The headline in a Detroit newspaper reads "alleged upscale art forgery" but a federal investigation into fancy paintings also includes a troubling discovery for collectors of sports memorabilia. On Tuesday, a team of more than 30 FBI agents raided the property of a Michigan man suspected of creating and selling phony artwork and sports-related items over a period of several … [Read more...]
Oregon Man Charged with Selling Fake Autographs
An Oregon man is facing theft charges over the sale of phony autographed memorabilia. Police in Eugene say Harold Gardner, 62, of Roseburg, sold sports items bearing signatures he said he’d inherited from his uncle, but were actually signed by Gardner himself. According to the Register-Guard of Eugene, the theft charges were filed last month by the Lane County … [Read more...]
More Charges Against Accused McDavid Autograph Forger
New charges have been filed against a Canadian man accused of selling Connor McDavid jerseys with fake autographs after police say publicity surrounding the case led to more complaints from buyers. In April of 2018, it was reported that 23-year-old Chandra Vinesh Singh contacted several people via Facebook claiming he was employed by either the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment … [Read more...]
NBC News Story: Family Says Dealer Sold Them Large Amount of Bogus Autographs
NBC News has aired a lengthy investigative story on a collection of baseball memorabilia purchased as an investment now believed to be fake. A retired New Jersey firefighter, the late Charles Kerr bought items advertised as signed by Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Derek Jeter and other greats. Now his family believes he was swindled for over $100,000 by a dealer … [Read more...]
Edmonton Police Nab Suspect; Take on Case of Fake Connor McDavid Jerseys
Police in Edmonton have made one arrest and are warning the public about a scam that involves fraudulent Connor McDavid autographs. Chandra Vinesh Singh, 23, is charged with two counts of possession of a forged document, fraud over $5,000, fraud under $5,000 and false pretense. Singh is also known to go by “Vinesh Singh” or “Vinny.” In April of 2018, it was reported that … [Read more...]
Wayback Collector: Pre-War Autograph Market Not Likely To Be The Same After T206 Forgeries
Arguably the biggest piece of hobby news this week surrounded the discovery of some T206 forgeries. In case it's somehow eluded you, after weeding out a bad Rube Marquard autographed card, members on the Net54 vintage card forum uncovered a string of additional T206 cards that have been proven to be fakes. To date, more than a dozen have been found. Discoveries have included … [Read more...]
Heroes and Villains in the Fake Autographed T206 Story as More are Uncovered
While the recent exposure of some phony autographs on genuine T206 cards isn’t the biggest scandal in hobby history, it may be in the early stages and certainly worth the discussion it’s generating. On Wednesday, more fakes emerged including a Frank Baker, fully authenticated, that sold at auction for over $24,000 just one month ago. It's the latest in a … [Read more...]
Editor’s Blog: Autographed T206 Forgeries Uncovered
Signed pre-War baseball cards can sell for a pretty penny. Authentic examples are rare, largely because collecting autographs on cards wasn’t really a widespread practice until much later and many of the players were dead when it became commonplace. Authentic autographs on T206 and Goudey sets are out there, but they're generally limited to players who lived long … [Read more...]
New Video Shows Dealer Ejected from NSCC Over Suspected Bogus Autographs
Newly released police video taken at this summer’s National Sports Collectors Convention shows the dealer whose booth was shut down over autograph authenticity concerns claiming the signed items he was selling were “decorative items.” At the same time, Tony Podsada says those same autographs “are real. They’ve been looked at by our experts.” Podsada, … [Read more...]
Updated: Dealer Booth Shut Down Over Fake Autographs
A dealer at the National Sports Collectors Convention had his booth shut down and his autographed items confiscated by police Thursday at the I-X Center. Fellow dealers alerted show officials and investigators from the Cleveland Police Financial Crimes Unit soon arrived on the scene, confiscating numerous containers, wrapped items and boxes believed to be carrying phony … [Read more...]