Obama Autographs Dissected in New Magazine
Barack Obama hasn\'t made a decision in office, but he is poised to become perhaps the most popular president since John F. Kennedy the moment he is sworn into office on January 20.
He\'s also a bit of a celebrity and has been for awhile. The value of his autograph has skyrocketed as demand surges worldwide. But is it a good time to buy Obama autographs? Can you be sure that Obama autograph real? These questions and many others are answered in an AUTOGRAPH Magazine pictorial Obama Inauguration issue.
“This is the time to be learning about Obama autographs. I wouldn’t buy now unless you’re willing to accept extra risk,” says Steven Cyrkin, the editor and publisher of Autograph Magazine. “If you can not wait, be extra careful. The Obama signature is stylish but easy to forge, and forgeries probably outnumber genuine Obama signaturess by 15 to 1. Right now I wouldn’t buy one that wasn’t authenticated by a top independent authenticator like PSA/DNA.”
Many people are paying too much for Obama’s autograph, according to Cyrkin. “Prices are all over the place and a lot of people may be paying twice or more what would six months from now. You could overpay by thousands for highly desirable items like signed first editions. Give the market time to sort itself out. Odds are it will save you money.”
Unfortunately, not all real ink Obama autographs are guaranteed to have been signed by the President-elect himself. An Autopen copies a genuine signature and then duplicates it on demand using a pen or marker. Commonly used by politicians who get a lot of autograph requests, the results look real. It can be discouraging for someone without the knowledge. For autograph collectors, it\'s a major bone of contention.
“A lot of fake Obamas come from Obama himself,” Cyrkin explains. “He’s been using the Autopen for years, but he’s the only person I’ve ever heard of who took one on the campaign trail. If you asked for an autograph at a rally and did not see it signed yourself, odds are it is a worthless Autopen signature. But we see them being offered all over as real.”
The Autograph Obama Inauguration issue offers in-person experiences of collectors and autograph seekers who have met Obama, exemplars of his autograph, forgery examples and Autopen signatures. There are also pointers for identifying a genuine Obama and comparisons between Obama and the last five presidents. “He is a south paw,” Cyrkin adds. “Like five of the last seven presidents.”
The Obama Commemorative Inauguration Issue will be released to bookstores and newsstands December 23 in limited quantities.
“This is the time to be learning about Obama autographs. I wouldn’t buy now unless you’re willing to accept extra risk,” says Steven Cyrkin, the editor and publisher of Autograph Magazine. “If you can not wait, be extra careful. The Obama signature is stylish but easy to forge, and forgeries probably outnumber genuine Obama signaturess by 15 to 1. Right now I wouldn’t buy one that wasn’t authenticated by a top independent authenticator like PSA/DNA.”
Many people are paying too much for Obama’s autograph, according to Cyrkin. “Prices are all over the place and a lot of people may be paying twice or more what would six months from now. You could overpay by thousands for highly desirable items like signed first editions. Give the market time to sort itself out. Odds are it will save you money.”
Unfortunately, not all real ink Obama autographs are guaranteed to have been signed by the President-elect himself. An Autopen copies a genuine signature and then duplicates it on demand using a pen or marker. Commonly used by politicians who get a lot of autograph requests, the results look real. It can be discouraging for someone without the knowledge. For autograph collectors, it\'s a major bone of contention.
“A lot of fake Obamas come from Obama himself,” Cyrkin explains. “He’s been using the Autopen for years, but he’s the only person I’ve ever heard of who took one on the campaign trail. If you asked for an autograph at a rally and did not see it signed yourself, odds are it is a worthless Autopen signature. But we see them being offered all over as real.”
The Autograph Obama Inauguration issue offers in-person experiences of collectors and autograph seekers who have met Obama, exemplars of his autograph, forgery examples and Autopen signatures. There are also pointers for identifying a genuine Obama and comparisons between Obama and the last five presidents. “He is a south paw,” Cyrkin adds. “Like five of the last seven presidents.”
The Obama Commemorative Inauguration Issue will be released to bookstores and newsstands December 23 in limited quantities.