The Biggest Fakes

No surprise that nine of the top ten celebrity autographs most often faked in 2014 according to PSA/DNA Authentication Services (PSAcard.com) were:

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. Neil Armstrong
4. John F Kennedy
5. Michael Jackson
6. Marilyn Monroe
7. Jim Morrison
8. Jimi Hendrix
9. The Rolling Stones

However, No. 10 on the list was a surprise—signatures of the cast of The Walking Dead. Again, and to the utter surprise of many, the fans of the zombie show have cracked another list. Undoubtedly, the show will achieve even more lists including these for 2014:

*Variety, which calls the show a “splatterfest,” reported that The Walking Dead was the second most pirated show worldwide (47.6 illegal downloads), behind Game of Thrones in the No. 1 spot (48.4 illegal downloads).1
*The Washington Post rated it No. 4 in the top ten shows of 2014 behind: 1) The Americans, 2) Fargo and 3) the Game of Thrones. 2
*Diamond Comic Distributors listed The Walking Dead comic book issue #132 as second best seller for 2014 behind Spiderman #1.3

The show has also won a slew (pardon the pun) of award nominations and awards during its five seasons thus far, including two Primetime Emmy Awards for prosthetic make-up. So why not make the fake signature list? PSA/DNA says a cast-signed photo sells for $500 and a cast member-signed photo is worth between $50 and $250, depending on the character.

While on the topic of newbies to the list, the top sports autographs most often faked in 2014 also had a newcomer—Mike Trout, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. He’s so popular, he beat out Derek Jeter for the No. 6 spot.

The top ten most faked signatures of sport figures for 2014 were:

1. Babe Ruth
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio
4. Michael Jordan
5. Muhammad Ali
6. Mike Trout
7. Derek Jeter
8. Tiger Woods
9. LeBron James
10. Wayne Gretzky

PSA/DNA reported that a signed bat used in 2013 by Mike Trout sold for $9,480 in 2014. An authentic signed photo is valued at $75, and a ball signed by Mike Trout goes for $150. He was the American League’s 2013 Rookie of the Year.

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1 Variety, “Top 10 Pirated TV Shows of 2014: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Walking Dead’ Lead List,” Todd Spangler, Jan. 2, 2015.
2 The Washington Post, “The best TV of 2014: ‘Americans,’ ‘Fargo,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Walking Dead’ and more,” by Hank Steuver, Nov. 25, 2014.
3 PasteMagazine.com, “2014’s Best-selling Comic Books and Graphic Novels Revealed,” by Jennifer Champagne, Jan. 9, 2015.