** That was a great post, Freeman. What is intriguing about it is the
"cross over" debate that goes on about signed pieces on posters or books or
any other paper with something else printed on them.
** I also collected signed first edition, first printing books. A first
edition is not necessarily a first printing. Today, you can identify most
first printings by the presence of a number "1" on the countdown string of
numbers on the back of the title page. The lowest number that appears is
that book's printing. For example, if you see:
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
** You're looking at a first printing.... If you see...
9 8 7 6 5 4
You're looking at a fourth printing. Publishers have different ways of
marking their first printings, but smart collectors of signed books ALWAYS
look this because so many people buy first editions not realizing that later
printings are worthless, unless they are signed.
** There are two schools of thought about signed paper -- if an inscription
is included, such as "To John Doe, thanks for everything, signed (insert
celebrity name here) -- some feel it's not as desired as one that is signed
with just a name. This is true for contemporary signatures. However, when
an inscription is added by a celebrity who is dead, this drivers forgers
crazy because not only do they have to mimic the signature, they have to
mimic all the other words. Because Orson Welles is dead, anything signed by
him is valued, with or without an inscription. The supply of authentic
signatures by dead people is now finite. For living authors or celebrities,
comparisons between authentic and forgeries are more difficult, but
collectors generally prefer signatures dedicated to NO ONE from celebrities
who are still living.
** Another target of forgeries is Audrey Hepburn. Her signature is easy to
copy. I own a signed letter to a fan referencing a lost re-strike photo of
her Oscar for Roman Holiday. It helps that I also have the original
envelope, all written in her hand. It's dated 1998 on personal stationary
from her home in Tolenchanz, Switzerland, where she is also buried. It is
postmarked. I wish I had her signature on a lobby card, but then I'd have
to deal with authenticity issues and do a lot of comparing with real
documents or checks. I like the letter.
** Janet Leigh's signature is inscribed to me. She recently died. Only
when I think of it, I realize it could be worth more because she signed my
Psycho one-sheet with more than just, "Janet Leigh." She had a good career,
but she was no superstar. However, Psycho is the film for which she will
always be remembered. And I'm glad the thing is inscribed "psychotically
yours" because down the road, having more words than just "Janet Leigh" for
others to inspect, will make it more difficult for people to declare it's
fake...even if I had NO picture of her signing it (which I do).
** Have you seen Humphrey Bogart's signature? It's super flamboyant.
Difficult to copy. He didn't sign much, nor did Orson Welles. Getting
signatures to those superstars is a coup. Those you see for sale are mostly
done by publicists. At the peak of their fame, who had time to sign
autographs? The studio publicity machine took care of everything.
** Here's another giveaway. I once ran into a guy who tried to sell me a
signed lobby of Shanghai by Rita Hayworth. Only problem? It was signed in
a Sharpie. Rita died in 1987. The Sharpie did not become the instrument of
choice until after the 1970s. But Rita was already deep into Alzheimer's by
the 1970s. The only thing real signed by Rita is either in ball-point or in
fountain ink.
** Thanks for weighing in on the "theories which collapse under examination"
stuff, Freeman. If authentic, Orson signing ANY poster even in VG or less
condition is valuable. Billy Wilder stuff is also good, but Hitchcock is
better. I also agree with Kirby. My "Waterfront" poster signed by Karl
Malden is worth no more or less to a collector even if he was an Oscar
winner for a different movie. It's not the same as if my poster was signed
by Brando, who was a notorious "non-signer." But I can live with it. A
Brando signature would require exhaustive examination with legal documents
to ensure a buyer isn't getting fleeced. And if fake, it would be
equivalent to a doodle by a 6-year old, wrecking its attractiveness AND its
value.
-koose.
----Original Message Follows----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
Subject: Signatures On Posters Have Consistently Been A Bonanza For Me
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:12:25 EDT
Interesting that many people think a signature on a vintage piece may more
often than not hurt instead of help. I think the nay-sayers have never
really had any experience with that. I would file this in THEORIES THAT
COLLAPSE UNDER EXAMINATION where such declarations like "Always buy a mint
folded
onesheet over a linenbacked version, it's rarer and far more in demand" are
filed away.
