Signed Books: Add to Your Collection or Find the Unique Gift!

The authenticity of signed books and signatures in particular is the number one element of the trust a reputable seller of autographed books is hoping to establish and maintain with their customer.

We are proud to offer the tabled author signatures, obtained in controlled environments*, to assist in the authentication process of signed books:

* In this Reference Autographs and Signatures section only those signatures are displayed that were obtained in controlled environments from authors and illustrators in our focus areas, only this way we can come as close as possible to a reference signature you might consult for authentication or comparison.

Autographs obtained in controlled environments, i.e., in person or directly from the author's agents or publishers or from agents of Books Tell You Why at non-public signing events or issued by the publisher as signed (often limited) editions are the preferred sources of signed books.

Where this is not possible, e.g., for signed out-of-print trade editions from deceased writers, intensive analysis and comparison of autographs with other items signed by the author and/or additional hand-written documentation reputable sellers only select those items into their portfolio for which we they can confidently issue a life-long guarantee of authenticity.

While mostly maintaining their key characteristics, handwriting and signatures change and develop over time. Autographs provided in signing events can be rushed and can show substantial differences compared with the individual's signature.

While we guarantee the authenticity of ALL of our signed books, the usage of signatures obtained in non-controlled environments as a sole source for authentication is not recommended, as a consequence those signatures are not included in our reference section.

**Available books displayed when clicking above links might also be in un-signed condition

Things to Consider Before Adding A Signed Book To Your Collection

In his famous essay, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” (1935) Walter Benjamin describes the “aura” that exists around a work of art that hasn’t been mechanically reproduced (i.e. printed off on a printing press, copied onto a DVD, etc.). The aura, he says, is the element of the work that can’t be replicated outside of its definite location in time and space, giving a ritualistic, almost mystical element that changes the way that we engage with it. This, it seems, in a nutshell, is why we like signed books, and why we often treat them as precious objects of almost totemic significance. After all, you can get the text of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) off the internet and print out as many copies as you want, but a signed edition can’t be copied in the same way. If it gets damaged or destroyed, there’s no way of replacing it in the world.

Signed books are special, but they’re also a complex business, involving layers of intricacy and nuance that novice and even experienced collectors can have trouble navigating. To help out with that, here are a few things to consider before adding a signed book to your collection

What Kind of Signature is It?

Okay, so you’ve found a signed copy of a book that seems like it might make a nice addition to your existing collection. The first thing you need to ask yourself is: what kind of signature is it? Because not all signatures are created equal. Books signed with an autopen, or with a signature that has been added by the printers, for instance, have no added value. When a book contains a signature and nothing else, it’s considered “signed”. These can be valuable, but, contrary to what you might think, they’re often less valuable than “inscribed” copies (i.e. copies that contain a signature along with some other message, like “To Jenny, Enjoy, Stephen King”). Why is this the case? In part because the added text makes it easier to verify the authenticity of the signature (which is another crucial consideration—fake signatures are not always easy to spot, which is why it’s best to make sure you’re getting your books from a reputable source), and in part, again, because of the aura. The signature acts not just as an enhancement, but as a record of a moment in time when the book’s author and reader came together.

Of course, not all inscriptions are created equal. The most valuable form of inscription is the “dedication copy,” which is inscribed, usually on the dedication page, to the person whose name actually appears on the dedication page. Slightly less valuable (but still often coveted) are “association copies,” which feature inscriptions addressed to close friends, publishers, agents, and other people important to the author, and “presentation copies,” which are typically inscribed and given as gifts by the author. With this last type, a dated signature is more valuable, with dates closer to publication being the most desirable.

How Rare is the Signature?

Once you know what type of signed volume you’re dealing with, your next key consideration is how rare the signature actually is. Some modern authors (Ken Follett and Salman Rushdie are often cited as examples) are fairly liberal with their signatures, so signed volumes of their texts might not be worth as much as, say, signed copies of Jack Kerouac’s or J. K. Rowling’s books (the Harry Potter creator has become increasingly reluctant to provide signatures as the years have worn on). By the same token, some authors are fairly liberal with signatures but less so with inscriptions and association copies. Then, there are notoriously reclusive authors like Thomas Pynchon, J. D. Salinger, and Harper Lee, whose signatures are extremely difficult to find, and are therefore extremely valuable (though, at the same time, possibly more susceptible to forgery).

Naturally, as the publication date of the volume in question gets further and further into the past, signatures become less and less common regardless of the author’s temperament or popularity. Thus, an association copy of a relatively obscure Thomas Hardynovel could easily surpass tens of thousands of dollars in value.

What is Your Goal?

