** 02-17-2008, 05:09 PM

Posted By: Dan BrettaAnd yet Mr. Simon passed HBO's test with flying colors and your boy The Donald failed to get a single one right.

Archive · #**329** 02-17-2008, 05:41 PM

Posted By: soliriBretta, First of all who said the items were bad. Jaffe, there's a creditable soucre. The HBO program was done for one persons benefit, Jaffe's. As far as the post you responded to, that was done to clarify the information that Simon posted with regards to the Daniels case. Nothing more. Has nothing to do with HBO, everything to do with correcting mis information. soliri

Archive · #**330** 02-17-2008, 05:52 PM

Posted By: Dan BrettaMr. Soliri, the items were taken straight from the FBI's warehouse of goods seized from the forgery ring. I have a question for you, why won't any of the major sports auction houses use Frangipani or Morales to authenticate their autographs?

Archive · #**331** 02-17-2008, 07:28 PM

Posted By: soliri Dan Bretta, Are you implying that every item in the FBI's warehouse is a forgery? That’s a pretty bold statement to make considering nobody will ever no the truth. Marino's were good but not that good. Even Jaffe stated that Marino could not do Williams very well. So does that mean every Williams piece in the warehouse is a forgery. I wonder what other signature he did not do well. Maybe thats why they purchased good items from dealers around the country. Put the good with the bad and take credit for doing them all. That would be my guess. As to the auction houses, what is the big deal? The auction house authentication is no more than a cursory review. The companies that do this work hide behind disclaimers. Are you saying that in order to be an expert you have to be accepted by the auction houses? soliri

Archive · #**332** 02-17-2008, 08:15 PM

Posted By: Dan Bretta*Marino's were good but not that good* Good enough to get past Frangipani every single time.

Archive · #**333** 02-17-2008, 08:36 PM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosMr. Solis, I think Mr. Bretta is trying to say that the auction houses have a lot to lose by accepting poorly-executed "authentications". Some auction houses (including mine) guarantee the material that they offer; we guarantee ours for life. If and when they consult experts, they have to be careful who they choose - pick a lousy "expert", and somewhere down the road, the piece will be returned, the auction house has to refund the sale price, and the consignor is probably long gone, sitting on the beach Ipanema. I would bet that you guarantee the material you sell - don't you make every effort to be certain that your source is legitimate and that the signature is authentic? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't buy anything from an auction house that undertakes only "cursory" examinations of the material it offers. Anyway, auction houses like that don't last. Why? Because they end up selling crappy fakes, copping out through the use of disclaimers ("Our material has been certified by XYZ Forensics and is therefore not subject to return..."), customers wise up and as the word spreads, bidders bail out. BTW You can address me as P-A-N-A-G-O-P-U-L-O-S, but "Bill" will take a lot less typing!

Archive · #**334** 02-17-2008, 08:40 PM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosFurther to the list I posted yesterday of non-baseball signatures, I did a little more research today and made a few more phone calls. Here are some more of the MANY non-sports personalities that Christopher Morales has recently certified as authentic through "in person forensic examination": The Doors, Janis Joplin, Traveling Wilburys, Pink Floyd (with Syd Barrett), Lynyrd Skynyrd, Queen, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, AC/DC (with Bon Scott), U2, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and Papas, Leslie Howard, Amelia Earhart, Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Emmett Dalton, Herman Melville, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dillinger, Howard Hughes, Judy Garland, Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, James Dean, The Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy, The 3 Stooges, Lon Chaney, Greta Garbo, Humphrey Bogart, etc., ad nauseum. Many of the rock ‘signed’ items Mr. Morales has ‘authenticated’ are album covers signed on the front, the most desirable items by far. According to the recognized experts in the rock autograph world, many of whom have been in the field for over twenty years, some of these signed albums are INCREDIBLY RARE! Indeed, some of these experts have NEVER SEEN some of these signed albums before in their entire careers. I have obtained a consensus from five experts and am able to set forth below the absolute rarest signed rock LP's in existence, based on the total number of authentic examples that have appeared at auction and which have changed hands privately over the last thirty years: The Doors (with Jim Morrison) – less than five The Who (with Keith Moon) – no more than five Led Zeppelin (with John Bonham) – no more than five The Allman Brothers (with Duane Allman) – less than five Lynyrd Skynyrd (with deceased members) – less than five, more likely about three Jimi Hendrix – no more than five (believe it or not!) Janis Joplin – less than five The Beatles U.S. issue LP covers – no more than ten Traveling Wilburys (with Roy Orbison) – two Pink Floyd (with Syd Barrett) – no known examples AC/DC (with Bon Scott) - no more than three Mr. Morales, how many signed album covers with these artists have you certified as "authentic"? The people who have been in the business for a quarter century have seen scores of examples of the above albums enter the market accompanied by your certifications. Some of these albums are being sold on the web, and in high-rent galleries with glossy catalogs, in multiple quantities, for an awful lot of money. Yet, like the baseball material you have certified for C.C, your rock and Hollywood material also usually sells for a fraction of what most authentic examples fetch. We wonder where your clients are finding these incredibly rare and important collectibles that have never been on the market before, in such quantities... Do you have six exemplars of Syd Barrett's signature? I personally have none, zilch, zero - and I would never even think about selling a Pink Floyd signed album without having real experts with a pile of exemplars check it out. Do you have exemplars of Bon Scott from AC/DC? I don't have a single one - wouldn't even know where to find one. How did you find enough examples to competently work from? Again, I wouldn't ever offer a signed album without rock solid provenance and a flock of experts giving me the green light. . Mr. Morales - in light of everything that's been said above, and in light of your silence on the dozens of allegations that have been made here, I would consider whether I should return to G.W.U....and get a degree in optometry.

