And now the really bad news...

The greatest part of this hobby is when you get home to find two or three envelopes with your name and address, written in your handwriting (hopefully not crammed into your mailbox.)  You tear it open in anticipation of receiving an autograph from someone you had written to.  But once you see your prize, how do you know if what you received was really signed by the celebrity?  If you really don't care then this is the end of it and you can just go right on to the next section.  But, if you really want to know, how do you find out?  What exactly is a preprint or Autopen that everyone keeps talking about?

This section will try to deal with these questions.  I am not a handwritting expert but I do know a little about what to look for to detect these fakes.  I will also explain the different types of fakes that celebrities send.  If you happen to receive the same autographs from the celebrities sampled below, you can sure bet it's a fake.

Receiving a non-authentic autograph from a celebrity should not be a reflection of how they feel about their fans.  Sometimes, it is impossible to sign the thousands of autograph requests they receive each year; or they may be too old, sick, on the road touring, or filming a new movie.

• Autopen
  The Autopen is actually the company name of a machine that can duplicate a person's signature over and over.   Most government officials use the Autopen machine. 
  How it's done: The person would sign their name and the signature is then copied onto a template that is inserted into the machine.  Some type of writing media, like a pen or marker, is then placed into the arm mechanism which will then "copy" the signature onto an item such as a letter or photograph.
  Detection: Autopens are fairly easy to detect in that the signature doesn't have the natural flow of a real person's handwriting.  The stroke of the "signature" will be shaky, with a consistently even ink flow, and will usually end in an ink blotch, which looks like a period.  This is due to the marker resting in one spot of the item too long before being lifted off.  Also each Autopen signature will look exactly alike.  If you think you have one, write to the person again and compare the signatures by laying them atop each other and holding them up to a strong light source.  If the signatures are identical, you have an Autopen.
  Example: LeAnn Rimes

• Pre-print
  Pre-prints are signatures that are copied onto a letter, photo or just about anything.
  How it's done: A person will sign a photo and it will be copied onto as many items as needed.  Another method of preprinting is a person can sign a clear plastic sheet which will then be placed on top of a photo, for example, and copied.  With the first method, the signature will be in the same spot and with the second method the signature will be the same but can be moved to a different location on the item.  This works just like a Xerox machine.
  Detection: This fake is relatively easy to detect.  If you hold the item up to a light at an angle, you will notice that the "signature" is actually under the gloss of the photo.   Normally, a marker or pen will have a raised look to it, with light reflecting more at the edges of the ink; a preprint will appear flat with no outline to it.
  Examples:   Bruce Willis, Jack Klugman, the cast of "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", Adam West (this one is from an in-person meeting!!!), Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Jeff Goldblum, and Dixie Chicks
  An address for a celebrity that is from Studio Fan Mail will positively be a preprint. (Click on the link to see a partial list of celebrities that use this address.)   If you write to a celebrity through their movie or television studio, you will more than likely receive a preprint.

• Secretarial and forgery
  A secreterial is a term used for the act of signing a signature other than your own.  The term comes fro

  m the fact that secretaries are usually the ones doing the signing.
  How it's done: As it sounds, this falls into the category of a forgery.  The difference being, a forgery is an illegal act meant to profit and a secretarial doesn't profit.  A forgery is usually from a disreputable dealer who is trying to pass it off as an authentic signature.
  Detection: The only way to seperate a secretarial and forgery from an authentic signature is to compare it to a known in-person signature.  I usually compare mine to reputable dealers who have their autographs displayed on the net.
  Example: Arnold Schwarzenegger (close-up of signature)

• Stamp
  A stamp signature is just as it sounds; a rubber stamp with an ink pad is used to place a "signature" on any item.  These are uncommon but they do exist.
  How it's done: A rubber stamp bearing the signature of the celebrity is used.
  Detection: Stamped signatures are relatively easy to detect as a fake.  The "signature" will look very porous and is messier than authentic signatures.
  Example: Mark Hamill

The only true way to tell if an autograph

is authentic is to actually see the celebrity sign.  Signature authenticators can appraise it as close to 100% as possible if you are willing to pay their fees.

Because I'm cheap, I usually try to authenticate my own successes by use of a microscope (for preprinted and stamped items) and by referencing known authentic signatures (for secreterials, forgeries and Autopens.)