Tolkien Signature

The signature looks pretty bad to me and seems rather suspect given that it was evidently taken from a letter. Where is the rest of the letter? "COA ISSUED BY MY COMPANY" seems like a worthless piece of paper. I won't be bidding on it.

It's a questionable signature, the portion of text reveals nothing about style and little of use for comparing the typeface to attested Tolkien typed letters, and we found no instance of his having used "Very truly yours" as a closing in a spot-check of our Tolkien correspondence files.

Wayne and Christina

That fake item sold for $305.

I'd really like to see something done this year about fake signatures and letters on eBay as it appears to be so easy for sellers to knock up an item and find gullible and naive buyers for it.

This seller pretends to have three Tolkien signed letters all to different people for sale, one is a new fake, but the other two fakes have already been discussed, yet eBay does nothing about this (they are just interested in their commission from the sales).

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/cavorite51/m.h ... from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

More letters! I anticipate we will see more during 2010.

When i pointed it out to this seller he replied- 'Thanks for your opinion'

So long as people keep paying crazy prices for them the forgers will keep producing. Of course people still think they are getting a bargain and so will keep buying them.

Too true re ebay - I cant foresee any changes but worthy of an email for sure just out of principle.

By an amazing coincidence to my mind the two worst eBay culprits for fake letters and signatures are both selling the same fake letter.

cavorite51 fake
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Letter-Signed-b ... tible?hash=item2eaa2d3875

classic_art_uk fake
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/A-TOLKIEN-SIGNE ... tible?hash=item439c045ad6

It also looks like Higgins has turned into Mrs Wilding as we now have two very bad fake letters to her as well.

http://www.autographauctions.co.uk/bi ... p?SaleRef=0009&LotRef=450

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Letter-Signed-b ... tible?hash=item2eaa2d36c9

I just noticed this as well, nothing to do with Tolkien (like all these letters really), but probably by the same individual as above.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IAN-FLEMING-SIG ... tible?hash=item439c3c0fcd

The address is not overly helpful in the letter, I don't know how anyone could deliver to that address as it is too vague, but if you look at the bottom of the letter, the phone number is really strange (Telephone Terminus 1234). Terminus is the end of the line, usually a bus garage or railway station not someone's house.

mmmmmm
Having taken another look it appears that classic art had item listed then removed it (suggest sold item to cavorite privately). Then less than a month later cavorite is trying to resell?

Its odd how a number of these fakes come back to classic art ?
As mentioned before almost every one of his books/art work are signed. That in itself is very odd indeed. A seller to be avoided at all costs i feel. I see the fleming letter is already at £600+ !!!!!!!

For all those interested, here is how to report an item on eBay. I imagine if enough of us report these letters, hopefully something will be done.

[ebayblock=reporting-item-issue-seller?id=4][/ebayblock]

The only question that remains is which category do these items fall under. I'm thinking perhaps "Fraudulent listings." What do you guys think?

I had already reported all three of cavorite51 items to eBay.

Selected Counterfeits and copyright violations, Bootlegs and counterfeit media, Counterfeit autographs, though Fraudulent listings is also just as true.

eBay really do not like you doing this though, they give you 50 characters to describe what is wrong with the item, you can't possibly describe what is wrong in that small number of characters.