Archive · #**335** 02-17-2008, 09:24 PM

Posted By: shelly jaffeBill, you forgot Charlie Chaplin, Rudy Valentino, ,Sinatra,Monroe and just for fun,the Dead with Jerry and Mydland. I do have to admit that we are only picking on Morales. I am sure by tomorrow someone will have a list of the STAT boys many impossible authentications. It was edited because he mentioned the Marx Brothers.

Archive · #**336** 02-18-2008, 07:36 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonLooks like Mr Morales might have some baseball exemplars but I would love to see how he got the Rock and Roll exemplars. Bill seems to have done some interesting research about the Rock and Roll autograph business and it will be interesting to see Mr Morales' response to Bill's statistics. -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**337** 02-18-2008, 08:38 AM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosFurther my posts above, here are a few dealers and galleries that use or have used Mr. Christopher Morales' services as an authenticator for the material they sell (I couldn't find a single site advertising their use of STAT as authenticators): Coach's Corner Auctions, Souderville, Pa. Rock Star Gallery, Scottsdale, Az., ELEVEN signed Beatles albums, one AC/DC with Bon Scott, and Jimi Hendrix. In their description of one of the Hendrix signed albums, they note: "There were only six Hendrix albums that were autographed". Rock Star Gallery offers four of them! Many other signed albums, photos, etc. and memorabilia. American Royal Arts - Southern Florida - five walk-in galleries, said to be expanding. Believed to be in litigation with Beatles expert Frank Caiazzo over Caiazzo's condemnation of a Morales-approved Beatles-signed album. Offer multiple Beatles signed albums, Presley, Marley, etc. Signature Dreams.com , Dallastown, Pa. - (Michael Leppo) Sports autographs Starmarks.net, Naples, Fl. - Rock autographs including a Beatles signed guitar $99,900 and signed "Help!" album $19,900, among others. Touched by the Stars - Five galleries in Florida (but no contact information available on their website). They use STAT and Morales, also Spence and PSA, all apparently for a small amount of lower-end material. Picked out two presidential autopens or printed sigs. (STAT-authenticated), but nothing awful here. Can anyone add names to the list? I'd like to assemble an exhaustive list.

Archive · #**338** 02-18-2008, 09:13 AM

Posted By: shelly jaffeGenuine autograph of JOE DiMAGGIO* on an 8x10 old time photocopy This item has been pre-scanned by Mr. Chris Morales... Mr. Morales is a former Secret Service Agent with 20 years of real world experience in this field, with a double Masters from George Washington University .including one in Forensic Science......There is no one in the industry with this high of credentials and experience or background....... He was featured in Sports Collectors Digest...."Authenticating the Authenticator's" and has appeared on numerous TV documentaries including HBO....He is a "Court and Board Certified Forensic Authenticator"... and is recognized as such in any court... Mr. Morales can offer his services to complete a hands on examination of this item in his lab for $35.00 per signature plus shipping....We can help arrange this...If for some reason the item would not pass we would reimburse the entire transaction...Shipping charge for your purchase is $3.50 for any amount of cards....$8.50 for Hats and Balls......and 12.50 and up for Bats depending on weight... Item must be paid in 7 days after auction closes... Cashiers Check, Money Order or Personal Check...Paypal or any Major Credit Card is acceptable. Insurance is optional and available for purchases up to $50.00....Purchases over $50.00 will be insured by the seller to protect both parties. As is.. the item comes with a cert and hologram from our webstore at www.SignatureDreams.com ....this cert guarantees authenticity and applies a money back guarantee to the buyer for 30 days after the sale.....We will also include any documentation that was aquired with the item if possible...We will only accept third party opinions from a "Certified Authenticator" Just found this from the same company. Mr. Morales can and will testify as an expert in any court of law as to the authenticity of this item if the item is ever claimed to be questionable by any of the other so called "non certified opinionators"...(PSA/DNA..GAI...JSA...etc). Item will be accompanied by a registered and notarized legal document from Mr. Morales

