posted 03-06-2025 06:11 PM               

As we now work with Steve Zarelli I am amazed at how many forgeries are out there, Covers, lithographs and photographs but many times there are real astronaut signatures with the fakes.

posted 03-06-2025 06:15 PM               

Some collectors suggested trying to salvage the piece by slicing it apart to create cut signatures of the good autographs, which could then be matted or displayed in some other fashion.

posted 03-07-2025 03:04 AM               

My personal opinion is that if a 'good' signature is salvageable then cut it, and shred the rest.

I purchased a cover last year with forged Gemini IV crew signatures. It was irritating, though I was only out about $50, but then later it was enraging when I discovered it had already been deemed a fake years previously, and had made its way back onto the market.

posted 03-07-2025 04:26 AM               

Shredding stuff seems to me to be a bit extreme. Cutting covers up is also anathema to me.

The pursuit of autographed material is the root cause of much of the forgeries on the market. Having a forged signature on a cover is less than ideal, indeed it is outrageous. But, the underlying cover with cachet and postmark are usually altogether innocent of any crime.

posted 03-08-2025 07:03 PM               

We have had forged covers and other materials with a retail value (if authentic) of $50,000+ sent to the museum for sale with a forgery ring sent to the states attorney for prosecution and ultimately put out of business.

Any forgeries sent to Bid Again Auctions will have "FORGERY" written on the back of the item before it is returned to the consignor (if it is mine, I just shred it). This practice has pissed off several people who had planned to resell these forgeries but I take the responsibility to protect collectors seriously so I take the risk of lawsuit to do the right thing.

Remember authentication is the opinion of a knowledgeable person like Steve Zarelli and I am sure at some point in his career, Steve has made a mistake. So I do not rely on Steve alone, I always get a second opinion before I take such extreme measures as marking with forgery. Thank you to Ken Havekotte for helping with authentications for his great knowledge and time given to help our cause.

I do not tell one I have sent to the other just for an independent opinion and if both agree it is a forgery (and so far it has been 100% consensus) I mark the item as fake. If one were to say fake and the other to say it was genuine I would just return the item as is and refuse to sell it in our sale.

posted 03-13-2025 11:22 PM               

A somewhat similar problem is where you have authentic signatures mixed with autopens. I avoid purchasing mixed items generally, but sometimes an autopen can get mixed in with larger lots that I've purchased.

posted 03-14-2025 09:57 AM               

Autopen signatures are not forgeries.

Addressed covers are more desirable than unaddressed to some collectors.

posted 03-14-2025 08:20 PM               

I do not seek out labeled or mixed covers to "deface" them. However, when you buy larger lots of bulk items, there can often be a mix. I bought a collection of Gemini covers from a Goldberg auction some years ago. When I received them, the GT-9 cover had an authentic Cernan and autopen Stafford. I do not keep or sell autopens. For me, putting a Gemini stamp over the Stafford autopen made for a much more pleasing Cernan signed Gemini cover than having a cover with an autopen on it or writing a note on the reverse, or any other option. I have also placed a vintage stamp over a poorly typed address or partial label because the stamp looked far better than a torn label did.