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.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo 4 hours ago

It is shown clearly in the scans.. I don't think I can help you anymore. Good luck. It appears you are the only person in this thread who thinks it is clearly authentic.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Wolfson 4 hours ago

So Roger is wrong as well?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo 4 hours ago

It that unprecedented? From a QO?

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Wolfson 4 hours ago

I think you might be overanalyzing it. It’s like when someone points out an object in a cloud and asks if you see it too. The bottom line is that she had different variations, and this is a very minor detail.

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Permalink Reply by JK 4 hours ago

"Different variations" shouldn't be used as an excuse to overlook problematic features. It now seems that instead of the opinions you first asked for, maybe what you really wanted was for people to tell you what you wanted to hear?

Whether other professional authenticators approve of this item or not, this exercise is what should be done especially on this type of autograph (highly desirable, often forged).

If you are happy with it then that's great, but if you need to work hard to convince others then that might be a sign that there could be concerns.