Signed copies that aren't

HareBrain

HareBrain

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I just collected a paperback of The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time #2) from the library. On the title page is Robert Jordan's signature. Wow, I thought, this must be one of those things where they send the author a few hundred to sign. Then I thought, Hang on, this copy is new, and Jordan died years ago.

On further examination, his signature was printed, not penned.

What fresh hell is this? What's the point? Clearly they're not really trying to pass it off as a proper signed copy, because the book is clearly new and Jordan is clearly dead. But then, what? Are they going to start printing Elon Musk's signature on every Tesla?

I'm curious as to whether anyone else has seen any further examples of this.
 
HareBrain said:
I just collected a paperback of The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time #2) from the library. On the title page is Robert Jordan's signature. Wow, I thought, this must be one of those things where they send the author a few hundred to sign. Then I thought, Hang on, this copy is new, and Jordan died years ago.

On further examination, his signature was printed, not penned.

What fresh hell is this? What's the point? Clearly they're not really trying to pass it off as a proper signed copy, because the book is clearly new and Jordan is clearly dead. But then, what? Are they going to start printing Elon Musk's signature on every Tesla?

I'm curious as to whether anyone else has seen any further examples of this.
Click to expand...
Yes it does happen on some books - publishers up to their tricks
 
HareBrain said:
Are they going to start printing Elon Musk's signature on every Tesla?
Click to expand...
My car (not a Tesla) is sort of "signed" -- I'll get a picture of what this means at some point (if I remember and can be bothered) -- and the two people whose signatures (real or otherwise) are combined both died a long time ago, one in 1938 and one in 1930.
 
I know someone who trades first editions she gets at garage sales and she wrote to Stephen King to ask if he would sign a book if she mailed it to him. And a few days ago she got a package --he sent her a free copy of one of his newer books and autographed it (with her name so it wasn't printed in the book).
 
Art prints has the same issue a few years ago where they'll digitally reproduce an artists signature on the print claiming that it was a signed copy. The artists ended up taking them to court.
 
Rodders said:
Art prints has the same issue a few years ago where they'll digitally reproduce an artists signature on the print claiming that it was a signed copy. The artists ended up taking them to court.
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There was a scandal a few decades ago with signed prints by Salvador Dali. It turned out that he had spent several weeks signing many thousands of sheets of blank paper which were printed upon at a later date, including after he had died. Not really in the spirit of the thing.
 
Signature copies are accepted in the music industry all the time. I have a Chris Robertson signature guitar (I didn’t buy it because of him….I didn’t even know who he was). It has no signature. It has his name printed in the headstock so much the same as you’re finding in books.

With the way things are going, authenticity is just becoming an occupational hazard for printers and manufacturers. Just think of the printed signature as a paper NFT;)
 
Ursa major said:
My car (not a Tesla) is sort of "signed"
Click to expand...

I was going to say that I hadn't seen this in the brochure, but looking back at it (I've still got the Brochure as a pdf), I see that it's there.

Anyway, as (not really) promised, here's the signature, this one being located just ahead of the driver's door (about half-way between the wing mirror and the front wheel arch), the other being located just ahead of the front passenger's door...:


1638138508909.png
 
Ursa major said:
I was going to say that I hadn't seen this in the brochure, but looking back at it (I've still got the Brochure as a pdf), I see that it's there.

Anyway, as (not really) promised, here's the signature, this one being located just ahead of the driver's door (about half-way between the wing mirror and the front wheel arch), the other being located just ahead of the front passenger's door...:


Click to expand...
Very confused - I was half expecting to see a "Nikolai Tesla" there! Some rooting around finds that Laurin & Klement were a Czech car manufacturer. Their name is now used by Skoda for upmarket models. What's the story?
 
You really should choose some better role models for yourself, Kerry. ;):)


*dons a knife-proof vest and hopes for the best*
 
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