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How do I Identify a Basketball Star's Autograph?

Autograph collecting can be a great hobby. Getting the autograph is the exciting part, whether it is signed in person or bought from a sports card dealer. Usually it is simple to tell if the basketball player's autograph is authentic, but sometimes it can be. Don't be upset if you are not sure that it is real. There are ways to find out if the autograph was actually signed by a basketball player.

Instructions

- 1
  Check the Official NBA Encyclopedia to see the list of basketball players' names. It contains all athletes that have played in the league. Some colleges will have a guide with a list of all the players. You can look online. If you cannot find the web page, you can contact the college's sports department via telephone to get help.
- 2
  Send e-mails or call publishers of sports card magazines. These magazines will have experts at determining whether a basketball star signed the autograph.
- 3
  Use the object that the signature is written on as a hint. For example, if it is part of a ticket, yearbook or game-day program, it will be easier to find whose autograph it is. There are even restaurant owners that will get an autograph on their menus. If this is the case, you can find which restaurant the player visited and contact the owner. Using clues like this, you can create a list of players who played in a particular city and year.
- 4
  Contact museums that honor basketball players such as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts or the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Missouri. Historians at these museums should be able to determine the authenticity of your autograph or to identify the player who signed it.
- 5
  Visit sports card shops and ask the owners to identify the autograph. Getting multiple opinions will help you determine its authenticity.

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