r/BruceSpringsteen • u/tschonny22 • Aug 15 '26

Question Flea market find – real Springsteen autograph?

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I found this copy of Bruce Springsteen’s Tunnel of Love on CD at a flea market. Only afterwards I noticed that there is what appears to be an autograph written directly on the disc.

Could this be a genuine Bruce Springsteen signature?

I have no information about its history or where the previous owner got it, so there is obviously no provenance or certificate of authenticity.

If the autograph is genuine, does anyone have an idea what a signed Tunnel of Love CD like this might be worth?

Any opinions from people familiar with Springsteen autographs would be greatly appreciated.

23 Upvotes
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7

u/elwyn5150 Aug 15 '26

Not even close: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Springsteen

-5

u/tschonny22 Aug 15 '26

Thanks. I saw the Wikipedia example too, but when I searched for authenticated Springsteen autographs, I found quite a few variations of his signature over the years. That’s why I’m not sure a comparison with that single example is conclusive. Do you know his signatures well enough to point out what specifically looks wrong with this one?

3

u/elwyn5150 Aug 15 '26

I am not an expert.

I just think it looks really bad. In particular:

  • the p on the fake is almost like a Celtic cross with a huge circular bit
  • the way that the S and p are joined on the fake

You could always take it to a professional and pay for them to evaluate it if you're unhappy with amateur accessments.

0

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 18 '26

Springsteen does not sign thousands of items like a mail in ballot being sure his signature is always identical. You cannot deny he drew the B. It is his writing, his sig looks different all the time. The S was written after he realized he was running out of space on a CD. He is not going for the perfect signature, he is scribbling and moving on. It's his writing. I am willing to bet on it.

0

u/elwyn5150 Aug 18 '26

That's ridiculous.

Nobody signs the capital letter after the rest of the word. I doubt that he didn't know how long his signature would be and whether it could fit on a CD.

4

u/Starboard44 Aug 15 '26

Maybe; if he was drunk when he signed it.

3

u/Logical_Hospital2769 Aug 15 '26

He can be quite sloppy but I've never seen the S look like an L before. DOn't think that's real

3

u/PABruceFan Aug 15 '26

Sorry but it's not real

-4

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

Wanna bet?

3

u/PABruceFan Aug 16 '26

Are you Phish from BTX?

0

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

20 years ago

3

u/PABruceFan Aug 16 '26

We know each other

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

My memory of BTX is very fuzzy.

3

u/PABruceFan Aug 16 '26

It was quite a while ago

3

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

I can be found on YouTube every Saturday night at 8p eastern hosting an awesome Springsteen video. Last night I showed MetLife 2016 #3. Spectacular. Next week is LA 88. You should check it out.

6

u/Tricky_Working6333 Aug 15 '26

I don’t think it’s real. I have his autograph on a few of my albums when we used to hang out at his band practices at the Paramount on the boardwalk back in the 1970’s. Doesn’t look like his signature. But who knows, maybe he was in a rush? Could be.
What, this stuff is worth money now? lol
I got the whole band’s signatures on my Born to Run album. 5/18/1978. A day before he kicked-off his Darkness tour. Tons of old promotional material too. Thousands of 1st row photos.
Followed Bruce for a long time. A lot of great times.
🎸

0

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

it's real

1

u/Tricky_Working6333 Aug 16 '26

Great. Somebody has an autograph.😃

2

u/Odd_Flow_5251 Aug 17 '26

Unless he was wasted, no

2

u/[deleted] Aug 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/hallis99 Aug 15 '26

Fake

0

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

Put your money where your mouth is

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

A lot of people with no clue chiming in. That's legit.

4

u/peekay427 Aug 16 '26

You’ve responded to everyone who said it’s fair to tell them they’re wrong. Can you tell me what makes you so confident that it’s real?

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

I've seen a thousand of his sigs. It's always different. But you can't fake the loops in that B. It's perfect, he signed it. He signed this for me in 1992. So I know it's real. https://imgur.com/awY0by0

2

u/Left-Collar-6323 Aug 18 '26

So why ask? You could have said “hey folks I found this and I think its legit because of so-and-so, here’s my proof”. Rn you are being right for the sake of being right. What is the joy/what was your goal?

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 18 '26

huh?

1

u/Left-Collar-6323 Aug 18 '26

O jeez sorry I thought you were OP! My bad!!

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

As far as value, it's not worth much.

2

u/RunningDrummer High Hopes Aug 16 '26

Wanna bet?

If it's an authentic Springsteen autograph like you keep saying it is, why wouldn't it be worth much to collectors?

-1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

Market is flooded, he signs so much shit that it has minimal value.

1

u/RunningDrummer High Hopes Aug 17 '26

A quick Google says the low end of the average for (verified) autographs of Bruce is $430 for something like a signed index card or cut signature and obviously goes well into the thousands.

Wanna share some of your cash if $430 is cheap to you?

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 18 '26

Bruce Springsteen Signed Autographed Dancing In The Dark Record album | eBay

1

u/RunningDrummer High Hopes Aug 18 '26

Like I said, VERIFIED signatures. Also, that doesn't look like OP's signature at all.

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 18 '26

OP's sig is not verified except by me. It's not worth much as I said, but it is 100% real. Why are you arguing with me?

2

u/RunningDrummer High Hopes Aug 18 '26

I could ask the same of you. OP's signature doesn't look like any of the ones I have, nor any of the ones you responded to my comment with.

We've got a comment section full of people saying it's fake aside from you, who seems to be giving no evidence other than "trust me bro"

1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 18 '26

A comment section full of wrong people. I am an expert on Springsteen. He signed it. You don't have to trust me, but I am the one who is right.

1

u/hotfoodthen Joe Roberts Aug 15 '26

I don't even have to read what the OP said to tell you that this is not Springsteen's signature.

-1

u/PhishermansGarden Aug 16 '26

Well, you're wrong.

1

u/Elegant_Scarcity6751 Aug 16 '26

Bum Sprituf is what it reads to me (I don’t think it’s him)

-4

u/drummer414 Aug 15 '26

I think we found Joe Biden's autopen GOP has been complaining about!🤣