61 replies to this topic

[flinty]

sorry i have no photos as i worked it and you wasn't allowed to carry items (like cameras,bags etc)around with you the only reason i know that warwicks wife was doing this is that i was an actor escort and she came up and asked if i could get him to sign it when he was free which i did then found her to return it she was doing this to all the actors its good to see an actor doing something like this for charity everybody wins she was also surprised to see i was a brit all the autos i can see on your image look really good and you know people like warwick and his wife are geniune you got a really nice piece there as these posters were all very high quality by all artists i have a few myself that i managed to pick up so much merchandise though its impossible to get everything still roll on c4
pretty sure it was joe corroney who drew this one

Edited by flinty, 04 June 2006 - 10:27 PM.

[swsigsuk]

MAD, on Jun 4 2006, 04:19 PM, said:

hulk7, on May 30 2006, 10:15 AM, said:

Bounty Hunter, on Apr 13 2006, 06:35 PM, said:

I see you obtain quite a few items from eBay and dealers.  Remember the FBI report?  95% of the eBay items are fake.  
You need to take a whole lot more care in doing research and finding out about the history of the pieces you aquire.  It's a shame to see a fan waste so much money on items that aren't even worth the paper they are signed on.

Like I said, mate, don't mean to burst your bubble, but I think - as an avid collector and crusader against fake autographs myself (the very reason why I started the Bounty Hunter in the first place) - it was my obligation to point out your fakes to you.

Feel free to ask reputable dealers in the UACC for reference.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.  I'm sure this comes as a blow.


  

You are a crusader against fake autographs? You purchased a bunch of autographs from "bigsuperstar" on eBay who is well known for selling fakes (and nothing else than fakes):

http://feedback.ebay...1&iid=-1&de=off

You sold them to other collectors, didn't you?

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news Mark, but looking at your profile, you bought a big amount from very bad autographdealers on eBay yourself. I count at least 100 you bought over the past years that are from dealers with a bad reputation and well known fakers.  

I'm somewhat of a hater of fakers myself and I have an eBay blacklist. So it surprised me that a crusader like yourself has bought so many. I hope you know this by now (and learned it the hard way yourself and that's the reason you now try to help others as well). I truely hope you indeed didn't resell them, but just tore them up... If you like I can e-mail you the dealers who's autographs you can throw in the trash without me even looking at them...  

Agreed, some dodgy sellers there!  Sadly I fear some of these items later were resold as part of the past "Sith Signings" to unsuspecting collectors, rather than thrown in the trash where they belong...

[nlindenj]

cheers for that flinty, more proof of the authenticity of the peice (just in case i sell it, doubt it though) i have kept the email from mr davis (warwicks daughter headmaster) who sold me the poster
getting carrie's and peter's signature at LFCC can't make it to empire day (cheshunt is a pain in the bum to get to from the north east)

[GoldenGreen]

Well here we go, most of these autos obtained in person, unless otherwise stated:

