| 10 Tips for Spotting Fake Autographs Posted: Want to know if that item autographed by one of your favorite people in the world is legit? Here are some tips to ensure the autograph is as genuine as it is impressive. Steps - Turn it upside down. The best way to compare a signature is to turn it upside down. This way, your mind isn't reading it and can look objectively for tell-tale signs and slight differences between the two which can reveal it as fake.
- Beware stamped signatures. Fake autographs are often mechanically reproduced. Run your thumb over the signature, particularly its outline. If it is flat, then the "autograph" is likely to be a facsimile.
- Alternatively, if you can feel the texture of the ink on top of the page, then you know that it has been added afterward.
- Also, bear in mind that this technique won't work on fabric items like sports shirts, which absorb the ink without leaving a raised layer.
- Look closely at the ink. Pull out your magnifying glass and look for visual clues.
- With stamped-on signatures, all the ink is applied at the same time and squeezed to the edges of the rubber. Through a magnifying glass, you will be able to see more ink on the edges of the lines than in the middle.
- Another thing to spot is that autographs printed by machines may have an unnaturally "smooth" effect.
- If a name is signed with a pen, the nib will cut through wet ink to produce "tunnels" and "bridges" visible through a magnifying glass. However, autographs can be duplicated with an auto pen: a machine which uses a mechanical arm to drag a pen along a plastic or metal signature template - or "matrix". The next step will provide further insights.
- Look for "robotic" tell-tale signs. When you write your own name, you sign it in one continuous movement. Also, the pen is moving before you start writing, as you move it towards the page.
- The auto pen, on the other hand, comes down with a dot and ends abruptly with another dot. This can be seen through a magnifying lens.
- If the signature appears unnaturally "shaky", this can be due to vibrations in the auto pen machine.
- Also, look out for machine-like straight lines - especially if these lines are interrupted by accidental "robotic" wobbles, which can reveal where the auto pen has slipped.
- Hold it up to the light.
- If the signature's ink seems too light, or has apparently had equal pressure applied throughout, then it is likely a fake.
- If it glows a shaded purple color, then it has almost certainly been stamped.
- Another trick is to get the celebrity to sign a negative of the photo, and then reproduce it. If the color of the signature is silver on the photo, then it is likely to have been stamped.
- Think about the numbers. A forger can knock-out 30 or 40 fake David Beckham autographs. But Beckham would never sign that many himself. In fact, he will likely sign no more than one at a time, for fear that they will be sold. As a result, genuine dealers probably won't have more than one David Beckham signature a month in their stock.
- Also remember that footballers and other figures will often dedicate an autograph to an individual, so that it is only of use to the named person.
- Beware of private auctions or any requests for privacy by the seller - this is often a ploy to hide the sale. Really, there is no legitimate reason for a seller to ask for privacy in their dealings with you. A reputable seller will be able to guarantee the provenance of the signatures they sell, with supporting documentation. A business you can trust should offer you a lifetime guarantee. Also, reputable sellers will be open about their history, past dealings and expertise.
- Think about how, when and why it was signed. If an autograph dated pre-1960s is signed in a felt pen, then it is fake. Felt pens didn't exist before the 1960s, and it should be signed in ink. Also, check to see if the photograph is glossy. Glossy photographs have only been available in recent years.
- Ask yourself: would the person really have signed this? For instance, if you were the President of the United States, why would you sign an index card? There are tens of thousands of appointment or discharge certificates for military service, examples of paper currency, postmaster appointments and land grants signed after the 1930s which purport to be genuine, but aren't.
- Go to a reliable authentication source. Don't be discouraged, there are examples of the above documents which are genuine. But it is a good idea to seek professional advice - and to make sure that you do so from a trusted and reputable source.
- Authentication services have been reliable in the past, but some have come under fire in recent years. The PSA/DNA and UACC, for instance, have each been held-up for misidentifying fake signatures as genuine.
