Baseball Hall of Fame Autographs: A Reference Guide

The GOOD: The book is informative about the prevalence of forgeries, the types of forgeries one might expect to run across (in a general sense), and gives reasonably good guidance about the value of the autographs of HOF players. Keurajian also alerts the reader to some specific, prolific, and skilled forgers whose 'work' bears particular earmarks. Perhaps, best of all, he lets the reader know that the world of autographs is not quite like, but closer than most think, to the "wild, wild west". Despite the growth of 3rd party authenticators the HOF autograph collector must be (and will probably always need to be) self-reliant to a significant degree when it comes to spotting forgeries, secretarial sigs, or autopen.The NOT SO GOOD: The book uses too many "terms of art". Genuine signatures are described as "bouncy" and forged signatures are deemed "labored" without even very good examples being given (much less a reasonably rigorous definition). The author is, as I understand it, a lawyer. "Terms of art" are a practice commonly used in the law, but rarely acknowledged publicly as being rather imprecise (e.g. what counts as "malice" for the purposes of determining specific mens rea (state of mind) in a murder trial?...there have been different takes on that, and I wrote a paper about that once in grad school (having "a wanton and malignant heart", Commonwealth v. Malone 47 A.2d 445 (1946) is one take on it...what the hell is a wanton heart? I'll just quote Mr. Justice Stewart," I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ... But I know it when I see it," Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 184 (1964) ).I admit it is vague nearly (but not quite) of necessity, so while the author may not be to blame for not being more precise, it is nonetheless a shortcoming of the book that characteristics of forged and genuine signatures are not exceptionally well defined. Perhaps the author should have spent a bit more time focusing on some definitive methods for identifying forgeries (e.g. the ballpoint pen wasn't really introduced to the US market until about 1948 and when it was first sold the cost was about $100+ dollars (adjusted for inflation), so that ballpoint pen Walter Johnson is almost certainly a forgery since 1945 it is the terminus pro quem of a Johnson auto. Some discussion about the flow and appearance of the ink of steel-tip fountain pens (or quill pens for some pre-'10s autos) would also have been helpful.The author unfortunately FAILS to address provenance as a tool which can be used to eliminate signatures as being genuine. Forgers have to do their homework. A Detroit postmark on a postcard written by Ty Cobb, while Cobb was in Philadelphia or St. Louis (Browns) playing during an away game series is very suspect. One benefit to baseball is that it is played so frequently (incl. spring training) that, with use of the Baseball Almanac it is possible to keep up with the location of most players during their playing careers even all the way back to the 1910s (e.g. a piece of hotel stationary better match the city where that player was taking his ABs at the time). The internet is also a good source for tracking player locations in retirement (although in a much more course-grained way). Keurajian would have made the book better if he had focused on a broader range of ways to detect forgeries.

I was so pleased to stumble onto this excellent book so badly needed by a collector base driven more by want than knowledge. The desire to "have" and "have pronto" has resulted in over two decades of feeding impulse with forgeries. I have known of Mr Keurajian and his expertise since the early 90's when I was in the then raging sports collectibles business. My conversations with him and his astounding knowledge were always fascinating. He was and I am sure remains a True enthusiast of understanding signatures and their authenticity. He spotted the the fakes quickly, was never overbearing, was very certain in his evaluation and was always willing to learn. In the days I knew him I never knew of him to sell his knowledge but was very willing to share. He is a fine man and "true autograph collector". As for the book, it speaks for itself. Compare it with anything else. No comparison. If Ron says one doesn't exist or he never saw one or one that is supposed to exist but doesn't----believe him. If you own sigs that he says don't exist , or are rare beyond belief, then you have been had. I've not seen this man for over a decade but can see from this fine work and the issues he has been involved in that he is one of the absolute best evaluators ofrare sport autographs. Great job Ron.

Like Keurajian's "Collecting Historical Autographs," this is a good reference work and valuable to own. It has its limitations, too. But the illustrations of examples of signatures are valuable, especially of those who are not routinely available.

A valuable guide for any serious collector of baseball Hall of Fame autographs. The book is very comprehensive, yet easy to read. The signature studies and practical advice makes it well worth the price. Due to the high amount of forgeries in the autograph market, this book should be a required reference in any collector's library. Whether one is a new or long-term collector, I highly recommend this book.

The information regarding the autograph formation and characteristics are very interesting. Unfortunately, the author is not in touch with the current retail market. He states that many of the autographs are available for under $100...so many of these cannot be touched for less than $250-$300 AND UP on a certified baseball.The author also frowns upon certification by the larger firms, stating their many errors. I'll take my chances on PSA and JSA.

This is thought provoking book and a good read. The first chapter brings up several mediums for autographs that I had not thought about before. The forgery chapter was an especially enjoyable read. From the beginner to the long-term collector, this is a definite book to add to your library and collection. The book is an exemplary reference resource.

Ron provides a unique perspective on the value and authenticity of autographs. He is particularly helpful in establishing an understanding of the fraud issues that are so prevalent in the autograph hobby. Well worth while.

If you collect HOF baseball autographs you have to get this book. I wish it could easily be updated as time goes by and new members come in to the Hall but considering the amount of fraud in collecting, this book is a necessary aid. Fun facts too.