I was fortunate to have a CITIZEN KANE insert consigned to me signed
by Orson Welles. The provenance was beyond reproach. Insert was NMint
folded
with one fold fairly deep where insert was folded back the wrong direction
in order for Welles to sign easier while sitting at a table. Insert was
purchased with buyer fully aware that a mint rolled version would be up for
auction only 4-5 days later at Heritage. But I estimated what it would
sell for
and then felt strongly Welles' signature worth a 20% extra premium based
on
the results of signed 3 sheets years earlier I was able to track down.
I followed live on-line with great anticipation and when bidding
stopped
so did my pulse. Heritage's insert sold for almost three thousand dollars
LESS. All of a sudden acid reflux is causing a burning inching its way up
my
esophagus while thoughts of client dissatisfaction extrapolating to a drive
by hit or a smart bomb on my head were beginning to seem perfect
legitimate
scenarios in my immediate future. I was in agony. But in one of the most
considerate actions ever made on my behalf that I had ever experienced in
this
business, while the auction at Heritage was still going my phone rang and
it
was my client. Immediately launching into "I know you and you are
probably
upset over the sale etc. ....... Do not worry I am thrilled with my signed
insert and I have no regrets what so ever" That was class. Insert has
since
been sold at an even greater premium, again keeping in mind this over a
mint
rolled version.
So maybe Wells is one of only a handful that a signature can so impact
positively the sale of a vintage item. But the same dramatic difference as
a
percentage of sale price over the average price has occurred for me with a
Lucas signature on THX-1138, Charleton Heston on anything from Ben Hur,
Patrick Swayze on Dirty Dancing and David Lean big time on Lawrence of
Arabia. But
I was lucky as these are materials with directors or actor associations
that
are so cool. My most recent example was I had the great italian
super-photobusta on linen for JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS and had listed on
Ebay twice
possibly three times with no sales or even solicitations for an off Ebay
purchase. With the help of fellow Mopoer Ron Magid at the Spring
Courts, while
I manned my table he got Ray Harryhausen (for $20 ) to sign the piece
along
the bottom with a bold black marker. I listed on Ebay and it sold in 5
hours Buy It Now at a higher price than I had originally listed the first
time.
But on the whole, singling out the Courts Shows or the upcoming Chiller
theatre, these events host a ballroom full of forgettable 20 seconds of
fame
personalities that rarely qualify as household names.. Hell if you farted
on
live TV back in the 60's they'll have a table waiting for you if desired.
But
people seek their autographs and pay to have them.....But I made a very
interesting observation at the last Courts Show. The two big "draws" were
Mickey
Rooney and Debbie Reynolds. They actually caused lines to form especially
Rooney on Saturday. What I noticed going down their lines besides the
fact that 80% of the people were as wide as they were tall and the event
again
100% white, was that no one was having original studio material signed.
Most
were blank 3 x 5 cards the balance stills or magazines. I had Rooney and
Reynolds lobby cards as low as $10 and not one sold. So it does beg the
question why mix? But clearly its the autograph seekers the dog and poster
vendors the tail..each drawing their own collectors.
But would anyone there or at Chiller Whatever in Jersey, their signature
actually undermine the sale of a vintage piece? I don't think so, at
worst
the impact would be no measurable increase in sale price. And when
offering a
signed piece, its just another positive to encourage a purchase over a
competitor.
But it would be great to hear from Rich and Grey on the following. Rich,
say you had a comic book slabbed and graded a 9.2 of the third Batman comic
book. If it were signed by either the illustrator or author on the
cover.....how much if any penalty in grade points would be levied? What
if it was Walt
Disney's signature on a Donald Duck comic book?
Or to Grey, a nmint to mint folded Double Indemnity onesheet is in the
offer by Heritage. If it was signed by Fred MacMurray would you alter the
onesheet's grading downward or simply ignore its presence and grade the
poster as
submitted by its condition?
freeman fisher
8601 west knoll drive #7
west hollywood, ca
90069
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