By and large, whatever your existing collection is comprised of, its value will be enhanced by the introduction of a signed volume or two—but that doesn’t mean that you should rush out and buy signed editions indiscriminately. Instead, think about your goals as a collector. Are you trying to complete a set or maximize the total value of your holdings? You might be in a position to hold out for a particular puzzle piece (i.e. a dedication copy of something to form the crown jewel of your collection). Conversely, your reasons for collecting a particular author or genre might be more personal, in which case the absolute value of one particular signed copy over another might matter less to you. You might decide that, even though inscriptions are technically more valuable, you’d rather not have a book with someone else’s name on it—and that’s okay! It’s your aura, and you can do what you want with it.

Collecting Signed Books With Movie Tie-Ins

Books inscribed by their authors are exciting additions to any collection. Yet signed books with movie tie-ins can be particularly interesting when they have connections to award-winning films. If you’re lucky, you might find a signed copy of a novel adapted for the cinema by the original author. And in some cases, you might even find a book that’s signed by one of the actors or actresses who brought characters from works of written fiction to the screen. For example, you might seek out a signed first edition of Charles Portis’s True Grit (1968), which has been adapted into two famous films starring John Wayne and Jeff Bridges, respectively. There are far too many novels with interesting film tie-ins for us to mention in just one article, but we’d like to highlight just a few for you to consider adding to your collection.

Larry McMurtry and The Last Picture Show

One of our favorite books with a deep connection to Hollywood is Larry McMurtry’s The Last Picture Show (1966). The first edition of the novel—McMurtry’s third book—was published by The Dial Press in New York. Just a few years later, McMurtry would co-write the screenplay for the film of the same title with its director, Peter Bogdanovich. The narrative is set in McMurtry’s hometown of Archer City, Texas, and follows the lives of a couple of high schoolers, and their experiences in the small North Texas town, in the 1950s. The 1971 film starred a young Jeff Bridges and a young Timothy Bottoms, and it was the film that introduced Cybill Shepherd to American audiences. Cloris Leachman and Ellen Burstyn also played characters originally developed by McMurtry in the novel.

What’s so special about a signed copy of The Last Picture Show? First editions are rare, and they’re exciting objects in and of themselves to have on your shelf. And having a copy signed by McMurtry will add immensely to the value of your collection. You should anticipate spending over $1,000 (and often more) if you want to own a first edition signed or inscribed by McMurtry. But in addition to a copy of the novel signed by its author, there are also a number of copies floating around that were also signed by Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms.

John Irving and the Business of Hollywood

We love the novels of John Irving, and several of them have been adapted into feature films. One of Irving’s earliest novels (and perhaps our favorite of his works), The World According to Garp (1978), became a film with the same title in 1982. John Irving co-wrote the screenplay for, and George Roy Hill directed, the movie that starred Robin Williams, Glenn Close, and John Lithgow. This wasn’t the only novel of Irving’s to end up as a much-loved film, however. Several of Irving’s later novels also were adapted for the cinematic screen to much critical acclaim, including: The Cider House Rules (1985), A Prayer for Owen Meany(1989) as Simon Birch, and A Widow for One Year (1998) as The Door in the Floor. In 1999, Irving won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules, which starred Michael Caine and was directed by Lasse Hallström.

But Irving’s movie career doesn’t end with the screenplays he has written for film adaptations of his novels. In 1999, the novelist wrote a memoir, My Movie Business, which details Irving’s experiences adapting The Cider House Rules for the silver screen. A signed copy of any of Irving’s novels would complement your current collection.

McMurtry and Irving are not the only novelists—not by a long shot—who have written critically acclaimed books that they have then adapted into screenplays for award-winning films. We encourage you to explore the wide variety of twentieth- and twenty-first-century novels that have been adapted into great works of cinema in the United States and in other parts of the world (the James Bond novels and films come to mind). And of course, those texts will be that much more exciting if you’re able to locate signed first editions.

Do You Know Where Your Signed Books Come From?

It is critical for collectors to understand the concept of provenance and the importance of due diligence. Provenance refers to the proverbial paper trail that signed books and association copies should have. In the world of rare books, a book's provenance is its chain of ownership. Investigating that chain can help rare book collectors avoid purchasing forgeries, facsimiles, and even stolen items. There are several means of establishing a volume's provenance:

Purchase documentation: If a book has been passed to multiple owners, there should be a chain of receipts and other documents to show the chain of ownership.

Inclusion in a catalogue: This indicates when a book was part of a specific collection, usually of a particular dealer who was in possession of the book. However, sometimes catalogues document the collections of private individuals as well.

Marginalia:It can be easy to forge signatures, but forging someone's notes throughout the margins of a book is quite the task. Marginalia can provide useful context to corroborate a book's provenance.

