Help with Mays autograph

[rmarks]

Your help is very much appreciated. Screenshot_20230516-130126_eBay.jpg

[robw1959]

Not just no, but heck no! Willie's autograph has always been legible. I wrote to him in the 70's, and the one I got back from Willie looked like it does on some of those Topps cards with the facsimilies on front.

[GrayGhost]

Originally Posted by robw1959

Not just no, but heck no! Willie's autograph has always been legible. I wrote to him in the 70's, and the one I got back from Willie looked like it does on some of those Topps cards with the facsimilies on front.

+1

[rmarks]

Thank you for your responses. I saw Mr. Mays at hotels and also wrote to him in the early and mid 70s. The signatures I received through the mail were all beautifully signed by his wife.

I agree this one does not look like the signatures I obtained in person, but I am also aware that his signature changed significantly over the years and was hoping this might be a very rushed version.

[robw1959]

That's interesting that his wife signed for him. How did you even find this out? She would have to have been a darned good forger to pull off the one I got back from him in the mail. If I can recall, it looked quite a bit like the facsimile on his 1967 regular Topps issue. Even with the fact that his signature did change over the years, this one is just too different from any authentic Mays signature no matter how much it might have changed . . . at least in my opinion. I would go so far as to say Willie would have to have some neurological issues to sign a card like that. I know he just celebrated his 92nd birthday, but I doubt very much that his fine motor skills are shot to that extent.

[rmarks]

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.

[theshleps]

Look at these 2 IP. I am not sure when then 1963 was signed but he started tom loop the W on this one. If you look at the 53 there are similarities to yours. I'd say possibly ok
Mays 1953 Topps #244.JPG

mays 1963 Topps #300.JPG

[rmarks]

Thank you, Michael, for posting the Mays pictures. Your 53 Topps signed card is the one that was in the back of my head giving me a glimmer of hope that the 66 is good. It came as part of a collection from someone who got cards signed at the ballpark in Atlanta. Most of the others looked good to me, but often rushed leading me to believe that most were signed amongst a crowd or during warm-ups while standing up with card in one hand while signing with the other causing a weak foundation to smoothly and completely sign their names.

Is this a pipe dream, or is there still a glimmer of hope?

[gonefishin]

Don't know if this will help, but here is his autograph from the 50's. This was when you could actually read his name.

[rmarks]

Thank you for sharing the 50s signature. Every data point helps!! I think the one I posted was signed in 1966.

[4reals]

This early one was authenticated





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[4reals]

Was wondering if this was legit as well on the back of a ‘58




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[rhettyeakley]

Mays’ wife had a very distinct way of signing Willie’s name and is easily recognizable. I wish Mays signed his name as well as his wife did honestly

Here is an ebay item with the wife version of his autograph. She signed most of his fan mail from the mid to late 1970’s from what I have seen so if you got a Mays through the mail it was probably her version.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225378248403

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Mays has actually been married twice. Both wives signed on his behalf, although his first wife certainly didn't do so as often. The common, loopy secretarial with the (usually) circled dots on the i's is his second wife. She did change up the style more than once over the years; some of the variations still seem to confuse collectors. Admittedly, there is one particular version where she came scarily close to emulating one of Mays' endless styles. We can be thankful that she didn't employ this version for very long.

It's apparent that Mays quickly tired of personally answering the flood of mail requests that came his way. There just isn't much in the way of authentic TTM Mays past a certain point in his career, and it definitely appears that he only responded to the odd request, even early on in the New York days. If you are looking at any vintage Mays autographs and are told that the signature was obtained TTM, anything dating from the very early 1960's onward is extra suspect. Post-career TTM? You can pretty much forget about it being authentic.

I really can't think of a player who signed for so long who has had such a wild signature (de)evolution. So many variations. While Dan Quisenberry had less time to sign in his life than Willie, he's another fellow who was all over the place with his autograph. It was almost like he tried to sign each one a bit differently much of the time. Considering his unique and affable personality, it's fitting that there are many autographs out there signed so many different ways. Another one who fits this category is 1980's player Dave Rucker.

[EddieP]

Originally Posted by rmarks

Your help is very much appreciated. Attachment 571393

This is just me thinking outside the box. That signature looks so illegible that it could very well be an authentic auto.

[4reals]

Peter Sycks currently has this psa authentic example for sale if you want to compare.




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[theshleps]

Originally Posted by 4reals

Was wondering if this was legit as well on the back of a ‘58




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don't like it. Willie did have a time in the early 2000's where he signed TTM for $100 but he did his best to just sign the back or some other undesirable place

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

That's true, Michael. That had completely slipped my mind.

[JollyElm]

Today, I'm playing the role of slanthropologist...

bb2bcf03ae257d0bbdebd0d8e53c9433.jpg



856. Misorienteer
Anyone uploading a picture which shows up rotated sideways, with its top and bottom being positioned wrongly to the left and right.

See also: Slantomime - the act of tilting one’s head to the side in order to ‘correctly’ view the picture in the thread.

See also: Tilting Tommy - anyone engaged in this type of (necessary) activity.

See also: Slanthropologist - a member who helps guide you through the process of correcting this uploaded picture problem.

[4reals]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Today, I'm playing the role of slanthropologist...

Attachment 571664



856. Misorienteer
Anyone uploading a picture which shows up rotated sideways, with its top and bottom being positioned wrongly to the left and right.

See also: Slantomime - the act of tilting one’s head to the side in order to ‘correctly’ view the picture in the thread.

See also: Tilting Tommy - anyone engaged in this type of (necessary) activity.

See also: Slanthropologist - a member who helps guide you through the process of correcting this uploaded picture problem.

You’re funny. I just turn my head sideways.


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[Kaneen]

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[Directly]

1964 Mays auto

[rmarks]

Thank you for the pictures of vintage Mays signatures. The one I posted was signed at the Atlanta ballpark in 1966. It is rushed, which makes it more difficult to assess but it does have distinct characteristics of some from that time period.