Ebay... Ask the Dust nice First up for sale...

[LickTheStar]

Don't rule out periodicals. Fante published in a lot of magazines in the 30's too, and when you find them they are usually very affordable.

Ah yes, I do enjoy those... I got a copy of the American Mercury with Fante's first story (well, Altar Boy was his first, right? I can't put my fingers on my biography right now) and it only cost me $10. I almost forgot I owned that.

I was happily surprised by that. When the awful movie came out a couple years ago, they were going for 5-10 times that... But signed copies of the BSP Ask the Dust were only $125-250. Really shoulda struck when THAT iron was hot... Ah well.

 

[Ponder]

I was happily surprised by that. When the awful movie came out a couple years ago, they were going for 5-10 times that... But signed copies of the BSP Ask the Dust were only $125-250. Really shoulda struck when THAT iron was hot... Ah well.

A Signed BSP The Road To Los Angeles went for $250 on ebay last week.

 

[james]

yep, i picked up 2 copies of the american mercury on ebay for maybe 8 bucks apiece(give or take a few dollars, it's been a few years).

 

[esart]

eh hem... that belongs to me. (polishes nails on chest and appears pompous in the face.)

 

[mjp]

Thanks for letting me show it off.

 

[Carterofmars]

One thing I've found - and I'm sure most collectors here will agree - when that must have item slips through your fingers, there's always another one out there.


You know, unless it's Write magazine or something...

Is it possible BUK used a pseudonym when he wrote his piece for Write?


joe

 

[LickTheStar]

A Signed BSP The Road To Los Angeles went for $250 on ebay last week.

I saw it but it didn't look quite right. Mainly because I wasn't sure if any beyond the 26 lettered ones were signed. I'm sad there's no Black Sparrow Press site like the collectingbukowski one. That would make things easier!

 

[bospress.net]

Is it possible BUK used a pseudonym when he wrote his piece for Write?

Hi,
Slim to no chance. A struggling young writer like Buk would never had reason or motive to use a pseudonym.

Bill

 

[Carterofmars]

Maybe afraid of reprisal from his Dad. Maybe embarrassed. A guy growing up hard may be embarrassed initially.

Just throwing thoughts out. Talking outta my hat.

joe

 

[bospress.net]

Hi Joe,
But he did not seem to have the same issues with his desire for his parents approval (trust fund) that someone like Burroughs had that caused him to write his first novel under the name "William Lee".

I would not be surprised if Bukowski used a pseudonym much later (there have been rumors about Buk & Neeli putting their poems in Man the Humping under different names), but not early, when he would have wanted to see his work under his name in print.

Especially because there would be nothing to gain by keeping his name, except if the was nervous about anti European biases in the mid 40's, which would be the only reason that I could see that he could even gain from using a different name.

Still, it seems that he would have mentioned it in an interview, letter, etc.

If Cirerita has not seen anything like this, it has probably not been written...

Bill

p.s. As far as reprisals from his dad. I remember the story where the Father brought Portfolio to his job to brag about how it was "him" and not his son who wrote the piece. So he certainly would not have been upset by his son getting published.

 

[planahea]

LickTheStar

Only the 26 lettered BSP handbound copies of The Road to Los Angeles were signed by Fante. The 150 numbered deluxe copies were not as the 400 cloth trade copies were not.

Hope this helps for the future.

 

[Rekrab]

Seems it went cheap, unless it's ratty inside. If I were selling a book that expensive, I'd have posed a dozen photos, not just two. Makes you wonder what wasn't shown, condition-wise. It looks nice, but who knows...

 

[Carterofmars]

Hi Joe....

Makes sense. Be nice to see that copy of 'Write' one day.

joe

 

[LickTheStar]

Only the 26 lettered BSP handbound copies of The Road to Los Angeles were signed by Fante. The 150 numbered deluxe copies were not as the 400 cloth trade copies were not.

Hope this helps for the future.

