About Autograph Magazine

For three years collectors from around the world have been asking for educational information about the hobby of collecting autographs. Many have been introduced to the hobby through this website. Others claim they saw a link on other websites.

Many readers have been in this hobby or a short period of time and don’t know who to trust. Hobby veteran Steve Koschal was asked to take on the project of creating the First Internet Autograph Educational Course. Press releases were sent out to all the autograph clubs, internationally and to Autograph collector magazine.

Autograph collector magazine refused to run the press release because the course had to be taken by logging onto www.autographalert.com

In the past, too many friends/advertisers of Autograph collector magazine have been exposed on www.autographalert.com so it appears Autograph collector magazine would rather hide their associates short comings from the collecting public than help educate the autograph community!

The following is just a sample of the letters received from readers of autographalert.com regarding the educational course:

a) "On the beginning collector course on the website…much needed by many." B.G.
b) "Wonderful, just what autograph collectors need, a step by step guide, to avoid the many pitfalls in collecting autographs." B.N.
c) "I spent a good portion of my day reading though the new autograph course on autographalert.com. It was full of excellent information and obviously written by somebody very knowledgeable in the field. Thank you for creating it and allowing people to read it at no charge." L.P
d) "I read your autograph course on-line & found it very interesting and informative. I learned a lot from it. I wish I could speak to you and learn more…" S.L.
e) "I have read your autograph course on autogaphalert.com with great interest. It is a wonderful work.." A.W.

The owner of Autograph collector magazine, Steve Cyrkin, is also owner of Starbrite Autographs. Many feel this is a terrible conflict of interests. Many dealers will no longer advertise in the magazine. One major dealer told us "why should we pay the huge sum of $1,295.00 for a full page ad when Starbrite our competitor can run four pages of ads for the cost of paper and ink." The dealer continued: "it didn’t make sense as we barely got a call a month from that ad so we dropped it. Steve Crykin called and said for the magazine appearance we can continue to run the full page ad for free and we still refused."

In the last slim issue of Autograph collector magazine six pages were used for the magazine owners personal use. Has anyone noticed his inside front cover (in color) ad? If you wanted this space it would cost you $1,695.00. Obviously no one thinks it’s worth it so Steve Cyrkin takes the space for his autograph company. Cyrkin states "Strong Prices Paid." This is what the handful of his other advertisers are up against. Hard to compete with printed statements like this in one of the best locations in the magazine. He continues to advertise his website but take notice the website has been shut down for two months. On June 30 the site claims it is shut down for maintenance. Two months for maintenance?????? A week later the site says it should be open August 6. We have heard some rumors about why this website has been closed down and are trying to confirm what our source has told us. Maybe more on this later.

Can the following just be an oversight or just a poor excuse to thicken up a magazine? The same full page ad is repeated three times in the same magazine. An autograph price guide being sold by Autograph magazine on page 10 , page 69 and a third time on page 91. How about an educational article to replace two of those ads? Can Autograph magazine find one that they think won’t expose their friends or advertisers?

Notice the full page ad for PSA/DNA. Cyrkin has stated he is a co-founder of this company and it is said he is still a major stock holder in the parent company. PSA/DNA is the only third party authenticating company advertising in this magazine. Interesting!

What is Cyrkin’s Beef?

How many issues of Autograph collector magazine has Cyrkin mentioned the lawsuit filed by American Royal Arts against Frank Caiazzo? The latest issue of Autograph magazine (July 09) states that Cyrkin is outspoken using the bully pulpit of Autograph to call dealers and authenticators out by name in his editorials and articles….trying to get the public to see the difference between good and bad, real and fake… How about starting within his own PSA/DNA before going after the competitors? One article Cyrkin wrote was titled "Thank You Frank Caiazzo." Another article states: "…Frank Caiazzo a renowned authority on Beatles autographs who is being sued by American Royal Arts for identifying what he and other experts (no specific experts were mentioned) believe are obvious forgeries."

All this certainly appears to be a one sided Steve Cyrkin story. In fairness to all www.autgraphalert.com would prefer to bring all the news to you, and you decide by hearing both sides of the story.

