By Trotter
Shirrif (Moderator)

Allan Formhals Fakes and Forgeries

26 Oct, 2012 (edited)
2012-10-26 5:10:05 AM UTC

After being found guilty of Fraud and Forgery, I have put together a list of some of the threads from this forum which deal with Allan's Tolkien Shenanigans, there are a lot more.

It is also nice to be reminded of the sage words from collector on his Allan Formhal's item.

"Trotter, I dont know about ebay, I never was there. But it is very dificult to fake a book or a letter from 1968, I never bought a letter/book looking a simple picture, I need to study them.

I have a "sleeping book" (sic Laura) from Tolkien, 1ed. Blue ink. and it is very real, all you need is to do a study from a handwriting expert survey.

Thanks to everybody, this a very interesting chat."

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... mode=0&start=15#threadtop

Tolkien Signatures on eBay???

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... ost_id=5519#forumpost5519

Dr Higgins Again

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... hp?topic_id=1330&forum=18

At it again - again ['Antique Sketch']

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... hp?topic_id=1308&forum=18

3 Tolkien Letters to Higgins

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... hp?topic_id=1113&forum=18

Letter on eBay, no provenance

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... hp?topic_id=1064&forum=18

Tolkien Research 2009

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... ost_id=5678#forumpost5678

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Trotter

29 Oct, 2012
2012-10-29 5:06:19 AM UTC

"Formhals was remanded on bail and will be sentenced on December 21."

eBay item winston-churchill-and-oscar-wild

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Trotter

2 Dec, 2012 (edited)
2012-12-2 8:36:04 AM UTC

This ebay auction item can be traced back to Allan Formhals signature and not J.R.R. Tolkien.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271112719520? ... _trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

""The Hobbit" movie is being released soon, and there has been a lot of interest in this book, so I decided to put it up on Ebay.
This item is being sold AS-IS as Tolkien's SIGNATURE is extremely rare, and there are forgeries out there. I don't have the provenance on this SIGNATURE so I will let the higgest bidder determine if the signature is legit.

If you compare this SIGNED signature by Tolkien, it looks identical to genuine signatures on the net selling for $10,000 and up. I have scanned a HIGH resolution of the siganture seen in the pictures.

This book appears to be Signed by J.R.R. Tolkien on color plate from a drawing by him of The Hill, Hobbiton, inserted before the half-title. It is from another copy, being slightly taller and a bit narrow than the text block. The jacket states Fourteenth Impression. Any early dustjackets by Tolkien are collectable.

This ORIGINAL Jacket with some wear to the spine ends, corners and edges, with slight insect damage to top and bottom of the flaps. The cloth is slightly bubbled on front cover, faint faded horizontal streak to cloth, ink name to front endpaper.A nice copy

There is NO Reserve on this auction, as I will let the market determine the price.

A wonderful gift copy for any Tolkien fan.

Buy this book now, and receive it in plently of time for Christmas."

It sold for $1,026.01

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Red

2 Dec, 2012
2012-12-2 7:42:41 PM UTC

It is frightening to think that, as time go past these forgeries will become more difficult to identify. How is this piece traceable to the convicted forger?

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Trotter

3 Dec, 2012
2012-12-3 5:11:56 AM UTC

This item has been listed before on ebay, and was listed and I believe sold by a Canadian ebay seller, cavorite51, who offered a lot of Allan's items for sale.

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Trotter

7 Dec, 2012 (edited)
2012-12-7 7:27:11 PM UTC

The last buyer appears to have not paid for the fake signature and it has been re-listed again.

Please can you report the listing as breaching ebays authenticity guidelines, this horrible fake item is not allowed to be sold through ebay?

[ebayblock=authenticity-disclaimer-policy?i][/ebayblock]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/J-R-R-Tolkien ... bit-SIGNED-/271117740726?