Spent $180 on a rare first edition and it turned out to be a fake

I paid $180 for what the seller swore was a signed first edition of a 1970s sci-fi novel, but when I compared the copyright page to a library copy in Des Moines, the font was off, so now I check the paper type and binding glue before I hand over any cash, has anyone else gotten burned by a clever forgery in a used bookstore?

1 comments

1 Comment

the_barbara21d ago

Wait, are you SURE it's a fake just from a font mismatch? I've seen legit first editions where printers switched fonts mid-run, especially in the 70s when they were cutting costs, so a library copy might not even match the first printing exactly. Honestly, checking glue and paper is smart, but it can fool you too, since some real editions used cheap materials that mimic fakes. What did the signature look like under a magnifier, and did you check the seller's story about where they got it? That's where I'd put my money before calling it a clever forgery.