Autograph Authentication Scams, Compliants, The Law

For years this website has been receiving complaints from collectors and sellers of autographs regarding some horrific experiences they have had with some of the high profile companies who "claim" they can authenticate autographs.

We find that on our own investigation on some of these companies we cannot find a single person on paid staff who is basically qualified to professionally authenticate an autograph.

In some cases you cannot find out who the actual individual is that authenticated the autograph you have submitted. COMPANIES DON'T AUTHENTICATE AUTOGRAPHS, PEOPLE DO!" In the event that you obtained a celebrity autograph in person and decided to spend your hard earned money to have someone authenticate it and it comes back as "not authentic" you will simply be told you have only paid for their opinion. Anyone including your neighbor can offer an opinion for free and that opinion has a 50/50 chance of being accurate.

To look at the backgrounds of some of the persons hired to authenticate autographs at some of these companies is nothing less than frightening. We will not go into detail here but ask why would you send your autograph and a check or money order to someone who only "claims" they can authenticate autographs. You don't even know who you are sending your item to and if you found out, you may be shocked.

These companies regularly authenticate rubber stamped, printed, secretarial signed and forged signatures as genuine. Just as bad in many cases they state that genuine signatures are not real. Very recently, one of the most public embarrassing situations ever was seen on national television in front of six million viewers. One person who claims to be an authenticator for at least two high profile companies appeared on a segment of Pawn Stars. This individual examined a movie script that actually was inscribed and signed by Al Ruddy, the films producer. The so called "expert" authenticated Al Ruddy's writing and signature as Al Pacino. This is just one of many examples of total incompetence exhibited by staff of these authenticating companies. More on this story can be found on this site (see August 25, 2011).

Signature Arts is overwhelmed with emails complaining about personal experiences with high profile companies who simply claim they can authenticate autographs. These emails always ask what can they do, what are their options because they feel they have been scammed.

Big brother is now watching!

If you have a complaint and want a file of your experience, email us your story and copy the Attorney General in the State where the authenticating company has an office. It is imperative you also copy in the F.B.I. with your complaint.

Your complaint can be one that you experienced either recently or a few years ago. It's important to have your complaint documented.

PAWN STARS Watch John Reznikoff Bomb

It’s pretty unique to witness someone trying to impress 6 million viewers on television and watch that same person who was thought by the program to be an expert on autographs prove to the whole world watching that he had no clue and no business authenticating an autograph.

This happens often to John Reznikoff but this time he does so on national television. There is no way Reznikoff can spin what he did in front of millions.

Those who watched Pawn Stars saw Reznikoff entertain us with what many feel is the most embarrassing show of incompetence in the last decade of the autograph hobby.

Reznikoff sent many on his mailing list an email that he was to be called in as an autograph “expert/authenticator” on the hit show Pawn Stars. He strutted into the show dressed in dark clothes like Darth Vader or Dracula. Interestingly, Reznikoff post stories on different internet blogs and uses what appears to be a high school graduation photo of himself. Yet, what showed up on Pawn Stars was a scrubby old looking, unshaven fellow basically unrecognizable to those who have not seen him in the last ten years.

Immediately there seemed to be some sort of a problem as the person representing Pawn Stars only identified Reznikoff as “John”. Not as John Reznikoff or John Reznikoff of University Archives as would be expected. Some feel this happened as Pawn Stars may have googled Reznikoff’s name after a contract was signed.

The fellow at Pawn Stars shows Reznikoff a script for the movie “The Godfather” which was bound. Reznikoff was to examine a full page inscription signed “Al”. Reznikoff makes it appear that this is the first time he is seeing the inscription and signature.

The woman who is offering this script did not know for sure but was hoping the inscription and signature was by the hand of Al Pacino.

Reznikoff pulls out his trusty magnifying glass, like Sherlock Holmes, basically ignoring the fifteen word inscription and focuses on a signature simply signed “Al”. Reznikoff tells the viewers how there are no breaks and stoppages in the signature which tells him its not a forgery. Adding a few more standard comments he continues to give the appearance he has skills and knowledge authenticating autographs. Reznikoff makes the determination that the script is signed by Al Pacino. He continues by saying that it’s his opinion the script has a value of about $2,000.

Based on Reznikoff’s “expert” opinion it appears everyone is happy. The person who owns the script and now the people at Pawn Stars who hopes to purchase it. Yet, not everyone watching the program was just as happy especially serious collectors of entertainment autographs and those truly familiar with authenticating autographs.