In response to all of the Cyrkin stories the following is a response from American Royal Arts.

Thank You Frank Caiazzo - We Don’t Think So

Autograph magazine recently "invited" American Royal Arts Corp to respond to Steve Crykin’s publication regarding Frank Caiazzo, which was published in its October 2008 issue. We did, however in a conversation with Jerry Gladstone, president of American Royal Arts, Cyrkin said, "I am not going to publish this. These guys are my friends, and I have to protect them." This was already obvious to American Royal Arts based upon the title of his editorial "Frank Caiazzo, Thank You."

Furthermore, Cyrkin said he needed more time to verify the facts. Perhaps he should have taken the time to verify the information he printed in his publication.

In addition, American Royal Arts believes it is important for the readers to keep in mind that, although Cyrkin leads the public to feel the magazine he publishes is an objective autograph collector’s magazine he owns a company that sells autographs and advertisers in the publication under the name Star-Brite Autographs, an obvious competitor of American Royal Arts, does not, from what American Royal Arts has seen, use forensic science methods to authenticate signatures on items it sells. With this perspective, the reader maybe better able to make a decision as to whether Autograph magazine is truly objective in its support of Frank Caiazzo. At a fundamental level some in the industry see the battle as between forensic experts and non-forensic experts.

"American Royal Arts’ goal from the beginning has been to get the truth out."

American Royal Arts believes many of the statements made in Cyrkin’s publication are untrue, inaccurate and misleading. American Royal Arts believes that a more accurate portrayal of Frank Caiazzo should include the following information for the readers’ understanding and perspective.

-Frank Caiazzo is a self-proclaimed expert who lacks scientific training.
-Frank Caiazzo, at times buy’s, sells and authenticates his own signed Beatles memorabilia.
In many aspects of his business, Frank Caiazzo appears to have a strong conflict of interest.

American Royal Arts would also like to provide the following more specific response to the points in the Cyrkin publication.

As quoted in Autograph magazine, "Even Christie’s and Sotheby’s…go to Frank Caiazzo." In reality,
-When Leila Dunbar, director of the Collectibles Department for Sotheby’s was asked if they use Caiazzo, she responded in writing: "We never had need for authenticating services as the items all had provenance from being directly consigned from the owners…." To clarify, the inquirer asked: "So should I assume you never used Caiazzo authentication services?" Dunbar replied, "Yes."

Simeon Lipman, the head of the Pop Culture Department for Christie’s also denied using Caiazzo’s services.

Furthermore, a July 27, 2008, New York Post article revealed the results of a "sting" operation during which a Beatles album originally authenticated by Frank Caiazzo was sent to individuals in the authentication business. These individuals rejected the album, deeming it a fake.

One of the "experts" who reviewed this album during the sting was Roger Epperson, who has authenticated for RR Auctions, PSA/DNA and JSA Authentication. When Epperson looked at the album Caiazzo had proclaimed to be authentic, he responded in writing that "it is not authentic." When Epperson was told the item had a Frank Caiazzo certificate, his response was, "Frank would never say that is real."

The Revolver album that Epperson said was fake and Caiazzo said was real is published in the July 3, 2007, It’s Only Rock and Roll Auction catalog.

Cyrkin’s publication also states, "in 1994 Caiazzo uncovered what was at the time the largest and longest running Beatles forgery scam ever." American Royal Arts challenged Cyrkin from Autograph magazine to provide the factual support for that statement. American Royal Arts doubts that any such support exists. When asked for court reports or arrest records pertaining to the matter, Cyrkin told Gladstone that it wasn’t really like that. He (Caiazzo) "just knew they were fakes." So, again, in the publication, Cyrkin gives the impression that Caiazzo was a hero who broke up a forgery ring. However, the facts seem to suggest that Caiazzo was simply only circulating the same defamatory stories then that he is now. It is circular and misleading, American Royal Arts believes, to state that Caiazzo "uncovered" any forgery ring under these circumstances.

