How much value does an Author's Signature add to a book?

Acquired a tidy copy of A British Achilles at the weekend, signed by the subject rather than the author!
Nice one, been intrested in this book for a while can you tell me if its any good please mate.

 

Hi All,

Just saw this and want to tell you about one I have... Cost me all of £1 and wait for it yours now for £500 1000 Nice a

Cheers
Tom

 

One of my treasured books is the autobiography of my late C.O, one "Loopy Kennard" http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran-accounts/16716-while-i-remember.html Comment #12

Not concerned about any possible value but if ever the book is sold I would hope the vendors would include the lovely letter I'd received from him at the time.

Ron

 

I've got the "Wooden Horse" signed by Eric Williams. Won't be selling though.

 

Hi All,

Just saw this and want to tell you about one I have... Cost me all of £1 and wait for it yours now for £500 1000 Nice a

Cheers
Tom
Tom, is it an invisible book or does it have a title

 

I was browsing on EBay the other day to see what books I could swipe away from under Jason's nose, when I noticed a signed first edition of Maggie Thatcher's 'Downing Street Years'. It eventually sold for £302!!!!!

I have the exact same book in mint condition with not only her signature, but a signed letter on House of Commons note paper thanking the previous owner of the book. I'm off to Christies tomorrow.

 

I was browsing on EBay the other day to see what books I could swipe away from under Jason's nose, when I noticed a signed first edition of Maggie Thatcher's 'Downing Street Years'. It eventually sold for £302!!!!!

I have the exact same book in mint condition with not only her signature, but a signed letter on House of Commons note paper thanking the previous owner of the book. I'm off to Christies tomorrow.
Well im off round the charity and secondhand shops in the morning book hunting, so no danger of you swiping anything there Steve:p and a book signed by Maggie I need some toilet roll mate stick it in the post

 

I got Shipmates and Mistresses by Ian Kinloch Bryce the other day and its signed with a wonderful message inside.

 

HeHe Jason

 

Nice one, been intrested in this book for a while can you tell me if its any good please mate.

I'd have to read it to do that! In the meantime, here's the contents page:

As you can see, it's not wholly military. The author also wrote her father's biography: Gentleman Jim [Almonds], another SAS original, if that's any help.

 

Yesterday I was little surprised to find out that the copy of the book "Even the brave falter" I bought was signed by author E. D. Smith. This is second book I have that was signed by author, other one is "Tell them of us" by Leyin. While I think that it's nice to have signed book, both of these two books I bought in first place because, at that time, they were the cheapest copies available on the net. But I would never intentionally pay more for the book just because it was signed.

 

I have quite a few war time memoirs signed by the veterans, and a number of books with interviews of veterans in them, they have been signed by the vets when i've interviewd them or spoke to them re various projects. To have 18 Platoon signed by Sidney Jary and several others mentioned in the text -to me priceless. To have the reprint of 4th somerset's signed by 7 of the veterans of that battalion, several of them mentioned in the text, including 2 company comanders one of whom got the MC twice, priceless, as I met all of them in their homes and we spoke together for some time. what they are actualy worth I don't care, i've put letters from the vets and cards/photos are stuck in, so a far from 'mint' edition to put on the shelf and admire, but for me fantastic, and yes they are all used - that one will go with me to normandy this month as we visit Hill 112.

 

Was at the Menin Gate for the 1988 remembrance. the following day, we were introduced to author, Anne Clayton. In conversation, when Anne heard I had her book 'Passchendaele' with me, she offered to sign and date it, with the location.
In doing so, Anne introduced us to Rose Coombs, MBE. Asked if I had her book, 'Before Endeavours Fade', I once again ran back to the car to collect that. It was duly signed "Sincerely Rose E.B. Coombs, Menin Gate 12/11/1988".
Both, with dust jackets in protective covers, the are cherished, along with others in my book cabinet.
Regards James

 

In other words 'priceless'

I have a couple of books signed by the author; would never ever sell them.

 

I have a number of book signed by senior officers, a few at the other end of the food chain.

It's hard to quantify monetary value beyond the fact that--as ever--rarity plus desirability equals value.

Considerations:

Who signed it? If it was a household name who died soon after the war, it will multiply the value of the book by--if forced to estimate--four, five or more times. It will even give value to books in poor condition that may otherwise have been bin-fodder. Monty, for instance, was very genrous with his autograph in the post-war era and often signed items to be given as prizes or auctioned for good causes. Despite this, the fact that he is so famous and has not been about producing more signatures for a couple of generations means that even an pretty good conditioned copy of, say, his widely published memoirs would likely be priced at somewhere between a hundred and fifty and two hundred quid. Even ephemera like letters and programmes (and especially photos) are going to fetch £50 to £100 or more. eBay regularly has scraps of paper or envelopes signed by him (as CIGS he used blue-green ink), and even they seem to sell for thirty quid or more.

In more recent years, however, the signing of books has become much more common, and one needn't even attend a launch or a lecture or meet the author to acquire one. In the case of recently penned titles, the signature will only add a few quid, and only then if the book and dustjacket are in fine condition. If it's inscribed to a named individual ("To Derek"), it may fail to boost the price at all.

The silly-expensive examples are a) signed by well-known (usually highly decorated) men who died relatively young. First editions of say, Guy Gibson's book in decent condition already cost a great deal; with his autograph attached it could run to hundreds, perhaps several hundred pounds.

The most valuable of all--and, of course, I agree with all that has been said above about personal value of such books--are association copies: books inscribed and signed from one famous figure to another: Horrocks' memoirs dedicated to Alanbrooke or somesuch. Being unique, they're worth as much as two rivals are willing to pay for them, and they usually find their ways to auctions before bookshops (though you can be lucky).

Incongrously, I have the first Auchinleck biography signed and dedicated by him to Dame Margot Fonteyn, the ballet dancer. I can't imagine that she ever read it!

As a very rough guide:

• Book in decent nick, later impression/edition ×1
• Book in decent nick, first impression/edition edition x2
• Book in decent nick, first edition/impression in decent dustjacket x4
• Book in decent nick, first edition/impression in decent jacket signed by a notable author and/or subject x5 to x 10 or more.
• Book in decent nick, first edition/impression in decent jacket signed by a notable author and/or subject and inscribed to someone noteworthy £££££

This isn't how much you can hope to receive if you sell it, but rather how you will likely find it priced by a bookseller!

 

Owen,
I totally agree, but I do like the question.
I believe, especially about an unknown author, a brief biography of the author as part of the book would be important - and that stays with the book forever.
Stefan.

 

One should always remember that the value of an autograph will wane as the memory of the signer does. I have some WW1 period signed copies of books that were very popular when first published and the authors well known but are entirely forgotten today. I found them on the shelves of 2nd hand bookshops with no mark up over un-autographed copies whatsover.

 

I do not collect books for either their dust jackets or signatures but have been lucky enough to stumble across these two purely by chance.

Monty. His part in my Victory. Spike Milligan, purchased from a house clearance dealer at the Dorking car boot sale about ten years ago; "all the books are 20p each". It wasn't until I got home and actually opened the book that I realised what value for money it was. I have no idea who Johnny Lamden? was.