Do you have an autograph from a famous person?
Even if you’re not interested in selling it right now you might want to know the value for security or insurance reasons.
Or perhaps you’re shopping for an autograph and want to pay a fair price.
Here, we’ll introduce you to the art - it’s certainly not a science - of valuing autographs.
A pair of linked politicians with plenty in common, but to find them together and then to get both signatures on the picture is quite an achievement. Click the image to explore the item.
First things first: keep your autograph safe
If you have an autograph you should make sure you are storing it safely.
Click this link for a guide to doing just that.
Don’t worry, it’s all pretty simple and straightforward and you’re probably doing most of it already.
Autograph values are entirely dependent on the signer
This is very largely a fame game.
The person who signed your autograph is the biggest determinant of its value.
We track autograph values and produce an index of them every year.
Marilyn Monroe is a perpetual favourite for autograph collectors, this special example is attractive for a number of other reasons. Click through to discover why.
Fame drives demand.
Supply and demand make value
So you have a much beloved film star who people want to feel close to driving demand for a signature.
If there is then a limited supply of that autograph then you have the perfect match.
Sadly, supply is sometimes limited for tragic reasons.
Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Monroe, Buddy Holly.
They all died young.
Some stars don’t sign very often.
Shoeless Joe Jackson had his baseball career ended by a cheating scandal that drove him to effectively quit public life.
And, he was virtually illiterate.
His signature is incredibly rare as a result.
Garbo wanted to be alone, and wouldn't sign for admirers, only in receipt of an invoice. Click to own the item.
Greta Garbo viewed her fame as a pain. After a series of hugely successful movies that made her one of the most successful and recognisable women on the planet she returned to private life.
Almost all of her signatures are on documents she had to sign. And they’re very rare and valuable.
Authenticity
All of this fame and demand is worth nothing if your autograph is not authentic.
And if you can’t prove that it is authentic.
And of course this is very important when your autograph is potentially valuable.
There’s no point forging my autograph - it’s got no value.
Babe Ruth for real. Click the picture to find out more.
There’s a lot of point forging Babe Ruth’s. And people do.
And there’s a whole world of secretarial signatures, hand stamps, and autopens that have been used by people with high-demand signatures.
https://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/blogs/news/how-to-authenticate-autographs-my-33-tips-for-collectors?_pos=8&_sid=0d8a51573&_ss=r
Here is a guide to authenticating autographs.
In an ideal world you will have a certificate of authenticity and we encourage you to preserve any and all paperwork around your autograph.
What is your autograph on? Quality
Once we have an authentic autograph of a famous person we can turn to the cherries on the cake.
Is it a nice one?
All sorts of factors come into play here. And some of it is completely subjective.
This is a great photograph and the Pele signature is beautifully placed, strong and clear. Click the image to see the price.
You’ll see our descriptions describing autographs as being signed “handsomely”, meaning the signature looks good.
It’s strong and clear.
Where a signature sits on a picture or album cover or poster may add attraction.
Personal messages may add value. Or they may cost it.
It’s subjective. Some people don’t want an autograph with someone else’s name on it.
However, the message may add charm to an autograph, it may prove authenticity, it may even involve another interesting or famous person.
"The Thinker": what a great message from the tragic star, whose short career burned so brightly. Click the item to discover it.
All big plus points.
Sets of autographs are often - but not always - more valuable than singles.
Beatles sets, most obviously.
If they were signed all at the same time that’s even better.
So, The most valuable set of Beatles signatures was sold in 2013 for $290,500.
It was a set of all four Beatles on a copy of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
This is from a period when the band were drifting apart. They were no-longer the four-headed monster described by those who met them earlier in their career.
Getting them all in the same place, happy to sign, and on the most beloved of their records in 1967 was a big deal.
Lots here for Beatles collectors to love, including the unusual and explicatory addition of the band's name. Click the image to discover the item.
Autographs are worth what they are worth when you sell them
A valuation is nice.
It is very useful for insurance for example.
And to sell.
But autographs are a fairly fluid commodity.
Most collectibles are. They are sold in open markets, often by auction.
A lovely piece, with great signatures in appropriately coloured ink, and the fact that 90s kids are now shopping for nostalgia buys gives it currency. Click the image to find out more.
The best people to value autographs are people who deal in them.
And they may offer authentication services at the same time.
Even then, you should consider such a valuation as a starting point.
Buying high-quality autographs
We sell autographs from some of the most sought-after stars in world history.
Of course, we authenticate everything we sell and back it with a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
