Beware: Babe Ruth Forgery With GAI Letter

[sammy]

This auction consists of a Babe Ruth autographed baseball.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&item=140035912932&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&item=140035912932&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1)

The baseball comes with a COA from Global Authentication (GAI). Certification Number: GV 103683

When the ball was originally submitted to GAI, the Babe Ruth signature was for all practical purposes faded, obscured, and worn away.

This can be verified by looking at the GAI letter shown in the auction and by going to their website and entering the COA number: 103683

http://globalauthentication.com/certcheck/certcheck.asp (http://globalauthentication.com/certcheck/certcheck.asp)

Magically, with the healing powers of eBay, the Babe Ruth signature has reappeared.

Of course, the autograph shown now on the ball is a very bad forgery.

Below are the before and after photos.

The one on the left was the ball as originally submitted and the one currently shown on the GAI website. The one on the right is the one currently on auction with the horrible forgery.


http://members.aol.com/collectantiques/mmball37.jpg

[earlywynnfan]

Good Job!! did you email the seller and ask him how he does his magic?

Ken

[momen55]

i emailed the seller and haven't received an answer. usually on things like this with my past experience, sellers don't email back! i hope the buyer has done his or her homework.

[suave1477]

well Tell Me Whats Worse About This Autograph Is That He Forged It????????

or

that He Traced Over An Original Autograph And Ruined The Orginial????????

[sportscentury]

well Tell Me Whats Worse About This Autograph Is That He Forged It????????

or

that He Traced Over An Original Autograph And Ruined The Orginial????????

Jason,

I'm not sure if this a serious question or a joke. If it is a joke, then please excuse me for taking it seriously, but here is my answer:

The two acts are not even in the same league. The one is a felonious crime, the other is not. I don't care if he took the ball out to the streets and played with it until it unraveled and was completely unidentifiable - it still wouldn't come close to fraud.

Reid

P.S. Sammy, thanks for your posts and nice work with the photographic comparison display.

[suave1477]

Reid my questions were more sarcastic/rhetorical to the fact that he has caused fraud and to me the worst of it actually ruined a Real Babe Ruth autograph.

[sportscentury]

Reid my questions were more sarcastic/rhetorical to the fact that he has caused fraud and to me the worst of it actually ruined a Real Babe Ruth autograph.

Well, that clears that up.

[kylehess10]

I e-mailed the seller and told him that if he didn't remove the listing I'd report him and wuddaya know, the listing was removed

[earlywynnfan]

shouldn't someone notify GAI about this? wouldn't they want to know? does anyone here deal with them, or have connections?

Ken

[jon_8_us]

Pulling the item is not good enough.Shouldn't this guy be reported to someone that can take action?
jon

[bat_master]

Hi Everyone,

I actually had reported the item using the ebay process earlier in the morning. I would find it quite likely that I was not the only one that used that system to report it and this is probably why it was removed. I don't think the buyer found a conscience on a Friday and removed the listing on their own.

Unfortunately, my guess is that the ball will still be sold either privately between the seller and one of the bidders or at a venue other than ebay.

It would be nice to have an unlimited expense account to simply buy up and destroy all of the "bad" items on ebay. Of course, even then the bad items would still be sold so a market (though a very small one) would still exist.

This could likely lead to another thread entirely in which one would ponder the ways that the forged item trade could be stopped. It seems to me this would be darn near impossible since it would be necessary in a world of "supply and demand" to destroy the demand in order to destroy the supply.

Food for thought.

Tim Byington
t_byington@yahoo.com

[Fraudfinder!!]

Here is the reply from the seller of the ball. Please refrain from laughing if you can. I do have some contacts in Canada (Quebec) and will forward this to them to investigate. Auctions outside the USA are much more difficult to prosecute/investigate. Thank you Sammy.
Fraudfinder!!

"When I have sent to ball to GAI, the signature was faded. It looks as a pencil signature but when they sent it back, it was indicated Black INK Signature on the LOA. The was in a safe for the last three months and I don't know hat happen in the safe. Probably the stuff they used for the authentificatio made a reaction on the signature and did the same effect as the stuff the police used to take finger prints on a scene of crime. Regards, Normand Destrempes"

[trsent]

Here is the reply from the seller of the ball. Please refrain from laughing if you can. I do have some contacts in Canada (Quebec) and will forward this to them to investigate. Auctions outside the USA are much more difficult to prosecute/investigate. Thank you Sammy.
Fraudfinder!!

"When I have sent to ball to GAI, the signature was faded. It looks as a pencil signature but when they sent it back, it was indicated Black INK Signature on the LOA. The was in a safe for the last three months and I don't know hat happen in the safe. Probably the stuff they used for the authentificatio made a reaction on the signature and did the same effect as the stuff the police used to take finger prints on a scene of crime. Regards, Normand Destrempes"


What goes on inside those safes?

[sportscentury]

I do have some contacts in Canada (Quebec) and will forward this to them to investigate.

Dear Fraudfinder!!,

I tried to send you a private message just now through the GUF system but it would not go through. I would really appreciate it if you would contact me (rgf2@hotmail.com) as I'd like to get your advice about a private matter that I have been dealing with for some time now (a hobby-related issue). If you would contact me, I'd be quite appreciative. I also think that you'll find the story to be fascinating, given your line of work.

Best,

Reid Fontaine

[Justin]

Hi everyone,
I became aware of this matter on Saturday night and have already contacted eBay. I would like to thank Sammy for bringing this matter to light.

Moreover, in regard to the sellers comments that we (GAI) held his order for over three months is completely absurd. The signature on the baseball was in ink and was extremely faded. We never alter any signatures that are submitted to GAI. Any claim to that matter is simply outrageous.

Also, I do moderate the Autograph Forum on this website and any similar subjects would best be posted there, as I can act quickly. Thank you.

Justin Priddy
Lead GAI Authenticator