Archive · #**339** 02-18-2008, 09:25 AM

Posted By: shelly jaffeMr Solis - still hiding behind your phony name on here I see. At least I have the guts to let everyone know who I am. Do you even dare to admit who you really are? Who your forensic partners are in that laughable company of yours, (anybody ever seen a COA from them?, anybody ever seen a rejection letter from Frangipani or Morales?). Why are you embarrassed to post the fact that the Donald is your partner (that is so funny that you removed that web page from your site showing Donald, Mr Morales, etc). That page just vanished into thin air. Does the incompetent Donald know that you are embarrassed by him to the extent that you won't even tell the public that he is part of your company? I was wondering what AUTOGRAPH cases Donald has ever testified to in court or been deposed about? The Donald also seems confused about whether or not Mr Morales is his partner as seen in his SCD interview with Rocky. Partner, protege, none of the above, all of the above? I had to laugh a lot when I read the response you posted about me. First you say, sarcastically, "Jaffe, there's a creditable source" Then in another post you quote me directly by saying Marino was bad on Ted Williams. First I am not a creditable source then I am. MAKE UP YOUR MIND <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>. The HBO show was for my benefit? Another good one. I was not paid one cent to help HBO. My name was not even mentioned. I wanted to show the collecting world what your partner and other authenticators skills were. I wanted to show collectors the quality of their work.I wanted to show people that a COA from Forensic experts meant Watch Out. Guess I kind of succeeded. 0-7 for the Donald, and he admits on the air how he makes so many mistakes. The worst Michael Jordan forgery I have ever seen and Donald and Morales liked it, they really liked it <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> Even the incompetents at STAT got that one right. You were sort of right about one thing. The FBI warehouse did contain some authentic items. About 95% of the items in the warehouse were bogus. But there was some Upper Deck and Mounted Memories, and a few others in the warehouse that were authentic. These items were eventually returned to their owners or given to charity auctions. I guarantee, and promise everyone here that every item sent to all the authenticators in the HBO show where bogus. All of the authenticators got at least one item correct EXCEPT FOR THE DONALD AND MR. MORALES. I am willing to put up any amount of money as a bet if you think you can prove differently. You continue to call me out but when you do that you are also calling out the FBI and Tim Fitzsimmons liars.. The Donald himself admitted that he examined 475 items for me. Every item I sent to him was bogus. Every item I sent to him came from a known FORGER. He gave out a COA for every single one. 0-475, that is probably the most incredible statistic in this entire thread. No wonder you are embarrassed about being his partner. When I look at that I can understand why you removed that web page from your site that showed him as part of your company. Too bad the board cannot go to your website and see that page. A point of information that all of you should know. While Mr. Solis keeps concentrating on Marino, there were other forgers out there. Some of them did a very good Ted Williams. These guys included David Tabb, Mike Moses, Mike Lopez and Angelo Marino. Another forger (possibly a friend of yours Rich?) supplied many items to B&J, to Madison Sports , to Shop At Home and other operators. In the SCD interview, the Donald claimed that he always used exemplars when examining autographs. Yet on the HBO show the undercover reporter walked into his office and immediately got a thumbs up on seven forgeries, without Donald looking at exemplars even once. A virtual COA machine, that Donald. 0-7 on national television, way to go! I actually cracked up when the Donald warned the reporter to be careful out there when buying autographs. That was really too funny. I can just watch that part of the show over and over. In wrapping this up Rich, I just wanted to point to one last remark of yours that pertains to Richard Simon. You said some stupidity about Indiana law vs. NY law. Well there are 50 different laws in this country, covering experts in court. Guess you could not figure that one out. Ya know, 50 states = 50 different laws. This leads me to repeat an earlier question I asked. When has the Donald ever testified in court or or gave a deposition about an autograph case?? Actually I know the answer, but let us see if you are honest enough to admit to it. Oh by the way, do you remember you and your friend coming to the table at the New Jersey National and all of us laughing at the garbage he showed us. Have a good day Rich, I know I will.