Mark Hamill (2 10x8's one from ROTJ and one ANH, and also an autographed card)
Carrie Fisher (A signed 10x8 from each of the films, ANH, ESB and ROTJ)
Christopher Lee (A signed 10x8 as Darth Sidious)
Alec Guiness ( A double signed shot of the battle between Vader and Obi Wan from ANH, obtained from a reputable UACC dealer some years ago, also signed by Dave Prowse)
Ewan McGregor (Alas not on Star Wars Pic, but on a promotional 10x8, as well as in a book)
Hayden Christensen (Obtained from a UACC dealer)
Ray Park ( Three shots as Darth Maul, one with Vader and also signed by Prowse)
Jake Lloyd ( Co-signed shot as Anakin, also signed by Kenny Baker from PM)
Frank Oz (Obtained from a UACC dealer)
Dave Prowse (Shot as Vader also signed by James Earl Jones)
Star Wars Annual (1978) - signed by Peter Mayhew, Garrick Hagon, Kenny Baker and Dave Prowse
Billy Dee Williams (2 10x8's from ESB, one also co-signed by Dave Prowse and Jeremy Bulloch)
Natalie Portman (Sadly no auto, but I got some good pictures of her at the recent V for Vendetta Prem !)
Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels (10x8 signed jointly by the pair as R2D2 and C3P0)
Wookies Poster (Signed by Mike Kingma)
Garrick Hagon 10x8 as Biggs
Richard Le Parmentier 10x8 as Admiral Motti
Paul Blake 10x8 as Greedo
10x8 of Gary Kurtz - Producer
Jeremy Bulloch 10x8 as Boba Fett
Katie Purvis 10 x 8 as a Maternal Ewok
Kenneth Colley 10x8 as Admiral Piett, co-signed by Dave Prowse
Michael Sheard 10 x8 as Admiral Ozzell
Michael Carter 10 x 8 as Bib Fortuna
Warwick Davis 10 x 8 as Wicket
Allan Harris 10 x8 as Bossk
Tim Rose 10 x 8 as Admiral Ackbar
Caroline Blakiston 10 x 8 as Mon Mothma
Femi Taylor 10x8 as Oola
Mike Edmonds 10x8 as Logray
Brian Blessed 10 x 8 as Boss Nass
Andrew Secombe 10 x 8 as Watto
Jerome Blake 10 x 8's as Rune Haako and Mas Amedda
Michonne Bourriage 10 x 8 as Aurra Sing
Alan Roscoe 10x8's as Daultay Dofine and Plo Koon
Temura Morrison 10x8 as Jango Fett , plus counter signed phot of the Fetts, with Jeremy Bulloch and Daniel Logan
Wayne Pygram 10 x 8 as Governor Tarkin
Rena Owen 10 x 8 as Taun We
Amy Allen 10 x 8 as Aayle Secura
Matt Wood 10 x 8 as Grievous

Edited by GoldenGreen, 06 June 2006 - 12:15 PM.

[Dannyboy]

Impressive collection! GG,

I was wondering if people will go to ED17 and get all of the guests autos or just a particular few, just curious.

As for reputable sellers on Ebay, I prefer to actually obtain an auto from an actor in person. I would only buy on ebay if I was satisfied it  came from a particular show or a private collector. So called 'dealers' is just a big no no for me, no matter how reputable they look.

[theThinWhiteDuke]

swsigsuk, on Jun 5 2006, 02:40 AM, said:

MAD, on Jun 4 2006, 04:19 PM, said:

hulk7, on May 30 2006, 10:15 AM, said:

Bounty Hunter, on Apr 13 2006, 06:35 PM, said:

I see you obtain quite a few items from eBay and dealers.  Remember the FBI report?  95% of the eBay items are fake.  
You need to take a whole lot more care in doing research and finding out about the history of the pieces you aquire.  It's a shame to see a fan waste so much money on items that aren't even worth the paper they are signed on.

Like I said, mate, don't mean to burst your bubble, but I think - as an avid collector and crusader against fake autographs myself (the very reason why I started the Bounty Hunter in the first place) - it was my obligation to point out your fakes to you.

Feel free to ask reputable dealers in the UACC for reference.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.  I'm sure this comes as a blow.


  

You are a crusader against fake autographs? You purchased a bunch of autographs from "bigsuperstar" on eBay who is well known for selling fakes (and nothing else than fakes):

http://feedback.ebay...1&iid=-1&de=off

You sold them to other collectors, didn't you?

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news Mark, but looking at your profile, you bought a big amount from very bad autographdealers on eBay yourself. I count at least 100 you bought over the past years that are from dealers with a bad reputation and well known fakers.  

I'm somewhat of a hater of fakers myself and I have an eBay blacklist. So it surprised me that a crusader like yourself has bought so many. I hope you know this by now (and learned it the hard way yourself and that's the reason you now try to help others as well). I truely hope you indeed didn't resell them, but just tore them up... If you like I can e-mail you the dealers who's autographs you can throw in the trash without me even looking at them...  

Agreed, some dodgy sellers there!  Sadly I fear some of these items later were resold as part of the past "Sith Signings" to unsuspecting collectors, rather than thrown in the trash where they belong...

Mark, is this true? Did you sell these in your Sith Signings?

I have never bought any in your Sith Signings, but I do know a lot of collectors have got some stuff from it. (Heck, they sometimes sold out in a heartbeat like the last one with McDiarmid)

I'd love to hear you comment on all this as this doesn't do your reputation good.....

[GoldenGreen]

Dannyboy, on Jun 5 2006, 12:54 PM, said:

Impressive collection! GG,

I was wondering if people will go to ED17 and get all of the guests autos or just a particular few, just curious.

