Thanks for your response, Rob. I agree with you that the Mays signature on this card isn't close to his known authentic signatures. It was with a group of other signed 1966 cards that appear authentic, so I gave it a glimmer of hope that it was a rushed, ballpark autograph.
I believe his wife started to sign his fan mail in the late 60s through the 80s or so. I stopped actively pursuing autographs in 1975, so I'm not sure when she stopped signing his mail. Her signature looks similar to his, but there are distinct differences. I'm sure if you posted yours, the experts on this board would opine. You might have gotten lucky.
Until I got back into the hobby following a cancer diagnosis, I thought my ttm Mays signatures were authentic. I now believe all of those obtained ttm are secretarial. I was fortunate to have met him at the hotels and got him to sign some of his cards in person. His wife-signature looked close enough to have fooled me for years. I actually like the flow of his wife's signature better that his.
|