Todd Mueller, a well respected autograph dealer by the legitimate autograph hobby saw the Pawn Stars program. It took Todd only a few seconds to know for sure that the fifteen word inscription and signature was not by the hand of Al Pacino. According to Todd, anyone with the slightest knowledge of Al Pacino’s handwriting would come to the same conclusion!

Todd checked his exemplar files and discovered the inscription and signature was without a doubt written by Al Ruddy. Al Ruddy was the producer of the film. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture for “the Godfather” in 1973.

This is not the first time Mueller has had to set Reznikoff straight. Many may remember when Reznikoff was running around telling any reporter who would listen that he had purchased Neil Armstrong’s hair. Mueller came forward and proved Reznikoff was not telling the truth. Mueller produced his cancelled check, made out to Armstrong’s barber. During a phone call with Armstrong’s barber he confirmed he did not know of any person named John Reznikoff.

Back to Pawn Stars, we must keep in mind that Reznikoff was not seeing the inscription and signature on the script for the first time when on television. You can bet that he had a copy well in advance of his appearance on the show. He had ample time to research this item, study the handwriting and signature with known exemplars of Al Pacino’s handwriting. Worse, if he didn’t know what to do he had all the opportunity in the world to show the writing to his associates for whom he is an authenticator before appearing on national television. Whatever exemplars he may have used and who ever he talked to in advance, they all got it wrong!

John Reznikoff is well known in the hobby for mis authenticating autographs. This is the same Reznikoff who took part in selling several million dollars worth of fake John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe autographs. That ordeal still holds the hobby’s record for the most sold fake/forged autographs. His name is also involved in the selling of those forged Elvis Presley lyrics that came from Germany. Reznikoff’s name is associated with numerous mistakes in authenticating many presidential signatures including the famous handwritten Oath of Office by President Reagan that was a forgery. As with the case of Al Pacino/Al Ruddy, Reznikoff has authenticated the wrong person in the past. A few examples are his authenticating as genuine a signature of Maggie Mitchell the civil war actress as Margaret Mitchell of “Gone With The Wind” fame. Another Reznikoff blunder was authenticating Samuel Sewall, Jr as his father the noted judge at the witchcraft trials in Salem, Ma. For a Dallas based auction house.

John Reznikoff is one of the authenticators for RR Auction, PSA and James Spence (JSA). PSA and JSA are authenticators for eBay.

Shortly after the Pawn Stars show aired, the usual handful of suspects came out of the autograph hobby’s litter box. They were on a site run by Steve “anti-Semite” Cyrkin who has been given multiple opportunities to apologize to the Jewish person he made the statemen to. Www.autographalert.com and an autograph organization have called on Cyrkin to apologize but he refuses obviously standing by his hateful statement. This is the same Cyrkin, called an “autograph terrorist” by some in this hobby who is noted for his autograph business failing while he admitted he was pulling all the forgeries out of his inventory. For years, Cyrkin was in denial or simply outright lying, telling all, that his company website was down because he had no time to bring it up to date. Yes, the same Cyrkin who took a well respected hobby magazine and run it into the ground publishing stories like the one of dozens of autographs on a guitar that later proved all to be forgeries.

A handful of bloggers on his site, many who hide and go under fictitious names and others using multiple names praised Reznikoff for his appearance on Pawn Stars. Obviously, every one of them knew as much about authenticating autographs as Reznikoff did.

On another blog site one collector wrote: “I’d be afraid to send Reznikoff my Abraham Lincoln signed item to be authenticated. It may come back as being a genuine Art Linkletter.”

John Reznikoff’s recent blunder in front of the world is the talk of the International autograph community. The story and its horrors was recently picked up by a Las Vegas newspaper.

Another James Spence Mistake!

1948 Leaf Card of Jack Johnson Authenticated by James Spence

Has anyone seen the latest item for sale in American Memorabilia’s Auction? This outfit who has a long history of selling items mis-authenticated by 3rd party authenticators has what they describe as a “1948 Leaf - Jack Johnson Signed card #17”. Opening bid $200.00.

A genuine signature of Jack Johnson is quite uncommon. According to several genuine autograph experts, the signature on this card is a very poor quality forgery and no respected authenticator would ever attach their name to it. Yet, this poor quality forgery passes muster by James Spence. This item has been authenticated as genuine by James Spence at JSA Authentication.

