Alfafa & Spanky autographs on eBay

[Hard-boiled Harry]

Listed for sale is an Our Gang photo matted in a frame with two, what appear to be, autograph book pages signed by Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer and Spanky MacFarland. Personally I have my doubts. The Alfalfa 'signature' is dated 10th April 1935 when Carl was just 7 and a half years old. At that date he had only appeared in one Our Gang short, Beginners Luck, and although the hand writing could easily be his I'd have my doubts about the date being correct. The signed Portrait photo (which you only get a photocopy of) does look genuine and appears to be the photograph used in Sprucin' Up. The one that Spanky described as being of a 'funny looking monkey.' I guess you pays your money and you take your choice. I'd pay it for the portrait photo but for two matted pieces of paper? no. For anyone who might be interested here's the item URL...

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390618697671&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

Here's the photo that is genuine but you dunn get it, just a copy. It's one of my favorite photos of Alfie so it saves me posting it in the 'Favorite Rascal's photo' thread

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[ymymeatemup]

You're thinking release dates. He had made three OG films by that time and had acquired the "Alfalfa" nickname. And since both signatures are to "Aunt Fay," it probably wasn't signed for a fan. Not that the signatures are necessarily authentic - I'd always be wary of buying anything like that.

[Hard-boiled Harry]

Hi, yeah you're probably right about the filming dates as opposed to the release dates. I've noticed that his earlier signatures are generally signed 'alfalfa' Switzer. Those signed Carl 'alfalfa' Switzer or just alfie seem to be later. His handwriting on the autograph book page seems to be from a more mature hand than the signature on the portrait photo. I can easily imagine a kid who has just started off in show business giving his aunty a signed photo but can I imagine him signing her autograph book? Nope, nor can I even imagine an aunty asking her nephew to sign one. Here's a photo that Alfie signed for Joe Cobb, a year later than the date on the page from the autograph book, the letters are less even in size, more like you'd expect for an 8 or 9 year old and he doesn't use Carl as part of his signature. My own personal feeling is that the portrait photo is a genuine 1935 signature while the autograph book page might be genuine but if it is it was signed at a later date than it purports. Why was it signed with the wrong date? I've no idea. For me there are simply too many doubts and inconsistencies to even consider purchasing it.

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[mtw12055]

I wonder if the photo in the autograph book was added in later on.

[Hard-boiled Harry]

Jun 30, 2013 15:51:58 GMT -5 mtw12055 said:

I wonder if the photo in the autograph book was added in later on.

It's just a photo matted into a frame with two pages from an autograph book, as far as I can gather. This could have been done recently. The photo is a still from Hearts Are Thumps.