insurrbution wrote:
Personally, I never have nor never will trust signed items on any marketplace. You just don't know. Safest bet is to have your book signed in person, before your eyes; or a retailer that sells signed copies (ie: Waterstones, Blackwell's etc for the recent Beren and Luthien, The Fall of Gondolin, and The Hobbit Sketchbook.

For living authors and artists, getting the signature in person is of course preferable (and a great experience too!) A trusted retailer that has signed copies in stock is of course acceptable and really the only option for most people that cannot travel to a location where the signings are taking place.

This is, of course, one reason that signed "autograph" (meaning, handwritten rather than typed) letters, and books with inscriptions, from Tolkien are doing well in the secondary markets. There's enough handwriting to judge authenticity, and there's no other way to get a signature at this point...

There will almost certainly be triple-signed copies of Unfinished Tales 40th anniversary illustrated edition up for grabs.)

I do think a few copies will show up with all three signatures at some point due to enterprising collectors, but I personally have no expectation that they will fly Ted from Canada and John from Switzerland to the UK for a signing event in "the year of the plague". I have heard no news at all that the publisher is circulating sheets or bookplates to the artists either, though I suppose that is possible.

Oh of course, I'm sure there's a few reputable sources and sellers, I was speaking on the whole. Kinda wary of a 'Jesus toast' scenario haha

So mustycats has finally listed the 1977 Silmarillion you knew had to have one of these bookplates stuck in. I think the "15 year" remark is probably true; I don't believe he stuck these in recently. You can see, again, that the soaking of the plate & drying isn't great. I think he said as much himself. £550 seems a little over-priced for a mis-matched (i.e. 1977 vs 2007) bookplate+book combo, all things considered.

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Signed. The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien. First Edition 1977.

143630645731

Seller: mustycats

(908)

Ended Jun 17, 2020

This item ended more than 90 days ago

Hello Everyone,

What do you think of this bookplate signed for this UK CoH Deluxe edition?

Does it sounds genuine? (asking because I read here some forgeries could exist for these bookplates.

Thanks

Emilien wrote:

Hello Everyone,

What do you think of this bookplate signed for this UK CoH Deluxe edition?

Does it sounds genuine? (asking because I read here some forgeries could exist for these bookplates.

Thanks

I don't have a problem with the signatures on that bookplate, but it is of course a blurry picture. Seems fine from what I can see. The main issue around these bookplates was that some online pictures of real ones were reprinted (to make more bookplates) and you could tell the fake ones were second generation - there was loss of detail in the helm in particular. The signatures on the fake reproductions were, of course, identical to real ones in shape, but again you could tell they had been reprinted from lower resolution photographs when seen closely in a good photograph or in person.

Provenance will be your best indicator of validity.

Too blurred to tell, really. If it is a fake, it is one of the better ones, judging by the helm (some of them were absolutely horrible). I'd say it is probably genuine.

Thank you Urulókë, Stu.

I think I'm going to pass for this one...
Will focus on super deluxe, even if the wait would not be over tomorrow :D

Emilien wrote:

Thank you Urulókë, Stu.

I think I'm going to pass for thihs one...
Will focus on super deluxe, even if the wait would not be over tomorrow :D

That would be my decision, if I were you. The super deluxe has no authenticity doubts and is a much, much nicer book - perhaps the nicest Tolkien edition ever published to the masses. I've not once regretted my purchase of the SD CoH and it is one of the few books I look at regularly.

Hi Everyone , New to the site , just reading here about fake signed bookplates and my heart sank a little . Was in the market for a SD COH but as they seem to be very thin on the ground i purchased this from the US a couple of weeks ago .I think the dealer is fairly reputable but what do I know .I've traded in rare books for thirty odd years and know how clever these forgers can be. Would appreciate a second opinion.

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JRR Tolkien - The Children Of Hurin - Signed by Christopher Tolkien, Alan Lee.

274367919149

Seller: tolkienbooks

(1001)

Ended Dec 19, 2020

This item ended more than 90 days ago

thanks
Hagar

Not publishing my link for some reason For the record it was a 1st US copy of COH with bookmark and signed bookplate. It cost about £435 with postage and the dealer was called Tolkienbooks .

Trotter edit:

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JRR Tolkien - The Children Of Hurin - Signed by Christopher Tolkien, Alan Lee.

274367919149

Seller: tolkienbooks

(1001)

Ended Dec 19, 2020

This item ended more than 90 days ago