So you have seen autographed celebrity photos for sale, found one of your fave celeb and you can’t wait to pick it up and store it away or frame it and put it on your wall. But wait, what if it isn’t real? Sadly this is big business and there are many unscrupulous people out there who will copy an autograph and then pass it off as real. This is important here because copying an autograph is not necessarily bad, what is bade is selling it as thought the celeb actually signed their own photograph.
If you want that piece but you don’t want to get caught out buying a fake, here is how t make sure that it is authentic.
Where to Buy
Unless you are able to guarantee some level of security then it is never, ever advisable to buy such a product online. In order to assess whether or not the product is in fact an authentic signature, you need to get up close and personal. Buying online is fraught with danger and that is why if you are going to buy a piece like this then you should always look to see it in person.
Stamped
Very often what we see with these items is that the signature has been turned into a stamp and then hundreds of photos are stamped at the same time. A great way to check if in fact this signature has been machine produced is to run your finger over the top, if it is completely smooth then it is likely that this is not in fact the real deal. Stamped on signatures are also ink heavy on the outskirts so have a look with a magnifying glass and if the ink is all pushed to the outside then it is also likely that you have a fake.
Equal Pressure
Next up you need to hold the signature up to the light and check to see how the light comes through. What we are looking for here is darker and lighter areas, if however the whole thing has the same light consistency throughout then it is highly likely that this is not an original, but rather a reproduced signature.
Compare Upside Down
Another good way to spot any issues is to compare the signature with a known original, and then turn the two upside down to compare. The reason for this is that your mind doesn’t read the signature as it normally would and that will allow you to spot any tiny indifferences which may very well suggest that this signature isn’t real. There will always be minor inaccuracies but if you begin to find more and more then it is best not to invest in the piece and instead look for something which you are absolutely convinced is real.
The best advice here is to trust your gut and if it doesn’t feel or look right, then it probably isn’t.
