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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Lol. Even according to Discogs, there’s no confirmed release date for “Some Other Spring” on Blue Ace. Just because it was featured in Record Changer around 1950 doesn’t mean it wasn’t issued earlier in 1950. According to the seller, the record came from a local radio station.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo
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The date of the first Blue Ace releases is clearly given. May 1950. Believe what you want.
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Why you getting upset? It does’t say first release was May
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"First releases [of Blue Ace] were offered in the May 1950 Record Changer magazine."
Is that not clear?
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IMHO this is information you as the collector should be looking for. It is the fun of the hobby. Research. Otherwise, you are just buying opinions and papers to fill a list. YMMV.
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I remember a "Garland" said to be signed at such and such train station, but she was in another state on that date.
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I did not save every scrap I found re dates - but then I am not buying her autograph.
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There isn’t a well-documented, definitive “first release” for Blue Ace Records. It appears to have been a very small, likely regional or short-lived label, and discographies for it are incomplete. Sources like Discogs list only a handful of Blue Ace issues and don’t establish a clear starting catalog number or confirmed inaugural release.
From what collectors have pieced together, most Blue Ace recordings seem to date to the late 1940s–early 1950s, but the exact first pressing hasn’t been reliably identified. This is pretty common with minor labels of that era—records were sometimes distributed locally (e.g., through radio stations or small shops) without formal documentation.
I forgot, you’re the expert.
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Never claimed to be an expert. Just someone who learns - continuously.
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Permalink Reply by JK
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Just as well, since any "expert" who is not continuously learning isn't really an expert.
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Excuse me? ANYONE who thinks they have it all is just wrong. NO ONE has it all. Always learning. I am not sure what you are saying. Learning is good - try it.
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JK - I thought I was talking to someone else. :-)
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