Another signed copy?

Seems a bit overpriced to me. I wouldn't mind owning the book, but the starting price seems kind of high considering it is only a paperback.

And especially since it does not look to be genuine at all. This is probably the 4th time I see this book come up for sale, every time with the same explanation.

Spot on Beren,
This signature looks exactly how it would appear if someone was trying to copy a signature.
It doesn't have a natural flow to it like an original does.

Dior

Did Tolkien actually sign any US titles that folk know of? I'm guessing there must be a few out there; but are they not pretty uncommon amongst signed Tolkien books? (Beren?)

BH

Of course there were at some times Americans coming over to the UK and some even followed courses given by Tolkien. And some did acquire an autograph by Tolkien, but there are only a few.

I have seen about 3 American signed books, who are for sure genuine and have a very good provenance. All others I have seen so far, must be about 30 or so are all fakes. Like this one...

(Beren) ...and what about paperbacks in regard to Tolkien signatures? Did Tolkien sign many?

BH

Never seen any US paperback with a autograph that was genuine. Actually, they all have 'one thing' in common. They tend to copy the autograph that is on the back. Funny thing since that signature is a much earlier signature and when Tolkien 'would' have signed the book, it would be a much different autograph he would use.

By the time for example this paperback was published, his autograph was no longer looking like the one printed on the back of it. So any real signed paperback would have Tolkien's 'flowing autograph' and not this one.

You beat me to it, garm - I saw that early this morning, and was going to mention it here!

- wellinghall

By the way, Tolkien used to refuse to sign most paperbacks. There is for example the story of Denys Gueroult, BBC radio producer. Whilst working for the Sound Archive Department in the 1960's he mangaged with great difficulty to organise an interview with Tolkien in his North Oxford home. The interview lasted about half an hour and in Gueroult's words "not very much occurred", but Tolkien agreed to sign Gueroult's copy of The Hobbit and his copy of The Return of the King. Gueroult's colleague, the journalist and writer Derek Parker, was also present but Tolkien refused to sign his paperback copy of The Lord of the Rings as there were 600 mistakes in that edition and not good enough.