Comments on: Buyer Beware

By: barry hale

barry hale — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 23:22:57 +0000

hi there – I found this article fascinating – I have been a burroughs collector for many years and I too once bought a “signed limited edition” of the ticket that exploded, supposedly signed by gysin, sommerville and burroughs – my copy is number 21

comparing it to other burroughs and gysin signatures i have I was immediately of the opinion they were fake.

It’s a shame the seller defaced it in this way because the book itself is an extremely nice copy.

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 18:39:29 +0000

I was reading this piece today but all the screenshots/PDF links are dead.

By: luzius

luzius — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 18:18:09 +0000

a few years ago (must have been around 2007) i bought two numbered & signed burroughs books on ebay. at that time the seller was located in italy, selling mostly signed books (henry miller, truman capote & burroughs).
the copies were:
tornado alley (first softcover) signed by wsb & numbered 32.
the algebra of need (first hardcover) numbered 27 of 100, signed by wsb & eric mottram.
the burroughs signatures look exactly the same, although, as everybody knows, the books were published in 1971 & 1989 respectively.
both burroughs signatures were written with the same black felt pen. where the forgery becomes more evident: it’s
some kind of a “stop & go“ signature, one can see clearly how the person who forged them had to stop like in search of direction, then went on & stopped again at every other letter, leaving black points throughout the signature like needle marks.
when another seller (or maybe the same), this time located in the UK, offered more of these copies (the ones you discuss in your great article), i contacted ebay about them, trying to prevent avid collectors from being cheated, i didn’t get no reaction. the hell, i thought & felt pity for my fellow collector who bought them…

By: Andrew Sclanders

Andrew Sclanders — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:44:24 +0000

Hi,
Yes, I remember this copy of the Nova Express, and I’m certain that the Ian Sommerville ‘signature’ is not a genuine one.
Andrew

By: Bruce Bailey

Bruce Bailey — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:57:03 +0000

Hi there Jed,

I am well thanks.

I have located my Nova Express in its box, and have discovered it is in fact number 41., I was thinking of another numbered Burroughs. The strange thing about my Nova Express is that, while the Burroughs signature is identical to the one in the photo you posted, the supposed Sommerville signature is very different; different enough to look like somebody else.
My copy came from Andrew Sclanders who apparently told my colleague he wasn’t sure if it was real or not. I’m assuming he, of all people, would know. The book itself is still a NF first edition, now unfortunately sullied by what must fake signatures.

By: jed

jed — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:12:13 +0000

Bruce,

Hope you are well. Please keep us updated on what you find out. It is a very interesting story and begs the question what other forgeries are out there.

By: Bruce Bailey

Bruce Bailey — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:01:59 +0000

A few years ago I bought a copy of Nova Express, signed by Burroughs and Sommerville, and, get this, numbered ’22.’. There is no written disclaimer stating the signatures fake. Was this disclaimer written in pen or pencil? Will have to check the book more closely later. If it is the same one, I’ve been done, though in a bizarrely coincidental way. If it is another one, just how many are there?

Will update as I find things out.

Bruce

By: BIGCRUX

BIGCRUX — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:29:35 +0000

Now I find myself wanting one of the fakes, with the hand-lettered disclaimer…

By: Dan Lauffer

Dan Lauffer — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:42:32 +0000

Re: the signed Yage Letters. A limited signed edition is not listed in Dowden’s bibliography of Ginsberg either. Since it was published by City Light, it would certainly have been listed if legitmate. For reference a Ginsberg signature on the book from 1964 will be sent. This is remeniscent of a Gorey item- Gorey Posters. Signed copies were availble at Gotham Book Mart. Someone bought 20 copies and numbered them from I to XX, making an unofficial and illegitamate limited edition.

By: David

David — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:56:46 +0000

Thank you, Jed – fascinating stuff. Interesting that the Burroughs signature you note as looking the same in four separate inscriptions appears very similar to the one lightly indented on the front board of Place of Dead Roads (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, NY, 1984.) Nuff said?