Once again, how could this happen? How in the world was any research done on this signature by James Spence to pass this horrible forgery as genuine? Again, we ask James Spence to come forward and tell us what he did to determine this signature of Jack Johnson is genuine? What did he do time wise for the money he was paid to authenticate this item? Where in the world did he find even one exemplar to make such a horrible guess? What credentials does James Spence have to be an autograph authenticator?

No matter what James Spence has to say to even attempt to justify his latest blunder, may we also state that Jack Johnson died on June 10, 1946, two years before this card was produced!

The following is an email we received recently. It is like so many others we have received.
5/11/2011 1:44:23 Eastern Daylight Time
“I also want to mention to support your story on JSA. I was given a ball hand signed by Albert Pujols, he actually put the ball in my hand. JSA (James Spence) was having an event in Feb with Steiner Sports. I decided to take the ball over to them JUST to see what they would say. Of course, they asked “where I got the ball” prior to actually looking at it. I responded, “what difference does it make where I got it“? They failed the ball, at which point I then told them where I got the ball. And of course they did not believe me and said it was a fake. Worst of all they still charged me the 430. Thanks much, John W.”

James Spence Authentication: Authenticating Memorabilia or Pushing An Agenda? JSA Fails Pieces They Already Certified As Authentic!

We have heard people in the autograph and memorabilia collecting community say that James Spence Authentication (JSA) will fail anything that has previously been certified by any other forensic examiner.

We decided to put this assertion to the test, with an unusual twist. We had several pieces certified by JSA. We then had them certified by Christopher L. Morales, Forensic Document Examiner (Chris Morales). What would JSA do with the pieces that already had JSA certifications after they also had certifications from Chris Morales? Would JSA really fail pieces it had already certified?

Look at the results and you can decide for yourself what a JSA examination really amounts to.

The first item is a pair of boxing trunks signed by Joe Frazier (detail below).



The piece comes with a JSA sticker affixed to it, W54017. It states that Joe Frazier signed the piece in front of a JSA staff member. It is part of their "Witnessed Protection Program," the highest guarantee JSA can give (below is the certification).



We showed the same piece to JSA again after it had been certified by Chris Morales. The only difference is now it has a hologram and certificate from Chris Morales (see below).





As seen, it is the same pair of boxing trunks. It has the same signature. What did JSA do with the piece?



That's right, they failed it. JSA gave eight reasons to explain the flaws in the JSA "Witnessed Protection Program" piece of memorabilia. Apparently, the mere presence of Chris Morales' certification has caused the JSA "Witnessed Protection Program" to grow atypical letter slant, angle and/or pitch. Did this problem occur when the JSA staff member witnessed the piece or afterwards?

Not only did JSA fail the piece, but Larry Studebaker, James Spence's main authenticator, laughed out loud and said the piece was "f-ing horrible." Really? A piece from JSA's "Witnessed Protection Program"?

According to Larry Studebaker, James Spence himself personally checks all of the items before he issued a JSA certificate. James Spence did not overrule Larry Studebaker. According to JSA, their previously witnessed piece is now a forgery.

Did the irregular letter shape and/or formation occur when Joe Frazier signed the piece in front of the JSA staff member? Did it occur after JSA put its identifying sticker on the boxing trunks? Did it occur after Chris Morales certified it?

Just what does the "guaranteed to be authentic" on the original JSA certificate mean if JSA fails its own witnessed piece? How could this happen? Would it happen again?

The next piece is a Mickey Mantle jersey (below). Accompanied by a full JSA Letter of Authentication, it has JSA sticker number B35319.







Same test. Would we get the same results? Would JSA fail an item JSA had previously passed if Chris Morales passed it?



The answer is yes!!




This time, JSA found twelve reasons to fail the Mickey Mantle baseball jersey that had already been certified by JSA. Apparently, now the signature suffered from such problems as "Drawn slowly, Labored & contrived," "Hesitation, tremors, patching, and/or pen lifts" and "Unusually positioned on item."

When did these problems, and the other problems, creep into the signature? Before or after JSA issued its first certificate? After Chris Morales certified it? How did that change the signature?

It certainly seems that JSA was examining Chris Morales' certificate more than the Mickey Mantle jersey the second time JSA looked at the same piece JSA had already certified as genuine. How is that a legitimate business act? Shouldn't JSA actually be judging the signature instead of any other certificates? Is this fair to their customers?

