Autograph authentication can be a very tangled issue. We all want to be reassured that an autograph is genuine beyond doubt. Though it can be understandable to want an authoritative opinion to reassure us that an autograph is real, the only certain way to know is through it's provenance. An examination by an informed eye may uncover aspects that could call into question an item's legitimacy, but it could not uncover proof that it was irrecovably genuine. If anyone tells you that they can guarantee or certify the authenticity of an autograph from an examination alone, they're not being forthright. There is no way to be certain without the provenance. The best way to get an expert's opinion is to become your own expert. Learn as much as you can about the signing habits of your subject. Study other examples of their signature, and compare them. Learn to trust your own instincts and gut feelings about them. Seek others' opinions if you feel the need, but you still need to come to your own conclusions. Practically all of my signed items come from a few select life-long collectors. Pete Connolly of Queens, New York has obtained in-person autographs for about forty years. He has seen countless rock stars and celebrities sign their autographs for him and for others on many different occasions over the years. He has even gotten to know some of their managers and other "people", which has often helped him obtain access to the stars. Through this time he has personally known and been a fellow collector alongside John Morgan, Jeff Hegelman, and Stanley and Stephanie Kolowski, the other collectors who have obtained the majority of these autographs. All have collected in-person signatures for forty years or more, and were often in each others' company when they obtained these autographs. Because of his knowledge of the signing habits of these many stars, and his knowledge of the provenance and signing circumstances of these autographs, Pete Connolly will serve as my authenticator. He will write a letter of authenticity, which may also be notarized, at the buyer's request. As my technological skills progress, I will be adding Pete's many photos of the celebrities he's met and who have signed before him. In the meantime, here's a sampling. From the top left, Carlos Santana, Woody Allen, Sting, Bob Dylan, Bee Gees, Garth Brooks, Mick Jagger, Faith Hill, Eddie Van Halen, Charlie Watts, James Taylor, Alice Cooper, Jennifer Lopez, Joe DiMaggio, Paula Abdul, Joe Cocker.