Authenticity is Everything
Billie Holiday Autograph
I purchased this 78 vinyl record purportedly signed by Billie Holiday from an RACC trusted seller. I recently submitted the item to JSA for authentication, and unfortunately it did not pass.
I originally submitted it in person at a show here in CA a few weeks ago, and I was disappointed by how carelessly the item was handled during intake. When I received it back, there were fingerprints all over it. I contacted JSA immediately to report the condition, and they did expedite the review process.
Yesterday I received their letter confirming that the autograph did not pass authentication. I’m extremely disappointed and unsure what my next step should be, or if anyone here might be able to offer advice.
Prior to purchasing the item, I did my research and examined the signature characteristics—such as the looping of “Billie” and the shape of the “H” in “Holiday.” However, upon further inspection, the signature appears to have been written in ballpoint pen. Additionally, the Blue Ace label is known to be a bootleg label, and this particular pressing seems to have been released slightly before the time of her passing.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ryan Wolfson
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Billie Holiday was LOA only. Not sure how other items work. Good question.
Is Eva one of the pugs? what’s your name
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo
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Right, it did not pass so no sticker. It was a good question.
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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva
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What do you mean by LOA only? Doesn't every LOA require a sticker with unique register number?
Eva is sadly no longer with us. I assumed her name while she was still brightening up our every day, along with her flatmate Linda. Their successors are Lily, Elsa and Frida. My name is actually Martin.
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Maybe a photo cert with a sticker on it?
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Would that be any good as definitive proof. Photocopies were never any use as legal evidence and photos are probably even less so these days.
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Isn't getting the sticker on the photo LOA an option for those who don't want to mar the item?
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Maybe, but I always thought that JSA would only sticker the actual item. I'm no expert, as the saying goes.
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You know I don't use these services so I was going on memory.
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They would include a photo of your item on the Letter of Authenticity (LOA), while the tamper-proof sticker with its unique serial number is applied on-site at the show for items that pass authentication. The sticker itself serves as the COA; the full LOA is a separate, upgraded service.
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I may be being a bit slow here but do you have to go to another show to get the sticker? I presume they don't authenticate on the same day - in fact, they seem to have a fast track service (for an astronomical additional fee of $250) but even that takes 3 business days. I know that in your case the need for a sticker unfortunately didn't arise.
What exactly is a basic certification? For the price ($25 - $35) it sounds like the equivalent of Roger's non-binding quick opinion.
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Permalink Reply by JK
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Three options with JSA, and many TPAs:
Have a sticker put on the item (no LOA), get a LOA which includes a photo of the signature and have the sticker put on the LOA, or get a LOA but have sticker put on the item.
It was news to me that JSA would do full authentication from photos, but that requires the second option obviously.
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And the fourth - don't submit, save your money, do the research and get a bargain!
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