As for reputable sellers on Ebay, I prefer to actually obtain an auto from an actor in person. I would only buy on ebay if I was satisfied it  came from a particular show or a private collector. So called 'dealers' is just a big no no for me, no matter how reputable they look.

Thanks.

There was a time when I would, but financially , as big a fan of Star Wars as I am , I cannot afford to get autos of the people who played the smaller roles anymore.

I quite agree in terms of prefering to get autos in person, definetly my preferred option, and would stay clear of general ebay auctions completely. For the few autographs I have purchased on line, I always get these from a recognised UACC dealer. For me, meeting the celeb is half the fun, so it is only those that I think I may not meet, I have purchased.

[Bounty Hunter]

[quote name='theThinWhiteDuke' post='982176' date='Jun 5 2006, 10:00 PM']
[quote name='swsigsuk' post='981856' date='Jun 5 2006, 02:40 AM']
[quote name='MAD' post='981629' date='Jun 4 2006, 04:19 PM']
[quote name='hulk7' post='979919' date='May 30 2006, 10:15 AM']
[quote name='Bounty Hunter' post='957266' date='Apr 13 2006, 06:35 PM']
I see you obtain quite a few items from eBay and dealers.  Remember the FBI report?  95% of the eBay items are fake.  
You need to take a whole lot more care in doing research and finding out about the history of the pieces you aquire.  It's a shame to see a fan waste so much money on items that aren't even worth the paper they are signed on.

Like I said, mate, don't mean to burst your bubble, but I think - as an avid collector and crusader against fake autographs myself (the very reason why I started the Bounty Hunter in the first place) - it was my obligation to point out your fakes to you.

Feel free to ask reputable dealers in the UACC for reference.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.  I'm sure this comes as a blow.



You are a crusader against fake autographs? You purchased a bunch of autographs from "bigsuperstar" on eBay who is well known for selling fakes (and nothing else than fakes):


You sold them to other collectors, didn't you?
[/quote]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news Mark, but looking at your profile, you bought a big amount from very bad autographdealers on eBay yourself. I count at least 100 you bought over the past years that are from dealers with a bad reputation and well known fakers.  

I'm somewhat of a hater of fakers myself and I have an eBay blacklist. So it surprised me that a crusader like yourself has bought so many. I hope you know this by now (and learned it the hard way yourself and that's the reason you now try to help others as well). I truely hope you indeed didn't resell them, but just tore them up... If you like I can e-mail you the dealers who's autographs you can throw in the trash without me even looking at them...  
[/quote]


Agreed, some dodgy sellers there!  Sadly I fear some of these items later were resold as part of the past "Sith Signings" to unsuspecting collectors, rather than thrown in the trash where they belong...
[/quote]

Mark, is this true? Did you sell these in your Sith Signings?

I have never bought any in your Sith Signings, but I do know a lot of collectors have got some stuff from it. (Heck, they sometimes sold out in a heartbeat like the last one with McDiarmid)

I'd love to hear you comment on all this as this doesn't do your reputation good.....
[/quote]

Hi all,

Allow me to comment on these items and set the record straight.

I have indeed purchased items from eBay in the past and got burned sometimes.  Even I have made mistakes.  

BUT! I have ALWAYS had my collection double checked by a friend and UACC dealer in the UK (who attends most of these Showmaster events as well) before they were offered at the infamous Sith Signings and am confident that NO FAKES were sold to the collectors.  Whenever an item was under discussion, it was removed from the stack en returned to the eBay seller.  One such item that I remember was a double signed Daniel Radcliffe/Emma Watson photo.  It was removed, returned and refunded, but NOT sold to collectors.

If you check out my profile (as some of you did), you'll find it has been a while since I last purchased on eBay.  Since the Radcliffe/Watson incident, I have decided no longer to purchase from eBay, even though some of the sellers which you claim sell only fakes do sell the authentic item now and then. It's those that I picked out, together with my UACC-friend.  

I have a very strong reputation and wouldn't want it damaged by accidentaly selling off a forgery.  

As for the Ian McDiarmid items, those were not from eBay but obtained in person at the Sadler's Wells Theater on 30th November 2005 (at the Edward Scissorhands premiere).  I invite you to check out www.markdermul.be where I showcase some of these.

