How To Tell if an Autograph is Real

For something so simple, the autograph is quite a valuable thing. It’s already pretty valuable when it’s simply on a piece of paper, especially if it’s from a famous celebrity or athlete. And when placed onto a jersey, photo or some other piece of memorabilia, it also adds to that item’s inherent value.

But there are a lot of bad actors out there who will make and sell fake autographs to unsuspecting victims as a money-making scheme.

So how can one tell if an autograph is really from said famous personality or if it’s just a forgery meant to scam someone out of some cash?

Of course, the obvious thing to do is to compare the autograph with other samples that may be available online or elsewhere. Check whether they are similar and whether they have any glaring differences in how they look, which could be a sign that it’s a fake.

Aside from how the autograph looks in terms of the actual signature, it is also important to examine how the autograph feels. Autographs that feel unnaturally smooth could mean that it’s machine printed.

On the other hand, though, the eye and hand tests are not always an accurate way to suss out real autographs from fakes. Some scammers can be so good at doctoring autographs that they can seem real to the untrained eye.

If you’re having doubts as to the authenticity of an autograph, it might be wise to head to a professional autograph authenticator, who’s more skilled at spotting the subtle details that many of us laypeople may miss.

But you won’t need to resort to these methods with any signed memorabilia you get from from Fan Arch. Fan Arch works closely with all partner athletes in ensuring that their authentic and high-quality products reach their fans and supporters. So you can be sure that the autographed photos which are available for purchase at Fan Arch, like that of figure skating icon Tonya Harding, are 100% legitimate and signed by the legend herself.

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