Common Autograph Red Flags

The seven red flags, in order of how often they appear:

1. Traced or labored signatures

Authentic signatures are written with fluid muscle memory. Tracing or copying produces hesitation marks, micro-pauses, and inconsistent pressure. Visible under magnification.

2. Suspiciously perfect placement

Authentic signatures land where they land. Forgeries are often centered, aesthetically placed, and consistently sized — because the forger is performing for the photo.

3. Multiple identical signatures from one dealer

A dealer with “100 signed Joe DiMaggio photos” raises questions. Signers vary their signature across sessions; identical signatures across listings indicate stamps, autopens, or bulk forgery.

4. Sellers who refuse third-party authentication

If a seller has nothing to lose by submitting an item to PSA/DNA or JSA, they will. If they refuse, ask why.

5. COAs without database lookups

If the COA can't be verified independently, it's a marketing instrument. See why some COAs are more trusted than others.

6. Ink anachronisms

A 1920s signature in a Sharpie. A 1960s signature on a paper stock that didn't exist until 1985. A bold ballpoint signature from a figure who only used fountain pens. These are diagnostic.

7. Provenance that can't be verified

“Came from a family member of a clubhouse attendant” is a story, not provenance. Real provenance includes documents, photographs, dated records, and ideally contemporaneous evidence.

When to walk away

Two red flags and a refusal to authenticate is enough. Don't pay to authenticate an item the seller wouldn't authenticate themselves — you're paying to verify their forgery cost less than authentication.