Memorabilia site lowers velvet rope, fights fraud

By Sue Zeidler

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Trekkies can boldly go online to get a personalized message from Captain Kirk himself via a Web site that puts a new twist on the global $4 billion memorabilia market often beset by fraud.

Actor William Shatner, beloved by legions as Captain James T. Kirk in the cult "Star Trek" series and a member of the "Boston Legal" cast, joins celebrity wrestlers, rockers, sports stars and an astronaut on www.liveautographs.com, which claims to lower the velvet rope between fans and their heroes.

For Rob Dwek, LiveAutographs chief executive, it's all good.

"Having spent 17 years in the entertainment business, I was aware of just how much distance there is between the fan base and celebrities. We're creating a win-win situation for both," said Dwek, a former television executive.

He noted that, in addition to providing convenience to autograph seekers and luminaries, the site offers better fraud safeguards than other online memorabilia sites.

About $400 million is spent yearly on signed memorabilia via the Web, but much of the merchandise turns out to be counterfeit, Dwek said, citing an investigation conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service. The three-year probe found that more than 50 percent, and perhaps as much as 90 percent, of items comprising the overall $1 billion U.S. memorabilia market in 2000 were fake.

"When you're dealing with an autograph, it's hard to tell if it's real or not. At the end of the day, you're putting your trust in the company. We're removing the middle person so the fan can see the star sign the item," Dwek said.

Customers of LiveAutographs see stars sign their items and can ask them questions. In addition to signing the memorabilia on camera, the celebrity answers in a personalized video, which LiveAutographs sends via download, or a DVD that's mailed with the merchandise.

Dwek said LiveAutographs authenticates items in three ways: by letting customers witness the signing via video, providing matching bar codes on the DVD and merchandise and issuing a PIN on each purchase creating a chain of title for each item.

At Ironclad Authentics LLC, a memorabilia firm owned by former Baltimore Orioles baseball star Cal Ripken Jr., product manager Ryan Foley said vendors are always trying new ways to prove authenticity, which sometimes creates customer confusion.

"Some companies have tried gimmicks like putting a camera on a pen to show proof that a baseball was signed, but it's not exactly proof that the baseball you purchased was the one that was signed," Foley said.

"Holograms with unique tracking numbers is the main way most memorabilia companies are practicing these days," he said, adding that certificates of authenticity from third-party companies are also commonly used.

Having big names attached does not hurt. LiveAutograph's board of directors includes network and sports executives, such as producer Peter Guber, former Walt Disney Co president Rich Frank and Jonathan Kraft, president of the New England Patriots football team.

Dwek said he expects that LiveAutographs will sign between 50 and 70 celebrities in its first year of operation.

In addition to Shatner, wrestlers Hulk Hogan and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, tennis star Serena Williams, actress Carmen Electra, and Raven Symone of Disney's "That's So Raven," rocker Dave Navarro, Slash of Guns 'N' Roses! and astronaut Buzz Aldrin have signed on.