The late Stu wrote:

Authentication services are the scammiest businesses out there. Might have been a real letter, equally, might not.

It was a real letter, I have updated the summary in our Letters Guide to indicate it has been destroyed.

Trotter wrote:

The late Stu wrote:

Authentication services are the scammiest businesses out there. Might have been a real letter, equally, might not.

It was a real letter, I have updated the summary in our Letters Guide to indicate it has been destroyed.

Oh, I know there is/was a real letter. But that doesn't guarantee this is parts of it, without further photographic information about its destruction. Either way, it is now of no value to anyone (with any sense) as small cuttings. Any value the letter may have once held (which we have to be honest, is more aesthetic than anything -- given the particular contents of this letter, and the fact that it is independently documented).

I absolutely loathe this kind of destructive and wasteful behaviour (just as I did when well-known book dealers were cutting signatures off letters to paste into books back in the day), but I also think it is important to be realistic. It isn't the Mona Lisa, I guess.

Hopefully the market doesn't encourage this (though I suspect it will).

The late Stu wrote:

Authentication services are the scammiest businesses out there. Might have been a real letter, equally, might not.

Verifying handwriting is certainly a less common service from Beckett. Verifying signed sports gear or trading cards is common, I think, but authenticating text from a letter? What?!

In certain collecting circles (especially trading cards -- from Pokemon or game cards to baseball and sports) PSA and Beckett grades are gold standard. I think you have to log into Beckett to get their price list, but this service sounds new. Even validating his signature would be unconventional from this kind of agency. It really may be worth a letter from serious Tolkien collectors (i.e. TCG) to communicate the impropriety and unprofessionalism and irresponsibility and despicability of this kind of authentication service -- at least as it relates to Tolkien.

Sorry for the run-on sentences and subpar use of English vocabulary and syntax.

PS: Maybe this indicates a need for a new book: Deciphering the Handwriting of JRR Tolkien.

Utterly disgraceful, reprehensible and abominable. Completely inexcusable. People who do this should be allowed to face multiple Balrogs at the same time unaided.

I certainly think that no one should buy this and that we should, if possible, contact Beckett and (politely) voice our displeasure and we might even want to contact mainstream media about this to see if they are up for writing about this travesty. Perhaps a longshot, but might be worth it.

My goodness,I feel nauseous to the pit of my stomach at such cynical blatant vulgar marketing. The shock of a passion reduced to meaningless hollowness by a cynical wormtongue yet the feeling passes despite the acrid aftertaste.

I run on the belief that verification of sports signatures is 100% impossible. It just can’t be done. I believe (rightly or wrongly, I suppose) that these services perpetuate an industry that is largely founded on the wide acceptance of fraud. People don’t care what they have, so long as someone paid to entomb it in plastic.

And here is where the signature cut from this letter ended up:

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J.R.R. TOLKIEN * PSA * Autograph LORD OF THE RINGS Quote Signed Signature

336202238271

Seller: signaturist-ink

(2292)

This item ended more than 90 days ago

“Tolkien's Authentic Autograph Mounted Below His Famous Lord of the Rings Quote

Legendary English writer and renowned "Lord of the Rings' and The Hobbit fantasy author J. R. R. TOLKIEN scarce and authentic autograph LOTR custom card quote featuring Tolkien's iconic stylized black ink signature mounted at lower right. Tolkien's signature was removed from an original handwritten letter sent by Tolkien, some of Tolkien's handwriting can be seen shadowed behind the signature. Tolkien's autograph has been mounted beneath the printed quote:”

The source of evil:
https://cutwordco.com/products/j-r-r-t ... n-autograph-letter-signed

I’ve always wanted the word ‘estimate’ cut from a Tolkien letter.

There are 183 words in this letter, average price USD 380, USD 69,500

They are selling the signature separately for USD 12,500

Total USD 82,000

A great deal for the company selling these, not good for any buyers as it has no value when chopped up like this.