Archive · #**340** 02-18-2008, 09:51 AM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosWhat the devil is a "Certified Authenticator?" Does DeVry Institute or some other correspondence school offer those degrees? Is STAT certified? Gee, I wish I was certified...

Archive · #**341** 02-18-2008, 09:56 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonBill - I am here to grant your wish: poof> you are certified. No thanks necessary. -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**342** 02-18-2008, 09:56 AM

Posted By: shelly jaffeIf anyone of you think that CC is bad you have to go to this site. <a href="http://www.proxybid.com/asp/catalog.asp?aid=10897" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.proxybid.com/asp/catalog.asp?aid=10897</a> Look who authenticated the items and the prices that they went for.

Archive · #**343** 02-18-2008, 10:08 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonWow! A baseball signed by: the following Presidents: Bill Clinton, Lyndon B. Johnson, JFK, George Bush Sr, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford. This did not have any COA, but it achieved a high bid of $300 and did not sell according to the website. This piece should be in the Smithsonian or HOF and I am sure (John <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> ) that the HOF would put this one out. This company also sold, again without a COA, a Ruth-Gehrig cut for the amazing price of $60. Yes $60. There are COA's from Mr Morales scattered through this auction. Take a look. Apparently Proxy Bid runs auctions for companies that are not set up to run their own auctions. This auction is actually for a company called Colbert Auctions. Geez, if this is Stephen Colbert I will be deeply disappointed <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>. edited to add this - I just found the rules of this auction company - read this: All items are guaranteed authentic. We will only accept rejection letters from Chris Morales or Stat Authentic. Both companies have the credentials to render an unbiased decision as to the authenticity of autographs. All returns must be accompanied by a rejection letter from one of these two companies only. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not bid on any item in this auction. There are a few reserves, but the majority of the items are being sold without reserve. Good Luck and Happy Bidding! -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**344** 02-18-2008, 10:12 AM

Posted By: Bill PanagopulosYes, tired. Mr. Morales must be very, very tired. It seems he must be authenticating about 200 lots a month, at least! Between all the stuff at C.C., other auction sites, retail websites, other online stores, walk-in stores and galleries, catalogs, etc., how does he have time to do anything else, let alone travel to sunny Mongolia (or was it Monrovia?). That must explain why we have heard nothing from him.

Archive · #**345** 02-18-2008, 10:25 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonDoes anyone on this board, reading this thread, have a rejection letter from STAT or Mr Morales or Mr Frangipani. If so, please e mail it to me. -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**346** 02-18-2008, 10:46 AM

Posted By: Dan BrettaCertainly some of you industry insiders have contacts with the FBI. Why is a case not being made here? These guys are ruining your industry/hobby.

Archive · #**347** 02-18-2008, 10:47 AM

Posted By: Richard S. SimonThis comes from the Signature Dreams website in describing a photo for sale, it seems they use the same description for all of their autographed photos. "Genuine autograph of MONTE IRVIN on a MLB PHOTO FILE 8x10 with COA. This item has been pre-scanned by Mr. Chris Morales..." Mr Morales - What exactly does pre-scanned mean? -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

Archive · #**348** 02-18-2008, 11:33 AM

Posted By: David DavisMr. Morales has listed on his resume the International Homicide Investigators Association. Turns out it is a real organization. Also turns out that Mr. Morales was not listed as an attendee at their 2007 symposium. Maybe he was setting up a forensic lab on Atlantis, or Pompeii. It's strange how someone who belongs to such a prestigious and seemingly law abiding organziation, with so many active law enforcement memebers, is either the biggest idiot on the planet, or has a brass set the size of a classroom globe. Don't go swimming with the sharks, Chris 'ol chum. For all who have contributed to this post that had involvement in the HBO special (Richard, Shelly, etc.), does anyone still have a contact number for Tim Fitzsimmons? Why have you guys not contacted him about a follow up on the forgery market? It seems as bad as ever. As far as his Morales' certs are concerned, I would be careful. Without a picture of the item, he could say that the item he approved is not the one being sold with the cert. Even with that, no one who certifies autographs for a living, be it "forensically", or otherwise, could have such a huge authentic rate pass by his office. Bill, you can add www.rs-sportscollectibles.com to your list. They are listed as a link on the Donald's web site. I am no expert, but the Mays hat on the home page looks bad to me.

Archive · #**349** 02-18-2008, 11:48 AM

Posted By: 1880nonsports"If for some reason the item would not pass we would reimburse the entire transaction..."

Archive · #**350** 02-18-2008, 11:52 AM

Posted By: Richard S. Simonthat is mr. solis' company, aka soliri -- I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Unknown author -- We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember. No retreat baby, no surrender. The Boss

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