Is my new Charles Barkley Autograph real?

DrJ

Sir Charles autographs are very tough to come by on certified cards (he only has 1 or 2 and they typically fetch $500 to $1000), so I recently snagged a card off Ebay without a COA for about $35. I am right now in the process of building a set of the 50 greatest team on cards by a combination of TTM autographs, certified manufacturers autographs (some guys just don't sign frequently enough), and purchasing uncertified autographs.

I did get a PSA/DNA quick opinion and it came back likely authentic. I was not planning to get the auto slabbed, because ultimately when I complete my project, I will end up getting all of the cards framed and matted in one massive piece.

What do you guys think....

Here is my Card



Here are a couple examples of certifed autos (courtesy of Ebay).

baseballfan

i actually think its good. i have a barkely i personally got at at golf course, i also had the chance to talk to him after his round for about 15 minutes. all i got was the C and what looks like the 2 LL's. i watched him sign it and he was in a hurry so i think it looks good as a barkley signed by in in a hurry. i have mine framed somewhere, if i can track it down i will post it.

DrJ

<< <i>i actually think its good. i have a barkely i personally got at at golf course, i also had the chance to talk to him after his round for about 15 minutes. all i got was the C and what looks like the 2 LL's. i watched him sign it and he was in a hurry so i think it looks good as a barkley signed by in in a hurry. i have mine framed somewhere, if i can track it down i will post it. >>



Thanks for some reassurance/confirmation. Barkley is such a tough sign to get on anything "certified", since his playing days were essentially over once this latest autographed craze came around in cards. Most of the older guys have signed on with Topps/UD to do signature cards but for some reason Barkley continues to hold out. There are some very questionable autos that pop up on Ebay from time to time, but this is one of the better ones I have seen in a while on card. Plus it is on a Sixers card, which is a big plus for me.

Chuck has a lot of fans and I would imagine if he ever does an autographed card on a new release, that the price would still be up there.

J

GOODLIEU

I saw that card on EBAY also and I thought it looked pretty good. But I guess it all boils down to what the PSA/DNA people think. Good luck with your Top 50 autograph collection. The other tough auto is McHale as he has never signed a manufacturers card. I have one of his cards signed in my HOF set that I received TTM and of course Pistol Petes auto which is probably the toughest of the deceased players. One last thing Barkley had signed a contract with the now defunct Fleer company to sign exclusive auto cards but they folded up shop before this event took place.

DrJ

<< <i>I saw that card on EBAY also and I thought it looked pretty good. But I guess it all boils down to what the PSA/DNA people think. Good luck with your Top 50 autograph collection. The other tough auto is McHale as he has never signed a manufacturers card. I have one of his cards signed in my HOF set that I received TTM and of course Pistol Petes auto which is probably the toughest of the deceased players. One last thing Barkley had signed a contract with the now defunct Fleer company to sign exclusive auto cards but they folded up shop before this event took place. >>



PSA/DNA said the card was likely authentic on a quick opinion. I am a little torn as to wheter I should send it in and get slabbed or just leave it as is with the rest of my collection of the 50 greatest unslabbed.

Maravich is going to be a tough one to get. I am thinking about buying a cut sig or signed index card and maybe making my own custom card (or paying one of the people on the boards who make beautiful cards of their own). Wilt will be the next toughest, but there are plentiful signatures out there. My strategy is to obtain the high dollar signatures last at one shot after I have gotten everyone else.

McHale is also very tough signer as he does not do TTM requests. I just bought a signed card of his off of Ebay for like 5 bucks whick looks very good to me when compared to some of the authenticated photos and memorbilia he has signed. When I get it in my hands I will make a scan and look for opinions.

So far I have Barkley, Bird (TTM from 1990), Olajuwon (TTM from 1990), Wilkens, Sharman, Jones, Arizin, Gervin and McHale (on the way may be real, may be fake).

J

Allen

I have had several GAI Barkely autos and most were early sigs. I had one signed Chuck Barkley. He changed his signature a lot and I believe he signs different depending on if he is standing, sitting, in a hurry, etc. I think yours looks pretty legit.

MooseDog

Barkley was an OK in person signer in Oakland when they played the Warriors. That one looks close enough to a couple of ones I got back then. McHale was a little tougher but not impossible, there will be some good in-person signed cards out there.

Bird, Magic, and Jordan, as you can expect, have a lot of fakes out there. Be very wary of gold or silver pen, especially if on original "Dream Team"stuff. There was a guy in Southern California cranking out the stuff like nobody's business (not the Marinos). He made a few mistakes though, the signatures are all roughly the same size, and they are all very neatly signed. At California shows 1990-95 the stuff was all over the place, with COAs of course.