Ebay item 330258433386

[Blytonboy]

I'm not too sure about the signature on the book sold today on Ebay. It looks a bit like the work of the "forger" who was knocking them out from the IOW (I think) some years ago. Anyway, someone has paid nearly £130 for it

[Pippa-Stef]

Any chance of a link?

[Nearby]

I think he means this one? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/signed-enid-blyto ... dZViewItem

[Pippa-Stef]

Thanks!

Wow!

it makes the £2.50 postal charge rather meanial!

And you're right. It looks nothing like her signiture, but then, you're better off asking someone like Tony!

[Julie2owlsdene]

Gosh, fancy paying £125, and I'd be suspicious about that signature too. As Steph says, Tony will know.

[Tony Summerfield]

This is a genuine Captain Hockney signature! He churned them out by the dozen from his shop in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. They first started appearing about ten years ago and I have seen well over 100 of them. I did manage to stop Book & Magazine collector from taking his ads, and in the early days of ebay we were able to warn buyers (sellers tended to ignore warnings or send rude replies), but with ebay's new privacy policy there is now nothing that can be done - and if you let ebay know they do nothing about it at all.

These are all obvious forgeries, but there are many others that are a lot less obvious. The same man had a nice little line in W E Johns and Ian Fleming forgeries going on at the same time.

[Kate Mary]

Is this blighter still operating? Why hasn't he had his collar felt by the police? Perhaps there needs to be a few articles in the press about this to stop people buying what they believe are signed copies. I would be sick as a brewer's horse if I found out I'd bought a fake.

[Moonraker]

Maybe George@Kirrin should either get over to the Island (she does love islands, after all!) or at least inform her colleagues of this villain's work.

I note Zoe hasn't posted since the 7th July, but did look in yesterday. I hope all is well, Zoe.

[Blytonboy]

The seller doesn't seem to be an "EB" trader and has possibly just acquired the book and is selling it in good faith as a signed copy.
Enid's signature is not particularly complicated but a genuine one usually stands out. It is normally in blue fountain pen and very flowing as if signed in a hurry. I imagine she must have had a row of expectant little 1940'/50's children lined up clutching their open books!
The "forged" one is too jerky and it is rare to see the full "Love from Enid Blyton" You normally get "Much love" or rarely, "To ****** from Enid Blyton" I suppose it depends on how she felt on the day and how polite the child was.
There are a couple of signatures on Ebay at the moment that look OK.

[Tony Summerfield]

I am quite sure that the majority of sellers are no wiser than the bidders (in this case six of them) and believe they are selling the genuine article, but when they see huge sums bid they are reluctant to do anything about it even when they are told it is a forgery.

When these signatures first appeared, a number of leading children's dealers were taken in by them, so I wouldn't expect the average seller to know any better. In answer to an earlier post, I am pretty sure that the shop is no longer open, but unfortunately the damage is done as there are numerous copies out there on the secondhand market, and although the police have been involved there is not a lot that they can do about it now. As I said in my earlier post, I have seen over a hundred copies and there must also be a huge number that I haven't seen. I have even had letters of complaint from visiting Australians!

Incidentally, 'love from Enid Blyton' is probably the most common method of signing and signatures are normally in blue, either in fountain pen or biro, but I have also seen them in black.

[Petermax]

This Captain Hockney sounds like quite a character, is it possible to learn more about him, or is it best to avoid saying too much? During a recent visit to Ventnor, a friend of mine who lives on the Isle of Wight pointed out to me a closed, rather run down looking shop. He described his visits there as being very strange experiences indeed, and drew parallels with Aunty Wainwright's shop in Last of the Summer Wine. Could we be talking about the same premises?

[Tony Summerfield]

Yes, we definitely are talking about the same shop!!