People who are not Bukowski signing Bukowski books (2 Viewers)

mjp

Founding member
You know, on eBay you often see Bukowski books signed by people who are not Bukowski. You probably know who the most prolific of these sellers is, but you see the things everywhere. Harrison is selling a copy of Women with a painting - the most valuable version of the book - that's been defaced with Linda King's large signature and bitter comment on the colophon page.

I don't find it odd that someone would try to get these books signed by people who are marginally - if at all - associated with the writer or the story. Even a trifling, money-grubbing, idiotic motivation is a motivation after all, so I can understand it.

What I can't understand is the people who sign these things. Why would you do that? If someone handed me a Hosho McCreesh book and said, "You worked closely with this guy on a cool project, and you met him once and hung around with him, will you sign this?" I'd say, "No, I will not." If someone handed me one of Carol's books and said, "You've lived with her for 16 years and you helped her put this one together, will you sign it?" I'd say "No." If my father wrote a book and talked about me on every page (and why wouldn't he?) - I wouldn't sign it. It just seems unbelievable to me that someone would ever consider that a valid thing to do, sign their name on someone else's work.

And to go back to the person who's mainly responsible for this where Bukowski is concerned, all I can ask is "why?" Is there an extra dollar in something just because it's signed, regardless of whether the signature belongs on it? Is it really worth milking that extra dollar out of otherwise common and inexpensive books? Are you that devoid of integrity or the ability to do something original? Do you know the way to San Jose?

It reminds me of the sad, pasty vultures you see out at LAX, lugging around giant backpacks full of 8x10 publicity photos and boxes of Sharpies, waiting for Lorenzo Lamas or Corey Feldman to get off a plane so they can get an autograph and sell it. I'd say they're doing the same thing the Bukowski sellers are doing, but at least the pasty vultures are getting the actual person's signature. If the Bukowski sellers were out there they'd be asking Mike Tyson to sign pictures of Julie Andrews.

The secondary market for Bukowski anything is saturated with an overwhelming, endless amount of useless shit. Mountains of crap. Mountain ranges of crap. Continents of crap. Why add to that? To catch a few pennies? What a way to spend your days.
 
it can't be easy to find your identity through a connection with someone else...

more importantly, does this mean you won't sign my remainder bin copy of "WALKIN' WITH THE BEAST?"
 
If the Bukowski sellers were out there they'd be asking Mike Tyson to sign pictures of Julie Andrews.
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If someone handed me a Hosho McCreesh book and said, "You worked closely with this guy on a cool project, and you met him once and hung around with him, will you sign this?" I'd say, "No, I will not."

...then slowly, cautiously back away, careful not to make any sudden movements, because anyone who knows that much about Hosho McCreesh is dangerously unbalanced.
 

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