Signatures - Would You Collect Fakes?

David

I see my favourite Hollywood signature collector is back, Leonard Sorgi sure did collect a lot of signatures in his day.

I wouldn't trust anyone of those consigned pieces. Look at the Ingrid Bergman - mine wasn't an exhaustive search but see my comparative examples below.

Unfortunately in this and all other cases the onus is on the (new future) owner of these autographs to challenge veracity of the pieces, but what steps did the seller take to authenticate any of these sigs?

Like I said, Leonard sure did have a lot of stuff, some of it was addressed personally to him, almost every one where the name (to) Leonard is added to the autograph the style of Leonard is invariably the same, specifically the L - did everyone go to the same 'L' school of signatures in Hollywood?

And here is Leonard's stuff elsewhere...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/P012-TELLY-SAVALAS-signed-TV-8x10-still-70s-great-close-up-/380997077913

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TOTTER-AUDREY-TOTTER-autographed-8x10-photo-GOLDENAGE-BTGSAG25255-/181665522507?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a4c1be34b

http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Howard-Duff-signed-autographed-1949-photo-COA-Illegal-Entry-Marta-Toren/231052630

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DOROTHY-LAMOUR-VINTAGE-PHOTO-1940s-IN-VERY-GOOD-CONDITION-BLACK-AND-WHITE-/361208269528

http://www.todocoleccion.net/cine-autografos/autografo-original-actor-dean-jones-una-fotografia-20x25-cm~x42245237

One of my favs...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/P043-JOHN-TRAVOLTA-signed-8-25x9-75-still-80-great-close-up-wearing-hat-/380997077917?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b5320b9d

WTF?

Of course all the above could have simply bought them from one online auction source and are reselling them...it still doesn't prove the sigs are real.

What is disappointing is the guarantee of authenticity, on the front page of the website you are told "Complete Buyer Protection - No time limit on our guarantees & NO buyer beware" - unless you check the fine print (which is not easily found) on these pieces being auctioned which states: 

"SPECIAL RETURN POLICY FOR AUTOGRAPHED ITEMS...we will give anyone who purchases any signed item a 30 day return privilege (from the date the auction closes)...that gives every buyer plenty of time to be 100% certain that they have purchased a genuine autograph!"

That simply suggests the auctioneer aren't convinced they are genuine if not already suspect they are not.

Yet we're happy enough to call out the scallywags on eBay...

David

Look at:

• The way the 'g' in Ingrid joins to the 'r' (or doesn't in the case of the piece for sale).
• The second 'i' in Ingrid always flows into the 'd' - the 'd' is never a letter on its own.
• The second 'i' in Ingrid is not flowing from the 'r', and it also seems to be 'done over'.
• The first 'i' in Ingrid almost always curls back into itself, but not in the case of this piece on offer.
• The B in Bergman has a weird stem at the base instead of looking to flow to the next letter.
• The first stem of the letter 'm' in Bergman is always taller than the other stems, but not in the case of this piece
• The 'r' in Bergman is never taller than the 'e' it follow...except in the case of the one for sale.
• The entire name Bergman is not on the same plane/line as Ingrid - as if it was added after a pause (and then put in a little lower)
• The angle (lean) of the letters in the first name seems to different to the surname.

Save your money - don't buy Leonard Sorgi's autograph material on emovieposter.com or anywhere for that matter.