[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Prison seems unlikely if he was selling Ali signed plaques for $19.99.

Most jurisdictions have forgery laws, but they only apply to things like real estate deeds and bank checks. So if you forge grandma's signature on a quit claim deed, or steal her checkbook...things like that. Those laws are hard to apply to sports memorabilia.

Mickey Mantle, for example, is a widely known sports figure, so how is his signature any different from artwork? A signature of Mantle is basically an artistic doodle. No different than an Andy Warhol soup can. Selling reproductions of art isn't illegal. Mantle's signature on a glossy 8 x 10 is completely different than grandma's signature on a legal document. The former is a piece of art, while the latter is a negotiable instrument.

Is a reproduction only evident by the sales price? Is that "authentic" Babe Ruth signed ball you bought for $200 at the local antiques show, with and a nod and a wink from the store owner, a reproduction? Or were you a victim of a crime? Is it only a crime when you pay the full price of an authentic Ruth signature?

well put