Investing in Autographs?
Paul Fraser Collectibles' PFC40 Autograph Index unveils best performers
The latest edition reveals tech billionaire Elon Musk's signature was the best performer in 2024 – up 66.7% in value from £3,000 to £5,000.
- At £55,000, Steve Jobs is the most valuable signer, a result of his reluctance to sign, early death and Apple’s iconic status.
- Taylor Swift is the best performing autograph of the 21st century, up 74,900% per annum since 2000.
- Paul McCartney and Elon Musk are the two most valuable living signers, at £5,000.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is arguably the most famous man in the world right now. So it's no surprise his autograph jumped from £3,000 to £5,000.
Despite being a polarising figure, Musk has a strong army of devotees pushing his signature to new heights.
His achievements in the future will determine whether his autograph is worth significantly more in the years to come.
Music autographs on the rise
Music-related autographs are rising in value at a fast pace. As evidenced by two standout performances from musicians born 46 years apart: George Harrison (up 60% in 2024) and Taylor Swift (up 20% in 2024). The Beatles, the Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Queen all saw their autograph values rise in 2024.
Positive numbers across the index
The index showed a strong 7.7% return in 2024. In times of political and financial uncertainty, autographs have traditionally been a safe haven for investors. Look for increased growth ahead, as investors continue to turn to tangible assets such as autographs as a hedge against an unpredictable stock market.
Growth of PFC40 Autograph Index from the year 2000 to 2026
Index rebased to 1,000 in 2000. Values are calculated from the overall
PFC40 Autograph Index totals in the source data.
Tangible asset indexed performance
PFC40 performance v other assets, 2000 = 100
PFC40
UK house prices
FTSE 100
Gold
Index: 2000 = 100. PFC40 based on PFC40 Autograph Index values.
Gold shown in sterling. FTSE 100 is the price index and excludes dividends.
UK house prices are nominal. 2026 figures are current/provisional rather than
completed full-year figures.
PFC40 | 2000 - 2026
Total growth + Last year growth + Average annual growth
The PFC40 Autograph Index tracks the values of 40 of the world’s most sought-after autographs since 2000. The prices given are an evaluation of the dealer price for a fully authenticated, best quality 8 x 10 inch signed photo (unless otherwise stated), based on close monitoring of dealer and auction sales.
A “best quality” example will feature a photograph in superb condition, depicting the subject in their most famous era, with a sharp, clear signature acquired during that period.
| Name | Type | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total growth | Last year growth | Average annual growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ali, Muhammad | Signed photo | £250 | £500 | £950 | £1,950 | £2,500 | £2,500 | £2,500 | £3,000 | £3,000 | £3,000 | £3,500 | 1300.0% | 16.7% | 10.7% |
| Apollo XI | Signed photo | £2,000 | £5,000 | £8,950 | £12,500 | £15,000 | £15,500 | £16,000 | £16,000 | £17,000 | £17,000 | £18,000 | 800.0% | 5.9% | 8.8% |
| Armstrong, Neil | Signed photo | £550 | £2,500 | £5,500 | £8,500 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £10,500 | £11,000 | £11,000 | £11,500 | 1990.9% | 4.5% | 12.4% |
| Beatles, The | Signed photo | £2,950 | £6,000 | £8,500 | £9,500 | £18,500 | £19,000 | £20,000 | £21,000 | £22,000 | £22,000 | £22,500 | 662.7% | 2.3% | 8.1% |
| Bonaparte, Napoleon | Signed letter | £995 | £2,000 | £4,500 | £5,500 | £5,950 | £5,950 | £5,950 | £6,500 | £6,500 | £7,000 | £7,000 | 603.5% | 0.0% | 7.8% |
| Castro, Fidel | Signed photo | £325 | £1,000 | £2,950 | £3,950 | £4,500 | £4,500 | £4,500 | £5,000 | £5,000 | £5,500 | £5,500 | 1592.3% | 0.0% | 11.5% |
| Charles III | Christmas card | £50 | £75 | £100 | £150 | £200 | £200 | £300 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | 3900.0% | 0.0% | 15.2% |
