Evel Knievel: How To Avoid The Avalanche Of Fake Autographs

The original daredevil Evel Knievel has died at age 69 according to his grand-daughter Kyrsten Knievel. Evel rarely did memorabilia signings so there were very few authentic autographs on the market, however now you will see a surge of Evel Knievel memorabilia hit the Internet -- especially eBay -- and most of it will be fake.

Evel Knievel did a number of signings with Authentic Signings Inc. A few months ago we were a part of one of his last signings with Authentic Signings Inc. who in part represented Evel for autographs. Evel is one of the most collectible names in sports history as there will never be another quite like him.

Be careful when you are looking for Evel Knievel memorabilia, there will be a rush of buyers on the market for the next week and they will buy up most of what is available (most dealers will hold on to their items). Just look for items from reputable companies with proof of the signing because the forgers will be in full swing this week peddling fake autographs and other Evel Knievel memorabilia.

However, if you find authentic Evel Knievel memorabilia, buy it, with every month that passes it will be harder and harder to get authentic Evel signatures.

Here is what to look for:

1. Make sure you are buying from a reputable company who has a history of selling authentic memorabilia. Remember, anyone can print pictures of Evel signing and put it with a piece and tell you its authentic.

2. Items from reputable, known companies, are worth more money. If you can find something authenticated by Upper Deck, Steiner Sports, Mounted Memories, ALLAuthentic, or other strong memorabilia companies, the item will be worth more later.

3. ANYONE can fake holograms, COAs, pictures, etc. so don't think that proves authenticity. They are all great to have, but if they are fake and come from unknown companies, they don't hold much weight.

4. Does the seller have an unlimited supply of Evel Knievel memorabilia? Most dealers will not want to dump their Evel memorabilia right now so watch out for sellers who are willing to let things go for low prices -- you might think you got a deal but you didn't. Fake autograph dealers will list a constant stream of items on eBay on no reserve auctions because they don't care if they run out -- actually they WON'T run out!

To be safe, buy from a well-known memorabilia company who has a history of selling authentic memorabilia and a history with doing signings with athletes and celebrities. If you ever resell your item someday, an intelligent buyer will first want to know what company the item came from, then they will want to see the authentication, the stronger the company and authenticity, the more you will get for your item.

Here is a list of known authentic Evel Knievel pictures and other memorabilia:

Evel Knievel Memorabilia