As for my reputation being damaged, each and everyone of you must make his own conclusion, of course.  I can only say that this is the feedback I have received from people who've bought from me in the past:


And of course, there is the money back guarantee.

I appreciate your comments and invite you to check out my pages and let me know your thoughts on the items I have listed.  I always value a second opinion.
Thanks!

[jamie1138]

well,i don't know about any of this nonsense...
but,i absolutely adore,cherish and love my star wars trading cards i bought from mark/bounty hunter.
and didn't he send some poor sap a signed photo to replace the one he'd bought from a dodgy dealer.
not the work of a ne'r-do-well,in my opinion!
i think bounty hunters reputation is safe,for now.

[jedicouncil]

jamie1138, on Jun 6 2006, 09:05 PM, said:

well,i don't know about any of this nonsense...
but,i absolutely adore,cherish and love my star wars trading cards i bought from mark/bounty hunter.
and didn't he send some poor sap a signed photo to replace the one he'd bought from a dodgy dealer.
not the work of a ne'r-do-well,in my opinion!
i think bounty hunters reputation is safe,for now.

Jamie - Im the poor sap you mention - not a very nice way of wording it but I get your point.

In addition to the photo Mark kindly sent me free of charge as a replacement for a fake I had purchased from ebay, I have also purchased a couple from him and whilst I am not the greatest expert on autograph authenticity, throughout my dealings with Mark, I have never had any reason to doubt his honesty and intergrity.  To me he seems very genuine and as a fan himself I dont believe he would delibrately do anything to harm this great hobby

[Dannyboy]

Just to change the subject slightly but still on the same theme, am I the only one that photographs the celeb with marker in hand during the act of signing? I always do this as I never know when I may have to prove that my item is genuine but I rarely see anyone else doing this.

[Bounty Hunter]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.  Much appreciated.
And as for Dannyboy, I try to cover all my signings with photos or even video.  I publish a monthly newsletter, aptly named 'Bounty Hunter Capture Log', that can be downloaded completely free from my website.  It contains the reports and photos from the signings I do.  
So, yes, whenever possible, I try to get a photo of the actors whilst signing.

[flinty]

at the end of the day its all a matter of trust you can provide photos,certificates,be uacc registered which can all be some form of safeguard but at the end of the day i will only buy from 2 dealers in the uk(and yes they are the big 2 although i do buy from a couple abroad as well)as there are so many forgers out there it comes down to who you think are geniune you can get a feel as to who is trustworthy i think we have all been caught with fakes at one time or another but experience is the best form of learning TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

[flinty]

i have seen mr dermul and team at numerous events with armfulls of stuff to be signed i think it is wrong for people to imply he sells fakes/forgeries just because he has bought a few items from ebay that are deemed to be forgeries doesn't mean that this is the nature of his business i'm sure everybody has made mistakes

[Mastersoftheshow]

Hiya all,

just my two eurocents I wanted to add.

I've known Mark for quite some time and have worked with him on many occasions (I organise a show myself).

Mark personnally knows an impressive amount of Star Wars actors & actresses (not to mention the people who were part of the crew). I know for a fact that his reputation helps him secure certain guests (i.e. if Mark says a show is good, the actors will go there, purely based on his saying). I for myself witnessed that from an agent who is reputed not to be the easiest around (no names will be given and, no, it wasn't JCB).

I know he's very busy and that the bountyhunter thing takes up way too much of his time. I also know it is done for fanpurposes (and maybe just to get a little ego-boost    ), as he himself is definitely one of the biggest SW-fans I've ever met.

So, I really think you shouldn't be worried : the autographs Mark sells are the real deal.

Best,

Mastersoftheshow

[greedo_uk]

Probably a dumb question but what are the Sith Signings ?

Im new to this game but am collecting a few sigs on my Don post X Wing helmet from those who played pilots - it is a slow task !!

[Dannyboy]

I admit ive been tempted by a few items on ebay but when someone says that a certain seller 'sells only fakes and nothing else', I would visit their auctions and they look so genuine I wouldnt be able to tell if they are snide or not, also, why doesnt ebay close these guys down? Im assuming no-one actually reports the dishonest sellers so they keep on trading

I have come to the conclusion that a multisigned poster or a prop is a much more worthy showpiece than a file full of 8x10s bought on ebay. Getting the 8x10 IN PERSON makes it a much better talking point when showing them off to friends... saying 'Ebay' just sounds bad.

