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Dear John: I want to give my dad a signed copy of a Robert B. Parker book. My dad is getting "up there" in years, and Robert B. Parker is our favorite author. How do you authenticate the signed copies? How do you determine that the signature is valid? Thanks, J. Heelan John replies: We've been selling signed and collectible fiction titles for nearly 15 years. In that time we've created relationships with authors, publicist and even a few author family members. We receive the vast majority of our signed books either from the publisher, or from the author themselves. (We send the books directly to them for signing). Although we are not signature authenticators (that requires very specialized training), we do have an extensive database of signatures that we compare with when a book comes to us with a signature whose origin is unknown. You can buy with confidence as all of your purchases are guaranteed. Regardless of the reason, if you are not satisfied we will glady offer a refund or replacement. John Ask John at: [email protected] Read articles about book collecting Read John's answers to book collecting questions Receive our Book Collecting PDFs and newsletters Sign up for our Book Club Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Watch our Videos