Some third party authentication companies will glance at your autographed memorbillia and instantly tell you it's not genuine, but not before charging you a huge fee to do so.
Make Sure You Do Not Fall Victim to Third Party Authentication Companies.
This is simply an educational story trying to help those who may want to purchase something autographed by Marilyn Monroe. There are some land mines to avoid stepping on. This is also a lesson to learn about trusting the persons, companies and auction houses who claim to be experts. The largest International Autograph Organization is "PADAH." Preferred Autograph Dealers and Auction Houses that has over 70 professionals who deal in autographs. The following most likely would not have occured should the buyer have purchased a Marilyn Monroe signed item from one of PADAH's members.
See below, illustration #1. A genuine signed photograph adding "Love and Kisses" in her hand.
The following three examples are just a few of many that bear pre-printed signatures. Added are "Love and Kisses" which is fairly common. These type photographs can usually be purchased on eBay for under $20.00. Carefullly examine the "Love and Kisses Marilyn Monroe." It should be easy for everyone, newcomer to the hobby or someone with years of experience to determine that all three contain IDENTICAL writing and signatures. These are all pre-prints not hand signed by Marilyn Monroe.
Let's take a close look at one more. A fairly common example that can also be found for sale on the internet.
The above photograph can usually be found on the internet for under $20. Identical pre-print as the three illustrated before.
Now that the writing on the four photographs is imbedded in you mind, take a good look at the next illustration.
For clarity let's look at the above two photographs side by side.
The photo on the left is also in green ink, just doesn't show well on this screen. Did you determine that some low life in this hobby took the photo on the left and has written in matching green ink "To Gil." The forger, con-man has turned a $20 photograph into one that sold at auction for $15,943 including the buyer's premium. The following is the catalog desciption for the inscribed photograph.
Read the last line...."pre-certified PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA. This worthless photograph is sitiing in some collectors collection.
SO MUCH FOR THE AUTOGRAPH EXPERTS. It would be wonderfull if the auction house would due diligence and go into their files and find the name of the person who submitted this item for the auction. Just maybe we could get to the bottom of these type forgeries and start to clean up the corruption in this hobby.