[Bounty Hunter]

Greedo, drop me a line at bounty.hunter@skynet.be and I'll explain what a Sith Signing is.  You can also simply visit my site.

Thanks all for the kind words.  It's nice to see some people appreciate the effort we put into the Bounty Hunter.  Also, Mr Flinty, please do not call me 'Mr Dermul' in future.  It makes me feel old!  'Mark' is more than enough.  Or Bounty Hunter.

Thanks, guys.

[swsigsuk]

I don't think anyone is questioning the authenticity of the items Mark provides which come from listed shows, where the source of the autograph is made very clear to the customer.  I too have seen these items being signed at shows, and there is no question about the service being provided or the authenticity of the resultant merchandise.

However, there is an issue with items purchased on ebay, from known or suspected forgers, being sold in the "Sith Signings" as "From the collection of Mark Dermul".  This is misleading to the purchaser in a number of ways.  You are essentially buying cheap items and using the trust in your name built up through your convention based signings to pass off these questionable autographs at a profit.  Saying they are from your collection implies some personal knowledge of their history, when in fact all you know is the name of the seller you bought them from, often a name that is on many people's ebay blacklists.  

As for using a UACC member to authenticate items, this is questionable practice at best.  Saying an autograph looks authentic is one thing, but when you add to that the fact it was sold off at a very low price, by a seller who is known to sell large numbers of fakes, and has a stock of autographs that is seemingly beyond belief, that authenticity soom falls into question again.  There are some very good forgers out there, it is basic practice and common sense not to risk buying anything from people who regularly deal in forgeries.

If you are to continue this practice (which I hope you are not) it needs to be much more open, so the collector can make the same educated decision you made when you purchased the item.  You need to say where it came from, not just say its from your collection, stick your own coa with it, take the money and run.  When I sell an item I originally bought on ebay, I always include the original COA from the original seller, and write a full history of the piece on my own COA.  That way the collector knows where it came from when they buy it, just as I did.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.  I would like to stress that this only applies to a small minority of items sold through Mark's site.  I believe most of the stuff he has sold is genuine, including 100% of the items from conventions, and I regularly purchase these items myself.  The problems relate only to some items sold through the Sith Signings, from big name stars as I recall.

Remember people, ask questions, do your homework, and if it looks too good to be true it probably is....

Graham

[MSPG Autographs]

swsigsuk, on Jun 8 2006, 04:44 AM, said:

I don't think anyone is questioning the authenticity of the items Mark provides which come from listed shows, where the source of the autograph is made very clear to the customer.  I too have seen these items being signed at shows, and there is no question about the service being provided or the authenticity of the resultant merchandise.

However, there is an issue with items purchased on ebay, from known or suspected forgers, being sold in the "Sith Signings" as "From the collection of Mark Dermul".  This is misleading to the purchaser in a number of ways.  You are essentially buying cheap items and using the trust in your name built up through your convention based signings to pass off these questionable autographs at a profit.  Saying they are from your collection implies some personal knowledge of their history, when in fact all you know is the name of the seller you bought them from, often a name that is on many people's ebay blacklists.  

As for using a UACC member to authenticate items, this is questionable practice at best.  Saying an autograph looks authentic is one thing, but when you add to that the fact it was sold off at a very low price, by a seller who is known to sell large numbers of fakes, and has a stock of autographs that is seemingly beyond belief, that authenticity soom falls into question again.  There are some very good forgers out there, it is basic practice and common sense not to risk buying anything from people who regularly deal in forgeries.

If you are to continue this practice (which I hope you are not) it needs to be much more open, so the collector can make the same educated decision you made when you purchased the item.  You need to say where it came from, not just say its from your collection, stick your own coa with it, take the money and run.  When I sell an item I originally bought on ebay, I always include the original COA from the original seller, and write a full history of the piece on my own COA.  That way the collector knows where it came from when they buy it, just as I did.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.  I would like to stress that this only applies to a small minority of items sold through Mark's site.  I believe most of the stuff he has sold is genuine, including 100% of the items from conventions, and I regularly purchase these items myself.  The problems relate only to some items sold through the Sith Signings, from big name stars as I recall.

Remember people, ask questions, do your homework, and if it looks too good to be true it probably is....

Graham

Graham
could you email me please or give me a ring on 0208 529 9353
Mick