Book plates:These can be another indicator of provenance, but they shouldn't be relied upon as the only evidence of provenance; book plates can often be replicated easily.

Investigating and thoroughly documenting a book's provenance doesn't just protect you from buying fakes. A rare book's provenance also significantly impacts its value. The more certain the book's provenance, the more it can be worth in the rare book market. Meanwhile, if a previous owner had special status (making the book what's known as an association copy) that is well documented, that can also add to a book's value.

For older books, it's also beneficial to see documentation of any restoration done to the book. Note that any changes to the book's original condition can impact the market price of a book among discerning collectors. Be sure to find out what's been done to the book, when, and by whom. A reputable dealer will be open and honest with you about any known restoration efforts.

Ultimately the most important tool you have to protect yourself is your own common sense. If you have questions or concerns about a rare book's provenance, ask the seller. After all, reputable dealers aren't in the business for single sales; they want to build lasting relationships with their clients.

How a Signature Increases a Book's Value

The rarity of both the book and the signature help determine the value of a book. Not all signatures are created equal. In fact, signatures (autographs) and inscriptions fall into a few different categories.

Signatures naturally tend to be more common than inscriptions and/or association copies. Contemporary authors often do book signings when they go on tour, thereby increasing the number of signed books available and decreasing the value of signed copies.

Authenticating Signatures

Of course, only an authentic signature has value. Experts certify that a signature or inscription is authentic by comparing the handwriting to other known samples of the author's writing. The authenticity of signed books and signatures in particular is the number one element of the trust a reputable seller of autographed books is hoping to establish and maintain with their customers. Can you truly "certify" a signature? Only if you have seen the author sign the book and if you never let the book out of your sight. If you just see the signature, you can't; nobody can. You can rule out fakes but cannot do the opposite. You can only confirm that it is highly likely for a signature to be authentic by comparing it with existing signatures. For a number of signatures available for comparison purposes, see our collection of reference autographs and signatures.

A Brief Guide to Beginning a Rare Book Collection

If you’re a novice collector and looking for a place to start your book collection, what should you consider? The process is filled with nuances, and there are perhaps as many ways to go about forming a collection as there are collectors. However, some universal truths are present in the book collecting world. Here, we’ve compiled a brief guide to help you along your collecting ways. Read More >>

