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AC/DC/Authentic signature

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Expert: - 11/25/2009


Question
Dear Bill, a good friend of mine and i have been ac/dc fans since childhood and as it is coming up to his 40th Birthday i was looking to buy him a signed collectable of some kind as a gift. As you probably know, there is a lot of merchandise out there, but much of it sees questionable in terms of its authenticity. Are there any tips you could give me on how to make sure I buy something which is a real and not a fake. Ideally I am looking for an Angus signature, possibly with other band members. Many thanks, Chris

Answer
Hello Chris,

Thank you for your question.
This is a subject that comes up often, as unfortunately there are many many autograph dealers out there that are making a living selling fraudulent autographs to unsuspecting fans.
Angus Young autographs are definitely more common when it comes to AC/DC signatures, so you're in luck there (where Bon Scott autographs are very rare, so generally the most of those that you will find on sites such as Ebay are fakes most of the time, save for a handful).

The best guidelines I would suggest are as follows:
-Stay away from autograph dealers. If you see the seller is a dealer (by the numerous auctions they are holding with different 'signed' items), stay away.
-Try and find an individual that has had the autographs signed in person themselves.
-once you find an individual, see if they can provide some sort of proof. The best form of proof is a photo of the artist actually signing the item you are interested in. That is your best bet. A person that met the band and had an item signed by them, and took photos at the time of the meeting, this is the safest chance to get an authentic signature.
-Lastly, researching doesn't hurt. Check around the internet for other authentic autographs (you can look at lithographs to see what their signatures 'should' look like to get an idea) and then compare those to the items in question to see if they are 'authentic looking'.
Good luck!

Best Regards,
Bill

AC/DC

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Bill V.

Expertise

I am an AC/DC history, discography and collectibles expert, and can answer any question about the band, it's members past and present, as well as questions related to bands that members were in previous to being in AC/DC. I am well versed in the bands history, album and single releases (vinyl, CD), and worldwide discography and collectibles/memorabilia, past and present AC/DC news, album sales, tour dates and tour history, and anything else about the band. I am also an AC/DC (Especially Bon Scott) autograph expert.

Experience

I have been a fan and collector of AC/DC for 30+ years and have written published articles about the band for Goldmine magazine, as well as several publications. I have interviewed past members of the band, and attended the bands Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction as a press guest. I possess one of the world's largest AC/DC collections, and plan to have my own publication about the band in the future. I was hired in 2008 by a marketing firm to help promote and market AC/DC's "BLACK ICE" release and the AC/DC "Rock Band" game in New York City. I also have participated in several other marketing and promotional campaigns for AC/DC. Most recently, I have contributed to a new book by Phil Sutcliffe "AC/DC: The Ultimate Illustrated History" as well as penning an AC/DC Collectibles article for Record Collector magazine (UK).

Organizations
I run the AC/DC fan & collector's site "Highway to Hell" and am the webmaster and designer. I am the official Sony/Columbia records AC/DC forum moderator for their record companies website, and content manager for acdc.com

Publications
GOLDMINE (Krause Publications)(USA) Daily Dirt (Germany) Record Collector (UK) Contributed to "AC/DC: The Ultimate Illustrated History", by Phil Sutcliffe (Voyageur Press, Oct. 15, 2010, Hardcover, 224 pages, 300+ illustrations)

Education/Credentials
AC/DC Expert

Past/Present Clients
I have interviewed: Mark Evans (AC/DC Bassist 1975-77), Simon Wright (AC/DC Drummer 1983-1989), Dave Evans (AC/DC singer 1974), Noel Taylor (AC/DC Drummer 1974), Neil Smith (AC/DC Bassist 1974), Larry Van Kreidt (AC/DC bassist 1973-4), John Bissett (Fraternity (w/Bon Scott) keyboardist), Vincent Lovegrove (Valentines (w/Bon Scott) singer & former AC/DC manager), Bob Defrin (AC/DC Logo designer & album cover designer for Atlantic records), Mike Fraser (AC/DC Mixing engineer), Joshua Levy (AC/DC Black Ice album cover designer) and many others

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