Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chad B on November 4, 2018 at 4:42pm

I think this is an authentic item to bid on. 

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on November 4, 2018 at 5:31pm

Hi Christo,

The photo looks like it may be real but it's suspicious because the photo is such poor quality. That's often a sign of problems. I would not consider it without large sharp photos.

Since you're new to autographs I wouldn't buy at an auction that doesn't have a meaningful guarantee of authenticity. Most auctions don't. If it turns out fake, you're stuck with it. You also should always find out what shipping and handling is, what other costs could be associated with it, and how soon after you pay they guarantee to ship by. Especially Julien's auctions. I don't trust them in the least.

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Permalink Reply by Christo on November 4, 2018 at 11:41pm

Thank you Steve for your kind and informative reply! I also thought it was real since Reg Jones was selling notes and letters for some time now, but the quality of the photo made me suspicious. Trying to do my research online, beyond the poor quality of the photo, I faced another problem. I realised that on different autographs, notes and letters of Britney Spears they signature varies significantly. Not being an expert I am not sure how much a signature of a person can change (for example the "B" from "Britney" is often different on the autographs online). I understand that graphology is a proper discipline but how does one research these things if not a professional? What do you take as a reference and what do you look for? Is there anybody here who could help me with that? 

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Permalink Reply by Christo on November 4, 2018 at 11:23pm

Hello Tim, 

Thank you for your answer. I went both on LiveAuctioneers and on the website but I cant find the larger photo you mention. Can you please communicate the link? 

Thank you very much

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Permalink Reply by Chad B on November 4, 2018 at 8:22pm

I have mixed feelings on Juliens as well and Steve’s comments are in point. I’ve wanted to buy items before and the shipping, buyer premium cost more than the item. 

Learn all you can prior to bidding. 

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Permalink Reply by marc e on November 4, 2018 at 9:05pm

I hate juliens but its probably real just do your own research

this person has been selling all there stuff from before was famous for the last year or 2.

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Permalink Reply by Christo on November 4, 2018 at 11:29pm

Right! This is what I thought as well since Reg Jones was selling things since a while. I did try to do my research online. I am definitely not an expert and the photo is of such a poor quality that I cant get much out of it. I see all sorts of letters and notes and the writing varies. How should one proceed?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on November 5, 2018 at 12:31am

1. Get high quality images. Tim G. said they're on LiveAuctioneers, but I didn't check. You could go to Julien's website, too. Probably the best place in this case.
2. Ask them who authenticated it and did they see it in person. I don't believe Julien's has an in-house authenticator but they may have it checked out.
3. Get, in writing (email is OK):
   1. all the costs you would pay on top of the hammer price for commission;
   2. any credit card or other payment fees;
   3. cost of shipping and handling;
   4. cost, if any, to pick up the lot yourself or have someone pick it up for you;
   5. any other costs that there may be;
   6. what kind of guarantee or warranty comes with it, if any, and how it's exercised.

If you want, I'll ask a collector who is a Britney Spears fanatic. He may have exemplars and know the history of her handwritten letters. Only downside is that if he doesn't know about it and thinks it's real, you may have more competition.

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Permalink Reply by Christo on November 5, 2018 at 1:35am

Thank you very much Tim. I did check both liveauctionneers and Juliens website and they have the same low quality picture. 

I will try to contact them to get a better picture and clarify all your points, but the premium as well as the shipment conditions are stated on the liveactionners website. 

Thank you again! 

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Permalink Reply by marc e on November 5, 2018 at 8:09am

first off there basically a 30 percent buyers premium and possible 10 percent tax that u will have  to pay,

ask them so you might be paying 40% on top of the price it sells for plus shipping .shipping in the united states with probably be 50$ u might get away with 25$  if your overseas u have duty and taxes to pay also

also buy it for a price your comfortable with as your most likely going to own it for a long time Britney is worth alo.i know people nwho bought stuff on spec hoping she would od  and now are stuck with stuff worth pennies on the dollar

also shes young and has another 50 years to sign stuff and theres tons of her stuff out there

also except for a small part of a certain comminty she isn't taken seriously as a musical artist. she doest sing live ,shes a manufactured artist a puppet so she lacks the credibility of say a gaga or christana who have talent and can actualy sing.

so make sure your comfortably with the price u pay and stick to that limit theres plenty of Britney stuff out there

unless the hard rock wants it you can littlery pick what ever u want

I think I know another auction in the end of the month with more of this stuff just have seen the whole inventory yet

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