Apparently, now that Chris Morales had certified the jersey, Larry Studebaker feels the signature "isn't even close."

Once again, when James Spence personally checked the item before he issued a certificate, he did not overrule Larry Studebaker. According to JSA, their previously certified piece is now a forgery.

Surely, JSA would not do it again, right? Surely JSA would base its reports on the merits of the memorabilia.

Wrong.

The next piece is a Paul McCartney World Tour booklet. Signed boldly by McCartney on the cover, it is accompanied by the full JSA Letter of Authentication, and has JSA sticker number B34513.





Once again, Chris Morales examined it, concurred with the initial JSA findings, and issued a certificate of authenticity.



Would that solitary piece of paper be enough to make sure JSA would no longer have faith in the piece, even though nothing has been done to the signature? The answer again, is yes.



Apparently, failing items certified by Chris Morales is more important than the validity of memorabilia, even if the same piece has previously been certified by JSA.

This time, there were twelve problems with the piece. Apparently, at some time between the first JSA certificate and Chris Morales' certificate, the booklet developed, among other things, "Irregular letter slant, angle and/or pitch," "Excessive pen pressure and/or improper shading," "Sizing of letters Disproportionate/Exaggerated/Undersized," and "Irregular letter shape and/or formation".

According to the JSA examiner, he had personally obtained several signatures of Paul McCartney, and the signature on the booklet was "nothing like Paul McCartney's signature. Chris Morales will pass anything."

Didn't the twelve issues that JSA observed after Chris Morales certified the booklet bother JSA when it originally certified the piece as genuine?

Once again, when James Spence personally checked the item before he issued a certificate, he stated that their previously certified piece is now a forgery.

In JSA's original certificate reported that the signature on the booklet was consistent with JSA's "extensive database of known exemplars." Ironically, the JSA certificate passing the very item before Chris Morales certified it stated "The signature is consistent considering a wide range of specific qualities, including slant, flow, pen pressure, letter size and formation, and other characteristics typical of our extensive database of known exemplars we have examined throughout our hobby and professional careers".

Four of the very reasons JSA used to praise the booklet when JSA originally passed it became reasons 1, 4, 6 and 12 when Chris Morales' certificate seems to have caused JSA to fail the same piece.

Apparently, the problem is not limited to JSA's "Witnessed Protection Program" and their full letters of authenticity, but their "Basic Cert" authentications, as well.






According to the JSA website, the only difference between the full certificate and the Basic Cert is the price. "Popular among dealers and collectors alike, the Basic Cert employs the same valued authentication process to verify lesser valued autographed items. Included with the Basic Cert program is a 3" x 5" James Spence Authentication registration card printed with a unique certification number corresponding to the alpha-numeric tamper evident label. Of course, similar to the Premium Letter of Authenticity each certification number is uploaded into our exclusive database for 24-hour customer verification access. All Basic Cert cards are fully transferable without resubmission."

Unfortunately, if Chris Morales sees the piece, the "fully transferable" concept goes right out the window.



It certainly seems that JSA is likely to fail any piece that is attached to Chris Morales' certificate.



The same seemed to be true of witnessed pieces.





Chris Morales certified this Upper Deck certified, witnessed piece. Tiger Woods signed the piece in front of Upper Deck's certified witness program.



Unfortunately, if JSA gets the chance to turn down the Chris Morales certified piece, which is a clean, textbook example of Tiger Woods' signature, JSA makes the most of the opportunity.



JSA even went so far as to list "C. Morales 7-18-08" as the type in the descriptor box.

JSA listed twelve reasons for failing the Upper Deck witnessed piece. In fact, when the piece was examined, the JSA representative picked up Chris Morales' certificate and stated "it's amazing what this guy gets away with."

Even worse, on JSA's own website, it lists "Valued auction houses and dealers employing our services include"…you guessed it: Upper Deck. JSA failed his own client's piece when it showed up with a Chris Morales certificate.

JSA proved consistent with another Upper Deck witnessed pieces. JSA's client's witnessed pieces.





Chris Morales certified the piece (below).



Despite Upper Deck's guaranteed "5-step patented hologram process," a Chris Morales certificate seems to doom practically anything JSA sees.



Other witnessed pieces did not fare any better, like the below Bret Michaels signed guitar.



Chris Morales certified the piece as authentic.



One of our associates made an appointment with JSA in a hotel conference room after one of their trade shows. There were several clients there, all getting individualized attention from JSA.

