Pop Culture: 'Walking Dead' Cast Autographs Among 'Most Dangerous'

Cast members of “The Walking Dead” are among the current and yesteryear celebrities whose autographs offered in the marketplace were frequently forged in 2014, according to the latest “Most Dangerous Autographs” list compiled by PSA/DNA Authentication Services.

By JIMMIE TRAMEL

The next victim of “The Walking Dead” could be you, if you happen to be an autograph chaser. Disclaimer: You don’t have to worry about this if you go to something like Wizard World Tulsa and witness a cast member of the show autographing an item for you. Seeing is believing. Four actors from the popular zombie series appeared at the pop culture convention and signed autographs for a price.

But PSA/DNA, the world’s largest third-party autograph and memorabilia authentification service, indicated Tuesday there’s probably less than a 50/50 chance that celebrity and sports autographs floating around in the marketplace are genuine. Are you buying the real deal? Or are you buying a forgery?

PSA/DNA issued a list of the “most dangerous autographs of 2014,” and newcomers to the list include “The Walking Dead” cast and baseball player Mike Trout. Translate “most dangerous” to mean “high forgery risk.”

The top 10 “buyer beware” celebrity autograph list:

The Beatles
Elvis Presley
Neil Armstrong
John F. Kennedy
Michael Jackson
Marilyn Monroe
Jim Morrison
Jimi Hendrix
The Rolling Stones
“The Walking Dead” cast

The top 10 sports figure list:

Babe Ruth
Lou Gehrig
Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio
Michael Jordan
Muhammad Ali
Mike Trout
Derek Jeter
Tiger Woods
LeBron James
Wayne Gretzky

A press release said PSA/DNA experts evaluated more than 400,000 autographs in 2014.

“Unfortunately, just as in past years, a large portion of them were forgeries,” said principal authenticator Steve Grad, who is one of the featured experts on the “Pawn Stars” TV series. “In fact, it’s not uncommon for us to reject 50 percent or more of the signatures submitted to our company, especially when it comes to the more prominent names."

PSA/DNA suggests buying autographs from reputable sellers who use expert third-party authentication.

“With the proper precautions and education, collectors can participate in a safe hobby environment and avoid becoming prey for unscrupulous sellers,” PSA/DNA president Joe Orlando said.

The public can see and compare hundreds of sports, historical and entertainment autographs free online at www.PSAautographFacts.com, including examples of how a person’s signature may change over the years.

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