So what is up with Jim Rice...

[sbfinley]

and his signatures on his 1976 Topps card? I picked this card a while back for my signed Topps All-Star Rookie project:




It would appear at first glance my four year old signed it three and a half years ago. Whatever, it was cheap and it filled a hole. I didn't follow Rice that closely so I figured he must just have a crap signature - he's lazy, can't spell his own name, or he taught a young Jason Pierre-Paul how to ignite bottle rockets. Didn't care. Until I saw more and more cards signed like this:



That's a nice clean signature Jim. I guess my guy just caught you on real bad day, like "The Young and the Restless" got preempted that day bad. No worries I'll pick up another copy.

Except that....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JIM-RICE-SIG...item43e28085c9

You sign...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JIM-RICE-PSA...item541cae1c2f

This card...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JIM-RICE-SIG...item1c48fb2b32

Like you just rented the original VHS copy of the Ring at the last Blockbuster video in America.

There is one decent looking signature raw card on eBay at the moment, but I'm not sure I should:

A. Just screw it and keep the one I have because at the end of the day he's just Jim Rice.

or

B. Buy it at this absolute moment because of it's singular existence.


Okay, I'm done exaggerating. I'm sure there are plenty of nice signed copies of this card out there, but 90%+ have his garbage signature. While a quick glance at all other Rice signed cards shows he signs cleanly and legibly almost 90% of the time. What gives?