How much is a baseball worth? Maybe a dollar or two, right? Get that same baseball signed by Alex Rodriguez, and you have a collectible item. If that baseball happened to be a homerun ball, you’ve hit the jackpot!
Signatures and autographs in books work much the same way. The rarity of both the book and the signature help determine the value of a book.
Signatures v Inscriptions et Al
Not all signatures are created equal. In fact, signatures (autographs) and inscriptions fall into a few different categories.
- A book described as “signed” has a signature on a page of the book itself. It has no personalization, such as “To Susan.”
- If a book is “inscribed,” it is personalized, addressed to a specific person. If the person isn’t closely associated with the author, the inscription often isn’t considered to add too much to a book’s value.
- An association copy is usually an inscribed book that is addressed to a specific individual connected to the author.
- An autopen signature is often seen with presidential materials. An autopen is a machine used for the automatic signing of a signature. Bottom line: it isn’t really a signature and doesn’t do anything to the value of the book.
Signatures naturally tend to be more common than inscriptions and/or association copies. Contemporary authors often do book signings when they go on tour, thereby increasing the number of signed books available and decreasing the value of signed copies.
Authenticating Signatures
Of course, only an authentic signature has value. Experts certify that a signature or inscription is authentic by comparing the handwriting to other known samples of the author’s writing. The authenticity of signed books and signatures in particular is the number one element of the trust a reputable seller of autographed books is hoping to establish and maintain with their customers.
Can you truly “certify” a signature? Only if you have seen the author sign the book and if you never let the book out of your sight. If you just see the signature, you can’t; nobody can. You can rule out fakes but cannot do the opposite. You can only confirm that it is highly likely for a signature to be authentic by comparing it with existing signatures.
For a number of signatures available for comparison purposes, see our collection of reference autographs and signatures.
July 6th, 2011
Police made a “small number” of arrests in Dublin where former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was due to sign copies of his autobiography Saturday, a spokesman for Ireland’s national police service said.
Despite reports that shoes and eggs were thrown at Blair, police could not confirm whether anything was thrown at him, and video from inside the store showed him unscathed, without any stains on his jacket.
A crowd of people, some of them anti-war protesters, gathered outside the shop to protest Blair’s role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A line of police wearing fluorescent yellow jackets kept them back from the street in front of the Eason bookshop in central Dublin.
Blair: Bush world view had ‘immense simplicity’
Dozens of police were on duty in the street outside the bookshop since early Saturday and sections of the main thoroughfare were cordoned off to traffic.
Blair’s book, “A Journey,” describes his time in office, including his decision to go to war in Iraq. All proceeds from the book are going to the Royal British Legion, Blair has said.
Source: cnn.com
A limited number of signed copies will be available at www.BooksTellYouWhy.com beginning October 2010.
September 4th, 2010
An early copy of Paradise Lost could be paradise found for a John Milton enthusiast as the annual Calgary book sale has unearthed a rare copy of this epic poem. The early edition, from the 1700s, is expected to fetch several hundred dollars when it goes up for sale in a couple of weeks.
Continue Reading May 31st, 2010
A rare first edition of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, with a poignant handwritten note by the author to his young daughter, has been discovered.
Continue Reading April 9th, 2010
A signed copy of a Jane Austen novel published in 1816 has been bought for £325,000.
The book is a first edition copy of Emma which Austen presented to her friend Anne Sharp, the inspiration for Mrs Weston in the novel. Jonkers Rare Books in Oxfordshire paid £180,000 for it at auction in 2008.
It is understood that a British collector bought the book, which is one of 12 special ‘presentation’ copies Austen gave to friends and family. The book has previously been exhibited in Hong Kong, New York and San Francisco. The rest of the presentation copies were donated to relatives.
Christian Jonkers, director of Jonkers Rare Books in Henley-on-Thames, said: “We had several clients around the world who were considering this book, but it is pleasing that the book will remain in this country. “It is unique, considering the whole historical context of the book – the fact that it was given by Austen to her best friend who was a model for one of the principal characters in the novel.”
Source: BBC News
April 1st, 2010
Visit us this weekend in St. Petersburg at the 29th Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
March 12, 5:30-9pm, March 13, 10am -5pm, and March 14, 11am -4pm.
If you cannot be on site, please browse the selection of books at Books Tell You Why – Florida selection.
Presented items include collectible books in the following areas: Antiquarian Golf and Fishing Books, Awarded Children’s Books, Books To Film, Collectible Cookbooks (incl. signed items from Julia Child, Emeril, Thomas Keller, Paula Deen), Caroliniana and a couple of Charles van Sandwyk illustrated books incl. his new title, Canadian Content.
March 11th, 2010
Please visit us at the Los Angeles ABAA Bookfair at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza between Friday, February 12, 2010 at 5:00pm and Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 5:00pm. Books Tell You Why will be in booth 419. We usually get a couple of complimentary tickets, please contact us if interested.
Continue Reading January 29th, 2010
MT. PLEASANT, SC. Unfortunately, fraudulent behaviors and practices don’t stop. This time, a Maya Angelou first edition of Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now.
Found at a Pennsylvania bookseller, Books Tell You Why inspector Christopher Koch identified this forgery: a traced signature. How is this being done? Usually, the forger (1) takes the silhouette of a signature, printed or real, and portraits it onto the target area, either with a projector on top or with a light table from underneath; (2) then, usually with a pencil first, traces the signature; (3) the pencil signature is then traced with the final pen/marker, most always a thicker marker is used to not make the signature appear “jittery”; (4) as a last step, the pencil signature is erased again.
When looking at this particular “signature” under a magnifying glass or a high-resolution scanner (1,200 dpi), a number of identifiers became apparent. Most obvious were the “thick”, non-fluid signature and the underlying impression of the pencil tracing:
The real signature of Maya Angelou looks quite different, it is fluid and elegant:
For a list of authors and signatures to assist in the authentication process of signed books, please refer to the Reference Autographs & Signatures at Books Tell You Why.
January 23rd, 2010
Ready for Valentine’s Day? So, they’re making this movie on “our” beach, Charleston, South Carolina. They must have known that we have all Nicholas Sparks books, signed first editions.
Continue Reading January 16th, 2010
