I know it's been said many times before but an autograph really is like capturing a moment in time. For a couple of seconds your favourite celebrities full attention was on that insignificant piece of paper that is now proudly displayed on your wall or stored carefully in an album.

Autographs are often regarded as a prized possession and can be very expensive to buy so it is very important that the autograph you purchase is genuine. The only way you can know for sure is to see the celebrity in question signing with your own eyes but there are a number of things you can look out for to ensure that what you are buying is genuine.

The seller

Firstly, I would recommend caution when buying any type of signed item on Ebay or similar auction sites. Although there are many genuine signed items for sale on Ebay a very large percentage are fakes and it can be almost impossible to tell the difference. Obviously feedback is the first thing to look at but you should also check to see if the seller is a member of any independent autograph collectors organisations such as the UACC. This indicates that the seller has put themselves up for scrutiny by the organisation in question and has to abide by a strict code of conduct set down by such organisations. If the seller does not comply with the code of conduct they will be stripped of their membership and may even be added to lists such as the UACC hall of shame. This makes it difficult for dishonest sellers to continue trading. You can click here for more info on the UACC.

Whether buying on Ebay or from a sellers own Internet site, please research the seller fully before parting with your money. If buying on-line, stick to a reputable, established dealers website with a proper domain name and an easy way to contact them such as our contact us web form or phone number. It may be a good idea to contact the seller before buying just to make sure that they do answer questions quickly. When you buy from someone like myself you have the peace of mind of knowing that you are buying from a serious collector who will treat you well and still be around for many years to come. Professional websites dealing in signed items rely on repeat business and word of mouth recommendations so you will find that most of us will do anything to maintain a good reputation. Selling fakes and providing poor service is the quickest way to ruin a good reputation.

If you have a bad experience with a dishonest seller, let others know by posting on web forums and chat rooms. That way when someone else looks up the sellers details on Google they may find your post and then they can make more of an informed decision. You should also contact any organisations that the seller claims to be a member of and tell them about your experience. If you are researching a seller on Google and find one or two negative, but several positive comments, it may be still be worth getting in contact with the seller to see if they can offer an explanation. If you find a seller or website particularly helpful and professional it is also worth spreading the word for the benefit of other potential buyers.

Please try to pay by Paypal or credit card where possible and avoid bank transfers, money transfer services such as Western Union and obviously cash! With Paypal you do have buyer protection so you will be able to get your money back if needed. Credit card companies also offer you a certain level of protection. You can also contact the police if you are a victim of an on-line fake autograph scam. Always contact the seller first though before taking further action.

The item

Does the signature and what it is written on match correctly with the date it would have been signed? For example, you would not see a genuine Elvis signature on an album realised after his death. Nor would you see a signed glossy colour photo of Charlie Chaplin!

They type of ink or pen used to sign can also be a give away. Any ball point pen signatures from before the mid 50s will most likely be very faded if genuine. The same applies to old fountain pen autographs. It was not until the late 50s that ink was improved enough so that an autograph bought today from this period could still be very clear. In fact you may have trouble getting an autograph from before the late 70s that is not subject to moderate fading.

A genuine signature will most likely have varying amounts of pressure applied and the stroke size may not be uniform.

Is there a story attached to the signature? If the signature was obtained in person the seller may have an interesting story on how they got it. Does the story add up? If they say they got it after a concert on the 15th of May 1996 was the person in question performing on that day? Many people will also photograph the celebrity as they sign to add credibility to to the autograph. Look closely, is the celebrity signing the same album cover or magazine?

You should also check for obvious spelling mistakes and it can be useful to compare the signature against a proven example. You can actually buy several books that contain many examples of genuine signatures or you could get an independent company or expert to check a more expensive item before parting with your cash.

Some extra notes

Not all signatures by a particular celebrity will be the same. Many will change their signature over time and signatures will vary depending on the pen used and the surface they are written on. Remember that a signature obtained in a relaxed environment or done for a charity auction will almost certainly differ greatly to one written hurriedly in the pouring rain as the celebrity is cornered outside their favourite restaurant by a fan. Both are genuine but the clearer example will always yield a higher price tag.

It should also be noted that during a long signing sessions the celebrates signature could very well have turned into nothing more than a squiggly line! In this case a good clear photo of the signing would redeem it to a certain extent.

Many celebrity (especially whole band) autographs that are obtained by a third party such as a roadie or security guard are not genuine. What often happens is that a fan will ask someone in such a position if they will get something signed for them by the band. Often the security guard will just take the item round the corner and sign it him/her self. This often happened at Beatles concerts and as such there are loads of Beatles autographs being passed around that are not genuine. Although some of the security guards really did a good job of copying their signatures!

Trust your instincts and if in doubt don't buy!