- Also, don't automatically trust a seller if they cite Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC) membership or a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). UACC membership can be bought, and COA documentation can be faked by anyone with a computer.
Tips - If an autograph looks like too much of a bargain to be real, then it probably isn't real. (Honestly, this goes for just about everything. Nobody believes the internet ads "you're the 100,000th visitor!" anymore because it's very improbable. Well, if the product you're being offered seems like it's very improbable, it probably is a lie/fake.)
- In the wake of President Kennedy's death, Jackie Kennedy relied on auto pens to sign her responses to the thousands of condolence letters she received.
- Ask yourself: Did the secretary do it? Here, it is perhaps best to consult a trusted expert.
- The more signatures there are on a piece, the more mistakes there are to spot. Put a sports shirts with 10 fake team signatures against a sports shirt with 10 real ones, and it is easy to spot the fake.
- Often, the fakes will have been written by one person. They will be the same height, evenly spaced and sometimes the same way up.
- The best way to make sure a signature is authentic is to be there when it is signed. When writing to a celebrity for their autograph, don't assume that they are going to sign it themselves. In many cases, an assistant will do it for them. The best way to avoid this phenomenon, alas, is to be there yourself to witness the person signing it.
Related wikiHows Sources and Citations |
| How to Start a Gratitude Journal Posted: A gratitude journal is a great way to keep yourself in a thankful and positive state of mind. This article will offer some tips for starting and keeping one. Steps - Be Thankful. Thankfulness is an attitude that you can practice and develop. Cultivating gratitude as the norm in your life will make keeping a gratitude journal much easier.
- Make it a rule to write down a certain number of things you are thankful for per day. Avoid repeating the same things. This will make writing in the journal more challenging as time goes on, but that's how your awareness and thankfulness will grow. You'll be challenging yourself to find new things to be thankful for that perhaps you never noticed before.
- Many people start by writing down basic material things that they are grateful for in their lives. It's easiest to recognize things that sustain your life here on Earth like your house, your bed, your clothes, your food etc. Be sure to explain how this makes you feel and why you're grateful for it.
- Example - I am grateful for my house. My house warms my body and shelters and protects me. It gives me a sense of relief knowing that there is always a comforting place to come back to.
- Write about extended material things in your life. These things varies from person to person depending on what you like and take interest in. For example, if you love to paint, you may be grateful for the paint that you have. Or, if you like music you may be grateful for your CD collections.
- Describe how you are grateful for yourself. You can start by feeling grateful to be alive at all. Then start writing about feeling grateful to have the body you have, even if you don't like everything. Avoid the trap of being grateful for something that is better than what other people have. Instead, compare whatever you are grateful for with how you would feel if you didn't have it at all.
- Think about your abilities. You may start with basic abilities like your ability to see, your ability to hear, your ability to walk. Then progress to the extended abilities that are unique to you. Think about skillful things like dancing, singing, writing, and features that make up your character like your listening skills, your skills in cheering up people, your skills in being a good friend.
- Consider the people in your life. Think about all the people you care about, like your parents, your friends, your significant other, your pets. Write why you are grateful for each person and how they make you feel. This helps to appreciate them and see only the good in them. It's also good to write about the people that you don't really like and find a reason to appreciate them. This can be difficult as we don't really appreciate people we don't like but it can be very uplifting. There is good in everyone and it's very mood shifting to find the good in even people we dislike and feel grateful for them.
- Write about situations and experiences. There are always situations that have made us happy. For example, you may be grateful for a fun party, a good day at school/work, a fun vacation.
Tips - You don't have to write a lot about why you feel grateful for something but it helps to shift your awareness to the emotions and feelings that you enjoy bringing about more of those emotions.
- This journal comes in handy to read when you're feeling down. It helps to shift your energy back to a positive vibe by reading about all you have to be grateful for.
Related wikiHows |
No comments:
Post a Comment