Cyrkin also states that American Royal Arts "sued Frank to scare him." Nothing can be further from the truth. American Royal Arts has been in the business for 23 years, and this is the first lawsuit it has filed. The real reasons for filing the lawsuit against Caiazzo are detailed on www.FrankCaiazzoLawsuit.com

If anybody is trying to use scare tactics, American Royal Arts is of the opinion that it is Caiazzo and his henchmen. For instance, American Royal Arts has recently served and filed an Amended Complaint against Caiazzo. Since that date, people associated with American Royal Arts have been the victims of increasing and renewed intimidation tactics. As recently as a few weeks ago, forensic examiners associated with American Royal Arts who have only recently been identified in the Amended Complaint have been victimized by harassing and threatening phone calls. The basic message from the anonymous callers was watch your back, alienate yourself from American Royal Arts, or live with the consequences.

In response to Caiazzo’s and Cyrkin’s claims that very few Beatles’ albums were signed by the Beatles, American Royal Arts refers Autograph magazine and anyone else interested, to the letter on the www.frankcaiazolawsuit.com website. This letter documents that authors, such as American journalist Larry Kane (who traveled with the Beatles) and other celebrities, including Eric Clapton, witnessed The Beatles signing items. The attest to the many times that the Beatles signed and even gave away original and autographed material. To those who question this issue, American Royal Arts challenges the readers to visit You Tube to search the following to witness just a few of the examples of how The Beatles were accessible for and did, in fact, sign items.

-Mind Games John Lennon
-Paul McCartney signing autographs in Liverpool
-George Harrison signing autographs
-Ringo Starr autographs (He recently announced that after decades of signing every imaginable item, he will stop signing this year.)

It wasn’t just the Beatles, either. You Tube has videos of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and others signing items for fans at concerts, backstage, in the streets and a variety of other venues. Why is it such a surprise to some that these celebrities often signed items for their fans?

The readers and the industry as a whole should know that two additional, independent, competent and qualified professionals have also examined the Revolver album at issue in the Caiazzo lawsuit. Both have concluded that the item is genuine.

The first, E’Lyn Bryan, is competent and qualified to make this finding:
-Bryan is a Court-Qualified Forensic Document Examiner
-Bryan is a frequent lecturer, instructor and published author on the subject of forensic document examination.
Bryan is president of the South Florida Investigators Association and is a member of the National Association of Document Examiners, the National Questioned Document Examiners Association, the Forensic Expert Witness Association and the Southeast Handwriting Association.

The second, Robert J. Phillips, is also competent and qualified to make this finding:
-Phillips has more than 30 years experience in questioned document examination.
-Phillips has been an expert witness in more than 500 court appearances.
-Phillips has examined more than 250,000 signatures and documents involving fraud, checks, contracts, lawsuits, ink and paper dating, among others.

All of these true experts are willing and prepared to testify in a court of law that the signatures on the item are genuine. In his publication, Cyrkin next refers to "other experts" who he claims state that the merchandise American Royal Arts offers is "fake." One such person is Perry Cox. He is another self-proclaimed expert and, importantly, an associate of Frank Caiazzo. In fact, Cox sent a letter trying to raise money to support Caiazzo’s defense of the lawsuit American Royal Arts filed.

Under false pretense and in slander and defamation of American Royal Arts, Cox wrote: "The LP was a later U.S. issue Revolver L.P."

In reality, the L.P. is an original U.S. release by Capitol Records from 1966. The T2576 in the top right corner confirms that date. Cox plainly lied. After his lie was exposed, Cox sent an e-mail admitting he was wrong. However, he had already caused damages to American Royal Arts by this time.

Yes, collecting rock and roll memorabilia has become a big business. Yet, some continue to rely on self-proclaimed experts and conflicted people, such as Frank Caiazzo, rather than relying on qualified people who use scientifically approved forensic methodology and who do not have conflicts of interest.

American Royal Arts’ goal from the beginning has been to get the truth out. American Royal Arts hopes this statement sheds some light on the issues. American Royal Arts has heard from many others who have suffered similar experiences at the hand of Frank Caiazzo. American Royal Arts is simply the first, but not likely the last, to take a stand on the likes of Frank Caiazzo in a court of law.

There it is, for the first time, the story from both sides. On purpose, one side was kept from you. Now that you have read both sides, this may help you make your own decision!