Fake autographs have always been an issue, with opportunists trying to fool the public.
But what signatures are more faked than others? We asked Jimmy Spence II and Jimmy Spence III of JSA to give us their list of the 10 fakes they see most often with baseball players. Soon, we'll run their same list for football legends.
Let's get to their list from the diamond:
1. Mickey Mantle
Mantle's signature is not that easy to forge, but it's so in demand counterfeiters have gotten good at it.
In 2009, Mantle's son David said the forgers had gotten so good that even he couldn't tell what was real from what was fake. With autographs on cards now en vogue, faking a legend like Mantle on a card can lead to an absurd return.
2. Willie Mays
The amount of fakes that came out when Mays died in June showed just how many are out there. Real Mays signatures have the "s" that looks like an "r." The more fake ones have the "s" that look like a "p."
Complicating things with Mays is that copies of his "Say Hey" authentic hologram got out and were affixed to fakes.
3. Shohei Ohtani
The popularity of the modern-day Babe Ruth has skyrocketed and so, too, have fake Shohei autographs. Of the top 10, Ohtani's English signature is among the easiest to fake.
His Kanji signature is harder, but there's a growing fake autograph ring in Japan that has that one down, too.
4. Babe Ruth
It's remarkable how much Babe Ruth signed, so there really are a ton of real McCoys. But given that a great Ruth signed baseball on the sweet spot can sell for $20,000+, there's more incentive to fake a Ruth than any other.
5. Derek Jeter
It's no surprise Yankees dominate this list, and while Jeter's loops aren't exactly a scribble, the pros are getting better and ripping it off.
T6. Joe DiMaggio & Ted Williams
Mantle, DiMaggio and Williams are referred to as "The Big Three." For so long, every great baseball autograph collector needed to have them all.
When the FBI made its bust of "Operation Bullpen" 25 years ago, there was a bevy of fake items signed by all three — none actually were real.
8. Ken Griffey Jr.
Junior has a signature as sweet as his swing, and until recently, he wasn't really available on a mass level. With a lack of supply and a lot of demand, unscrupulous types filled the gap with fakes.
9. Hank Aaron
Out of all the greats listed, "Hammerin' Hank" has the easiest one to fake, and forgers have taken advantage of that.
10. Mike Trout
Of the modern stars, Trout is the man who is most ripped off. Trout has been on this list for at least the last five years. A relatively easy "M-scribble, T-scribble" doesn't help.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectible market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.