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 a pug called eva yesterday

I prefer the fourth option. If the price really is $25 - $35 I can't see the first (sticker only) option can provide much comfort to anyone unless JSA are running a charity. Obviously sellers can use a sticker to persuade less informed buyers that their items are safe to buy.

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin 20 hours ago

That's what forgery dealers say, Eric, so it must be right.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo 23 hours ago

Not everyone. Specialty customers usually do not. need that. For most items most sellers need TPG to get the most out of an item. A superb item sells itself in my experience.

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Permalink Reply by Findbooks 22 hours ago

A superb item sells itself in my experience.

This is so true.

I'd rather buy a thousand lottery tickets than spend the same amount on something I don't actually know to be 100% correct in all aspects.

Buying a third-party authentication even before you make a purchase carries a risk - they are not always correct in their assessments. So your best option is always to familiarize yourself fully with the subject beforehand and satisfy yourself fully about the provenance as far as you can.

When it comes to higher-end autographs, when the provenance is golden and the example is presented clearly for purposes of comparison, as Eric says, it speaks for itself, and you should not need TPA to move it on if that is your intention.

That is not to say these agencies are irrelevant. If you have "invested" in such an item and are looking to keep it for a long period of time, or wish to make it easy for your heirs to realize the maximum gain from it after you've croaked, e.g. then something like an LOA has value.

In terms of using them to help you verify something in advance, however, I would have much more confidence - personally - in the opinions of people on this and similar forums than I would in the other usual suspects. And the info here is free, lol.