Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: Kids at Play - David Gross Artist Auto · #36
Findings
Signature comparison
This card. The signature as cropped from the slab photo (front).
Below, the known examples Crown compared it with. Examples with stronger proof (signed in front of staff, or certified by an independent authenticator) carry the most weight.
Feature by feature
| Feature | This card | Known examples | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall form and proportions | Large open loop for the 'D' at left, compact middle letters ('i' with dot, tall 'l'), then a low wavy terminal stroke. The signature is about 2.5–3x wider than it is tall. | R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 show the same abbreviated 'D-i-l-wave' structure with very similar width-to-height ratio. R1 and R2 match in structure. R8 is larger and looser. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright to slight rightward slant. The baseline rides the pink/yellow border and drifts slightly upward toward the end. | R4 and R6 sit on the same color border with the same near-upright slant and slight rise. R3 and R5 are similar. | Match |
| Letter construction | The 'D' starts with a hooked entry, sweeps into a large clockwise loop, and returns to a low bowl. The 'i' is a short downstroke with a separate dot above. The 'l' is a tall single ascender. The final element is an 'h/n'-like hump. | The same construction appears in R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7, including the separate 'i' dot and the hump before the terminal. R1 and R2 are similar but more compressed. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The 'D' bowl connects low into the 'i'. The 'l' and the hump are joined by a continuous stroke. | R4 and R6 show the same low connection and continuous hump. Minor variation in connection height appears across references. | Natural variation |
| Starting and ending strokes | Entry hook at the top-left of the loop. The ending is a tapered horizontal flick to the right with no blunt stop visible. | All Topps references show the hooked entry and a tapering rightward exit. Exit length varies, with R2 and R5 longer. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Smooth, confident curves with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. The tapered terminal suggests a fast stroke. | References show fluid, fast execution of similar quality. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Fairly even marker-type line with slightly heavier deposit in the loop and the 'l' downstroke. Ink tone shifts from blue over pink to blue-green over yellow, which is consistent with translucent ink over printed colors. | R4, R5 and R6 show similar felt-tip marker weight. R2 and R8 are blue ink with similar loading. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight spacing between the 'i', 'l' and hump. Wide gap created by the 'D' loop. | Same spacing pattern in R3, R4, R6 and R7. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The terminal wave serves as the only flourish. | No underline in any reference. The terminal wave is present throughout. | Match |
| Placement and size | Placed across the pink table skirt and yellow nameplate, above the printed 'DAVE GROSS ARTIST AUTOGRAPH', spanning roughly half the card width. | R6 (same 2024 set) and R4 show the same placement across the color border above the printed autograph line, at similar size. | Match |
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2024 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: Kids at Play artist autograph card, so it is a current-era signature. R3 and R6 come from the same 2024 set. R4, R5 and R7 are 2022 Book Worms, from the same recent era. R1 and R2 are of unclear year but recent GPK-style artist autographs. R8 is a 2018 Wacky Packages sticker on a different surface, and its larger, looser form is plausibly due to era, surface and pen. All Topps references show one stable modern form: an abbreviated looping 'D', a dotted 'i', a tall 'l', and a trailing wave-like terminal.
How Crown authenticates autographs: the signature is compared with known examples gathered from Crown's own authenticated cards, independent authenticators and public listings, measured by software, examined by an AI forensic model, and signed off by Crown Grading staff. The decision above is Crown's.
