Share this pageInvesting in Memorabilia
A free guide to investing in Memorabilia
Investing in Memorabilia
Whether it's connected to films, music, royalty, sport or another area, memorabilia has the power to command huge interest and huge returns.
It's all a matter of differentiating between the fly-by-night stars and the long-term investments, those individuals and events that will be remembered decades from now. These are the Blue Chip investments.
Reasons to invest
 Marilyn Monroe's "subway" dress: The most valuable piece of movie memorabilia ever auctioned |
Diversity: Investing in memorabilia is one of the most unlimited and varied collectibles categories - with endless opportunities for you as an investor.
Growing demand: Today's celebrity driven culture ensures a huge demand for memorabilia, prompting values to surge for the key players in film, music and royalty.
Hollywood love affair: Blockbuster auctions such as the $18.6m Debbie Reynolds collection of Hollywood memorabilia in 2011 reveal collectors' growing passion for the best in vintage movie collectibles.
Royal approval: 2012's diamond jubilee celebrations, witnessed by 3.5bn around the world, helped boost the popularity of the British royal family, and with it their collectibles. A July 2012 poll found that 80% of Britons had a favourable opinion of the current Queen, up from 74% in January.
China's sports fans: The sports memorabilia market is worth around $5bn pa in the US, while China's increasingly prosperous economy is producing growing numbers of wealthy individuals keen to invest in collectibles from the sporting world's major stars.
Pleasure: There is the added pleasure of investing in an item of history that you can enjoy on a daily basis.
Historical performance
o Movie memorabilia
Marilyn Monroe's "subway" dress from The Seven Year Itch sold for $5.6m in June 2011, becoming the most valuable item of movie memorabilia ever sold. The dress had last auctioned in 1971 for $400, a 27% pa rise in value over 40 years.
James Dean signed photographs have soared in value from £1,600 ($2,540) to £14,000 ($22,240) since 2000, at the rate of 19.81% pa, according to the PFC40 Autograph Index.
The best film Oscar award presented to David O Selznick for Gone with the Wind sold for $1.54m in 1999, a world record for an Oscar.
o Music memorabilia
According to the PFC40 Autograph Index, Madonna's signature rose in value by 8.05% pa between 2000 and 2012, from £375 ($595) to £950 ($1,510).
A signed red leather jacket, worn by Michael Jackson in the 1983 Thriller video, made $1.8m at a US auction in June 2011.
In 2006 a copy of the US release Meet the Beatles, signed by John, Paul, George and Ringo, achieved $115,000 - making it the world's most valuable Beatles signed album.
o Royal memorabilia
Queen Victoria's mourning outfit sold for £6,200 ($9,720) in July 2012, beating its £2,000 high valuation by 201%.
PFC Auctions, our sister company, sold the first slice of cake from Kate and Wills' wedding for £1,917 ($3,030) in May 2012.
A pair of Queen Elizabeth II's undergarments sold for £11,390 ($18,000) in May 2012.
Signed photos of Diana rose in value by 18.23% pa between 2000 and 2012, from £1,250 ($1,910) to £8,950 ($14,225), according to the PFC40 Autograph Index.
o Sports memorabilia
Muhammad Ali's trunks from his 1975 "Thrilla in Manila" fight with Joe Frazier sold for $155,350 in August 2012, just four months after auctioning for $100,000 - a 55.3% increase in value.
The finest Babe Ruth single signed baseball in existence made $388,375 in August 2012, up 16.43% pa on its previous $115,000 auction price achieved in November 2004.
The marathon winner's cup from the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 sold for £541,250 ($861,130) against a £160,000 estimate in April 2012, becoming the most valuable piece of Olympic memorabilia ever sold at auction in the process.
Contact us for more information on investing in memorabilia
+44 (0) 117 933 9503
info@paulfrasercollectibles.com
Click here to view our memorabilia for sale
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