Thank you sir! I'm fairly sure then that the "signed" copy on e-Bay was a part of the 150, if I read the colophon page correctly. That makes my hunt all the more difficult! And (?) fun! Thanks for the info.

Edit:

Here's the image of the colophon page, someone got a $250 fake signature... Of course, it IS still limited to 150 numbered, so probably worth... well, near that, right?

 

[bospress.net]

Where was the signature? Do you have a scan? It would have had to be on a tipped in page and not on the colophon as the colophon was printed 2 years after Fante died. If the signature is on the title page or colophon then it is a forgery. If the signature is on a tipped in page then it was either forged and then tipped in (not so easy to do). or is a numbered copy that had a real signature.

If you have a scan of the signature, I'd be very interested to see it.

Bill

 

[LickTheStar]

Here's a photo of the signature on the title page, as posted by the seller... It doesn't look like the 2 or 3 Fante sigs I've seen, so I'm glad I kept my distance.

From the auction itself:

Limited to 150 deluxe numbered copies, this is number 30. Although not called for by the limitation, this one is signed by Fante on the title page. I cannot authenticate the signature but it does match other Fante signatures I've seen.

I was at first suspiscious that Fante could have signed the book given he died in 1983 but there was a signed/ltd edition of this book published in 1985 and I believe the book was orginally published in 83. I can only assume the book was released in 85 after his death. If anyone knows please let me know.

At least the guy is willing to refund the money... Shame for the person who won it though...

Edit: Just flipped through the Cooper bio... Looks NOTHING like any of the signatures present in that book. Still a nice book, but it sure ain't signed.

 

[bospress.net]

Yes, It is not authentic. Fante could not have signed it two years after he dies and BSP would not have printed the title page two years earlier. Also I have never seen a BSP author sign an edition on the title page. It was always either the colophon or a blank tipped in page (or a cut autograph attached to a page in the case of Gertrude Stein).

Yep, 100% fake, it is.... Someone should contact the buyer.

Bill

 

[Carterofmars]

Excellent sleuth work. Outstanding. The buyer should be contacted... hopefully he/she used Paypal.


joe

 

[LickTheStar]

Well I sent him a message... We'll see what he says. A shame because Abe has a couple at $200 that are probably in better shape (i.e. NOT ruined with a forged signature...). Still, his $250 isn't THAT bad overall.

$650 signed though. I mean... damn. I wish I had money. Or monies.

 

[planahea]

Bill,

I have several BSP limited editions where the author has inscribed a special signed message to me on the title page, but also signed the colophon page. BSP authors would under certain circumstances sign on both the colphon and the title page, but in the case of the Fante ROAD TO LOS ANGELES the tipped in signed sheets for the lettered edition were made/created years in advance. This is also true of other Fante limited editions as well as other authors from the selected limited edition BSP backlist titles.

Time should always be taken to insure authenticity before making a commitment and regretting if afterward. I know this sounds preachy, but there is no substitute for good old fashioned homework. There are many knowledgeable people in these forums always ready to help others, Take advantage of that wealth of knowledge.

Caveat emptor!

 

[LickTheStar]

Time should always be taken to insure authenticity before making a commitment and regretting if afterward. I know this sounds preachy, but there is no substitute for good old fashioned homework. There are many knowledgeable people in these forums always ready to help others, Take advantage of that wealth of knowledge.

Caveat emptor!

That's right! Crave eat empty! Wait, what?

Anyhow... I think there's a lot of opportunities for being ripped off on auction sites and various other kinds of "sight unseen" sorts of sales where one doesn't actually have the ability to hold an item in one's hands... But with BSP, it is generally VERY easy to find a forgery (of course excluding variants and the occasional differences).

So preachy? Maybe, but sound advice just the same. I almost posted the auction here with the intention of bidding and then I dug around and figured, based on what was posted in the photos, that the Road to LA was a forgery... Shame too. Ah well.