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 W
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I initially asked: how many signed Blue Ace copies have you actually seen? Why has only 1 ever surfaced?
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo
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It was established earlier that there appear to be no signed 78's. I still think that true.
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If someone had the knowledge and intent to replicate a Billie signature at that level—studying exemplars, selecting the “correct” pen, even artificially aging it—you’d expect multiple outputs, not a one-off on a relatively niche format like a Ace 78. That level of effort for a single piece with limited upside doesn’t make much sense.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin
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Pug,
What do you think of the Holiday in this one?
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Here's a broader image, but no larger:
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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva
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My instant reaction is that the surname is certainly OK, even if it looks a bit odd. Most importantly, my self-proclaimed four "rules" are met as far as I can see. There could be the tiniest of loops on the "a" but you do see them now and again.
The fact that the surname is cramped but still follows the "rules" calls the OP further into question.
By the way, it also illustrates Eric's "o", "da" rule very well, with the "o" not slanting the same way as the "da". In this case the "o" is actually slanting the other way.
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Pug,
That one sold for $550 in 2016.
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Seems cheap but I guess it isn't exactly pretty and has rather low contrast. I presume that was an auction result rather than a dealer's price.
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Getting back to Steve's question about the "Billie" part of the OP, I have compared it to about 20 of the RR sold lots and I have to say it is actually even worse than the "Holiday" part.
The main issues I see at first glance are:
1. The shape and size of the "B". It is far wider and more angular than practically all other examples and the top loop is far bigger than it normally is. The downstroke is also too far to the right compared to the vast majority of other examples.
2. The second "l" is too high in relation to the first one compared to the majority of other cases.
3. The two "i" -s have loops that they don't normally have.
4. The top half of the "e" is far too long and loopy. Normally the bottom half of the "e" is much longer than the top half.
If anyone disagrees please feel free to post examples that come close to the OP "Billie" in all these respects.
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Thanks Steve.
This originally sold in 2022. Note the listing description…
Billie Holiday "Ace Records" I'm in a Low Down Groove / Some Other Spring 78 rpm. Autographed by Billie Holiday for someone with KHON, Hawaii. I obtained a number of records formerly owned by KHON and this one was found among them.
Probably VG/G+, but what is important about this record is that is it signed by the singer on record. On Aug-03-22 at 18:36:21 PDT, seller added the following information:
Ace Records = Blue Ace Records.
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Where does this information come from and what does it prove? What price did it make?
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