Name - Autograph	Date	Available Books**
Ackroyd, Peter	1992	click here
Adams, Ansel	1980	click here
Adler, Warren	1985	click here
Angelou, Maya	1986	click here
Asimov, Isaac	1989	click here
Auchincloss, Louis	1986	click here
Baird, Archie	1999	click here
Baldwin, James	1978	click here
Barth, John	1980	click here
Basbanes, Nicholas A.	1995	click here
Bellow, Saul	1979	click here
Binchy, Maeve	1992	click here
Bourjaily, Vance	1986	click here
Bradbury, Ray	1985	click here
Buckley, William F. Jr.	1984	click here
Burgess, Anthony	1987	click here
Caldwell, Erskine	1979	click here
Capote, Truman	1979	click here
Carter, Jimmy	2001	click here
Carver, Raymond	1988	click here
Catton, Bruce	1980	click here
Chatwin, Bruce	1987	click here
Clinton, Hillary Rodham	2003	click here
Condon, Richard	1992	click here
Cooke, Alistair	1986	click here
Crichton, Michael	1988	click here
de Beauvoir, Simone	1979	click here
De Hartog, Jan	1989	click here
Didion, Joan	1981	click here
Dole, Bob	1998	click here
Donleavy, J.P.	1978	click here
Drake, Monica	2006	click here
Drury, Allen	1973	click here
Dunne, John Gregory	1987	click here
Durrell, Lawrence	1980	click here
Eco, Umberto	1989	click here
Erwitt, Elliott	2008	click here
Evanovich, Janet	2004	click here
Farrell, James T.	1979	click here
Fleischer, Ari	2005	click here
Fleming, Ian	1963	click here
Ford, Gerald R.	1984	click here
Fowles, John	1979	click here
Funke, Cornelia	2003	click here
Gaines, Ernest J.	1998	click here
Godwin, Gail	1984	click here
Grafton, Sue	1998	click here
Grau, Shirley Ann	1986	click here
Green, Gerald	1978	click here
Hamilton, Jane	1998	click here
Heller, Joseph	1978	click here
Hemingway, Ernest	1929	click here
Hersey, John	1960	click here
Hillary, Edmund	1960	click here
Hoffman, Alice	1990	click here
Holzer, Harald	2008	click here
Ignatius, David	1991	click here
Irving, John	1998	click here
James, P. D.	1990	click here
Kasparov, Garry	2008	click here
Keillor, Garrison	1989	click here
Keller, Thomas	2008	click here
Keneally, Thomas	2002	click here
Kidder, Tracy	1989	click here
Knight, Hilary	1999	click here
Koestler, Arthur	1978	click here
Koontz, Dean	1994	click here
Lash, Joseph P.	1984	click here
Ludlum, Robert	1986	click here
Lurie, Alison	1984	click here
Mackay, Harvey B.	1990	click here
Mailer, Norman	1979	click here
Mandela, Nelson	1994	click here
McCain, John	2003	click here
McCarthy, Mary	1981	click here
McEwan, Ian	2001	click here
Miller, Arthur	1964	click here
Mondavi, Robert	1998	click here
Morris, Jan	1989	click here
Morris, Wright	1985	click here
Morrison, Toni	1992	click here
Mortimer, John	1988	click here
Nixon, Richard	1980	click here
O'Brien, Edna	1984	click here
Oates, Joyce Carol	1998	click here
Paton, Alan	1978	click here
Percy, Walker	1980	click here
Pinter, Harold	1971	click here
Pirsig, Robert	2000	click here
Plimpton, George	1987	click here
Potok, Chaim	1990	click here
Powell, Colin	1995	click here
Rackham, Arthur	1909	click here
Rice, Anne	1998	click here
Roth, Philip	1969	click here
Salisbury, Harrison Evans	1985	click here
Sartre, Jean-Paul	1978	click here
Schieffer, Bob	2003	click here
Schlesinger, Arthur	1979	click here
Settle, Mary Lee	1989	click here
Shaara, Jeff	2004	click here
Shaddox, Diann	2014	click here
Shaw, Irwin	1979	click here
Silverstein, Shel	1991	click here
Singer, Isaac Bashevis	1980	click here
Smith, Martin Cruz	1989	click here
Snow, C.P.	1981	click here
Spark, Muriel	1984	click here
Sparks, Nicholas	2005	click here
Spender, Stephen	1985	click here
Spillane, Mickey	1989	click here
Spock, Dr. Benjamin and Mary Morgan	1990	click here
Starzl, Thomas	1992	click here
Stegner, Wallace	1978	click here
Stone, Irving	1981	click here
Styron, William	1999	click here
Talese, Gay	1992	click here
Theroux, Paul	1986	click here
Thompson, Kay	1995	click here
Toland, John	1985	click here
Tutu, Desmond	2004	click here
Twain, Mark	1880	click here
Tyler, Anne	1988	click here
Updike, John	1998	click here
Uris, Leon	1977	click here
Van Sandwyk, Charles	2008	click here
Vidal, Gore	1987	click here
Vonnegut, Kurt	1978	click here
Warren, Robert Penn	1981	click here
Welty, Eudora	1980	click here
West, Morris	1980	click here
White, Theodore H.	1980	click here
Wiesel, Elie	1985	click here
Wilder, Gene	2005	click here
Williams, Tennessee	1980	click here
Wolfe, Tom	2000	click here
Wouk, Herman	1977	click here

Collecting Signed Books

[what is a] signed book

noun

Why Collect Signed Books?

A Guide to Buying and Selling Signed Books

Signed Book Glossary

Where to Buy Signed Books?

What’s better, signed or inscribed?

A Brief List of Notable Signed Books

Reference Autographs & Signatures

Things to Consider Before Adding A Signed Book To Your Collection

What Kind of Signature is It?

How Rare is the Signature?

What is Your Goal?

Collecting Signed Books With Movie Tie-Ins

Larry McMurtry and The Last Picture Show

John Irving and the Business of Hollywood

Do You Know Where Your Signed Books Come From?

How a Signature Increases a Book's Value

Authenticating Signatures

A Brief Guide to Beginning a Rare Book Collection

Get our communications?

What is your favorite book?

Collecting Signed Books

[what is a] signed book

noun

Why Collect Signed Books?

A Guide to Buying and Selling Signed Books

Signed Book Glossary

Where to Buy Signed Books?

What’s better, signed or inscribed?

A Brief List of Notable Signed Books

Reference Autographs & Signatures

Things to Consider Before Adding A Signed Book To Your Collection

What Kind of Signature is It?

How Rare is the Signature?

What is Your Goal?

Collecting Signed Books With Movie Tie-Ins

Larry McMurtry and The Last Picture Show

John Irving and the Business of Hollywood

Do You Know Where Your Signed Books Come From?

How a Signature Increases a Book's Value

Authenticating Signatures

A Brief Guide to Beginning a Rare Book Collection

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