An individual who Larry Studebaker told our associate was a "regular client" also had a Bret Michaels signed piece. Studebaker told our associate he was not comfortable with the guitar. Larry Studebaker pointed out that the "regular client's" piece looked "completely different" than our associate's, so obviously his was a forgery and the regular client had a genuine piece, which JSA certified as genuine.

The problem?




We know Bret Michaels of the group Poison signed and personalized our associate's guitar. You can even see the inscription in the photo. If the "regular client" had a piece that looked completely different from our associate's, and we have pictures of Bret Michaels signing and posing with ours, shouldn't the piece that looks completely different from the guitar be the one JSA failed?

Apparently, JSA did not think so. As a matter of fact, when you look at the following JSA report, in the descriptive box, JSA even referred to Chris Morales’ report in the text describing the type of guitar. What was JSA examining, the signature or Chris Morales’ certificate?

Incidentally, JSA also criticized, among the other issues, the fact that the “Ink doesn’t have characteristics normally found with naturally aged ink”. This is quite a perplexing criticism, when one considers the fact that Bret Michaels is still alive and, theoretically, could have signed the guitar the very day that JSA looked at it. How is ink currently on the market used by living people – possibly really recently - supposed to age?



Interestingly enough, our associate witnessed some disturbing behavior during his visit with JSA. Another of the "regular" clients came with a stack of 40-50 photos. Larry Studebaker had the photos in a pile on his table. They were upside down. The photo side with the signature was on the bottom. While Larry Studebaker chatted with the regular client, he placed a JSA on the back of each photo - without even turning them over - and passed them on to his associate to process. He did not even look at any of the photos, but they were all certified by JSA.

Apparently, being a "regular customer" of JSA has its perks.

One afternoon, James Spence had the opportunity to show whether or not his practices detailed throughout the story above were an anomaly or standard JSA operating procedures.

James Spence sat down with a collector and briefly looked through a collection of baseballs. Prior to his examination, he was informed that all of the baseballs had been certified by Chris Morales.

You guess right. Everything failed.

Were the baseballs bad?

One of the three photos below is of JSA certified baseball B91695. One of the baseballs below is of JSA certified baseball B81823. The other baseball was one of the baseballs that James Spence said was a forgery, after he had been informed that Chris Morales had certified it.





They are in no particular order. We defy you to figure out which one is the "forged" baseball. To make this more like a pop quiz, we have removed the photo of the "forged" baseball from JSA's report. Can you tell which one is the failed ball? Can anyone justify that one of these was written by anyone other than the signer of the other two?



James Spence told the collector that everything he had were "fakes and frauds." He further told him that he should get his money back ASAP.

At the very least, the preceding test cases question the company's ability to carry out the service of authentication. In each of the above test cases it was found JSA failed the same pieces that they had already certified as authentic. It certainly lends credence to the assertion the company will fail anything that has previously been certified by any other forensic examiner. This includes a piece, the Joe Frazier trunks, that was signed in front of them.

What then is a JSA certification worth if their own authentication standards are disingenuous, capricious, and arbitrary?

Considering the work that James Spence and his staffers do, and their apparent combined bias and indifference to the genuineness of the memorabilia they are charging customers to examine, there is a problem with "fakes and frauds." If James Spence and his staffers want to determine where the source of such "fakes and frauds" are, they might want to start by looking in a mirror. In closing I am not a real big Chris Morales fan but the customer has the right to have the signature examined. When JSA tells a customer or client that an autograph is not authentic, they trust that it has been examined. As you can see that's not the case, in fact it's just plain dishonest.

Beware of the questionable selling tactics on ebay!

I just found the following words on an ebay autograph auction:
"This item is sold "AS IS" AND NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED."
What ????

Only ebay sellers advertise autographs this way. Who would possibly buy something from an autograph seller when he says that in his ad. I don't call them autograph dealers, they are just autograph sellers. A dealer is someone who has some knowledge of autographs, a seller is someone who is not a dealer. I have never seen a real autograph dealer trying to sell in this way. Why do you think this seller won't accept returns? The answer is painfully obvious, basically this is what they are saying: "I am not sure if this is authentic but if you buy it you are stuck with it."
The legitimate autograph community would never operate in this way. There are a number of autograph sellers on ebay who do not accept returns. Be very hesitant about buying from them.

I have also found another ebay autograph seller who has his auctions set up in a way that allows him to not answer questions from other ebay members. What does that tell you about his autographs?