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  400861633057: Sergei Korolev signed photo

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Author Topic:   400861633057: Sergei Korolev signed photo
lordolsen
Member

Posts: 112
From: Denmark
Registered: Jun 2010

posted 02-11-2015 05:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lordolsen   Click Here to Email lordolsen     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Can anybody confirm this autograph to be original or a fake at eBay?

I am not familiar with Korolev's autograph. Thanks.

ColinBurgess
Member

Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-11-2015 05:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ColinBurgess   Click Here to Email ColinBurgess     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This signature would have a higher level of credibility if the seller said that the dog had signed it. Don't waste your money; these and other cosmonaut-related fakes are being mass-produced by forgers.

lordolsen
Member

Posts: 112
From: Denmark
Registered: Jun 2010

posted 02-11-2015 05:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lordolsen   Click Here to Email lordolsen     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Colin for your reply! It looked to god to be true and most of the time it is!

Steve Zarelli
Member

Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 02-11-2015 09:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Steve Zarelli   Click Here to Email Steve Zarelli     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The lousy quality of the photo alone is a huge red flag. It appears to be a 15th generation photo. I would assume that on the rare occasion Korolev may signed a photo, it would have been first generation.

This signature style is consistent with a prolific forger who specializes in cosmonauts. For 20 years he has had an endless supply of Gagarins, Korolevs, fantasy multi-signed, etc.

Bob M
Member

Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 02-11-2015 01:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob M   Click Here to Email Bob M     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The "prolific forger" that Steve refers to is possibly the most successful and longest active forgery distributor in the space hobby. He is involved in selling all sorts of Soviet/Russian collectibles, with most appearing standard and genuine, but it is with his mostly Soviet cosmonaut signatures that he is the most notorious.

He was possibly the first to offer ultra rare (or some say non-existent) Soyuz 11 crew signed material (photos, covers, post cards) and since then has been involved in the distribution of, shall we say, questionable signatures of all the early and rare cosmonauts (Gagarin, Komarov, Belyayev, and, of course, Dobrovolsky and Patsayev, plus Korolev, etc.). Becoming more ambitious, he later began distributing multi-signed material and very authentic-appearing signed letters.

His prices are generally so low that the honest dealers, needing to charge a reasonable price, have trouble selling their authentic early cosmonaut material.

Steve Zarelli
Member

Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 02-12-2015 09:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Steve Zarelli   Click Here to Email Steve Zarelli     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Bob M:
... he later began distributing multi-signed material and very authentic-appearing signed letters.

I recently reviewed a book signed by 44 cosmonauts including Dobrovolsky and Patsayev. In my opinion, every signature of the 44 was fake, and it originated from this same source discussed in this topic.

What is lacking in skill and deception is sometimes offset by audacity and ambition!

Steve Smith
Member

Posts: 503
From: Wichita, Kansas, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 02-12-2015 08:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Steve Smith   Click Here to Email Steve Smith     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Can the forger be identified so others won't fall for this? If it is who I think it is (and I'm pretty sure it is), I get emails from him about once a month.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-12-2015 08:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
You're thinking of the right person, but whether the forger and the seller are the same people is not known. The seller seems to have bonafides within the Russian space program and though it isn't always as described, some of the hardware he offers is authentic.

At best, he's very indiscriminate about what he accepts into his catalog and (re)sells — or he is churning out the fake material himself. Either way, it is probably best to avoid, unless you absolutely know what it is you're buying.

lordolsen
Member

Posts: 112
From: Denmark
Registered: Jun 2010

posted 02-13-2015 04:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lordolsen   Click Here to Email lordolsen     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for all your help!

If you all know who he is please tell us. I am relative new in this and if no one tells who these persons are so I and others will fall for their forgeries. As long as someone (like me) pays for fake autographs it keeps the forger alive... So please tell us new guys who are we talking about?

gliderpilotuk
Member

Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 02-13-2015 04:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
You're thinking of the right person, but whether the forger and the seller are the same people is not known. The seller seems to have bonafides within the Russian space program and though it isn't always as described, some of the hardware he offers is authentic.
That's a fair assessment. Some time ago I bought a piece from him and had serious doubts about it when it arrived. He provided a full refund.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-13-2015 07:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by lordolsen:
As long as someone (like me) pays for fake autographs it keeps the forger alive...
So stop buying fake autographs.

It really shouldn't matter who the seller is, if you are not able to determine for yourself that the signature is authentic, then you may want to rethink purchasing it.

All of us started off as new collectors at some point. There is no college degree to become a so-called expert in astronaut autographs. So long as you have the patience to hold off buying and ask questions — as you have here — you'll do just fine, whether you know who the seller is or not.

(If you still want to know who is being described in this thread, you can see this topic from last year.)

Steve Smith
Member

Posts: 503
From: Wichita, Kansas, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 02-13-2015 01:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Steve Smith   Click Here to Email Steve Smith     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As many of the referenced posts state, Maxim Martynov has credibility being son of Alexander Martynov.

I met Alexander and long time cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov at Kansas Cosmosphere Feb. 16, 2002. They presented a show on "Mir to Mars."

They both signed many items for the attendees including several for me including my long lost multiple autographed 1960 Post Slide Rule (anyone seen it?).

They sold for a moderate price and autographed several Russian space related First Day Covers and stamps, many related to 40th anniversary of Gagarin flight.
Alexander was billed at the time as being head of foreign relations for City of Koralev, with a long career with Russian Mission Control as head of ballistics department. He was credited with 120 articles and books and he designed the entry modules and controls for soft landing on Earth, Mars, Venus, and other planets.
Impressive guy. For a long time I thought he and Maxim were the same person.

lordolsen
Member

Posts: 112
From: Denmark
Registered: Jun 2010

posted 02-14-2015 02:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lordolsen   Click Here to Email lordolsen     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
So stop buying fake autographs.
That's why I ask here.

I always try to use the sellers known from this forum.

Bob M
Member

Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 02-14-2015 08:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob M   Click Here to Email Bob M     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There is no doubt that Alexander Martynov had a distinguished career in the Soviet space program and some have used his distinguished career to defend his son of any fault in selling what is widely accepted as bogus cosmonaut signature material.

We have to look no farther than the disgraceful past of a son of a very famous NASA Astronaut, Wally Schirra III, to see that sometimes "like father, like son" isn't always true. There is another astronaut/son example, but that was more unethical than dishonest and that name won't be given.

If anyone would like the opinions of at least two cosmonaut autograph authorities/experts on the controversial cosmonaut signature material that has been sold by Alexander's son for many years, their emails can be provided.

All times are CT (US)

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