| Churchill, Winston | Signed photo | £2,600 | £4,000 | £5,950 | £7,500 | £7,950 | £9,000 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £10,500 | £11,000 | 323.0% | 4.8% | 5.7% |
| Cobain, Kurt | Signed photo | £100 | £400 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £3,000 | £3,500 | £4,000 | £5,000 | £6,000 | £6,500 | £7,000 | 6900.0% | 7.7% | 17.8% |
| Princess Diana | Signed photo | £1,250 | £5,000 | £8,500 | £9,500 | £10,000 | £11,000 | £12,000 | £12,500 | £13,000 | £13,500 | £13,500 | 980.0% | 0.0% | 9.6% |
| Dickens, Charles | Handwritten letter | £795 | £2,000 | £3,950 | £5,950 | £6,000 | £6,000 | £6,000 | £6,500 | £6,500 | £6,500 | £7,000 | 780.5% | 7.7% | 8.7% |
| Disney, Walt | Signed photo | £450 | £2,000 | £3,950 | £4,950 | £4,950 | £6,000 | £7,000 | £7,000 | £7,000 | £7,500 | £7,500 | 1566.7% | 0.0% | 11.4% |
| Einstein, Albert | Handwritten letter | £1,750 | £4,000 | £6,000 | £8,950 | £10,500 | £11,500 | £12,000 | £13,000 | £14,000 | £14,500 | £15,000 | 757.1% | 3.4% | 8.6% |
| Elizabeth II | Signed photo | £1,000 | £2,000 | £3,000 | £3,500 | £4,500 | £5,000 | £6,000 | £6,500 | £7,000 | £7,000 | £7,500 | 650.0% | 7.1% | 8.1% |
| Hawking, Stephen | Signed book | £2,000 | £4,000 | £10,000 | £15,000 | £30,000 | £30,000 | £30,000 | £32,500 | £32,500 | £32,500 | £35,000 | 1650.0% | 7.7% | 11.6% |
| Hendrix, Jimi | Signed photo | £3,000 | £4,000 | £4,950 | £7,500 | £8,000 | £9,000 | £9,000 | £9,500 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £11,000 | 266.7% | 10.0% | 5.1% |
| Jobs, Steve | Signed magazine | £500 | £2,000 | £5,000 | £30,000 | £40,000 | £45,000 | £50,000 | £50,000 | £55,000 | £55,000 | £60,000 | 11900.0% | 9.1% | 20.3% |
| Kennedy, John F. | Signed photo | £3,000 | £4,000 | £6,950 | £8,500 | £9,000 | £9,000 | £9,000 | £10,000 | £10,500 | £10,500 | £11,000 | 266.7% | 4.8% | 5.1% |
| King, Martin Luther | Signed photo | £795 | £2,000 | £3,500 | £4,950 | £6,500 | £6,500 | £7,000 | £7,500 | £8,000 | £8,500 | £9,000 | 1032.1% | 5.9% | 9.8% |
| Led Zeppelin | Signed album | £3,000 | £4,000 | £5,000 | £5,500 | £6,000 | £7,000 | £8,500 | £10,000 | £12,000 | £13,000 | £14,500 | 383.3% | 11.5% | 6.2% |
| Lee, Bruce | Signed album page | £1,750 | £5,000 | £9,950 | £11,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | £12,500 | £12,500 | £13,000 | £13,000 | 642.9% | 0.0% | 8.0% |
| Lennon, John | Signed photo | £1,000 | £3,000 | £5,950 | £7,500 | £7,950 | £7,950 | £8,500 | £9,000 | £9,500 | £10,000 | £10,500 | 950.0% | 5.0% | 9.5% |
| Lincoln, Abraham | Signature | £7,500 | £10,000 | £12,500 | £15,000 | £18,000 | £20,000 | £22,000 | £22,000 | £23,000 | £23,000 | £25,000 | 233.3% | 8.7% | 4.7% |
| Mandela, Nelson | Signed photo | £600 | £1,250 | £1,950 | £4,500 | £5,000 | £5,000 | £5,000 | £5,500 | £5,500 | £6,000 | £6,000 | 900.0% | 0.0% | 9.4% |
| McCartney, Paul | Signed photo | £175 | £750 | £1,500 | £2,500 | £2,950 | £2,950 | £4,000 | £4,500 | £5,000 | £5,000 | £6,000 | 3328.6% | 20.0% | 14.6% |
| Monroe, Marilyn | Signed photo | £2,000 | £4,000 | £6,750 | £10,000 | £11,500 | £11,500 | £12,000 | £12,500 | £12,500 | £12,500 | £13,000 | 550.0% | 4.0% | 7.5% |
| Moonwalkers | Signed photo | £1,950 | £7,000 | £12,950 | £17,000 | £19,000 | £19,000 | £19,000 | £20,000 | £21,000 | £21,000 | £22,000 | 1028.2% | 4.8% | 9.8% |
| Musk, Elon | Signed photo | £10 | £25 | £50 | £1,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,500 | £3,000 | £5,000 | £6,000 | £7,500 | 74900.0% | 25.0% | 28.9% |
| Nelson, Horatio | Handwritten letter | £4,000 | £6,000 | £8,950 | £11,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | £12,500 | £12,500 | 212.5% | 0.0% | 4.5% |
| Oasis | Signed photo | £150 | £200 | £250 | £300 | £400 | £500 | £500 | £500 | £500 | £1,000 | £1,250 | 733.3% | 25.0% | 8.5% |
| Pele | Signed jersey | £2,000 | £2,500 | £3,000 | £4,000 | £5,000 | £6,500 | £20,000 | £20,000 | £25,000 | £25,000 | £26,000 | 1200.0% | 4.0% | 10.4% |
| Picasso, Pablo | Signed photo | £1,400 | £2,500 | £3,950 | £4,500 | £5,000 | £5,000 | £5,000 | £5,500 | £5,500 | £6,000 | £6,000 | 328.6% | 0.0% | 5.8% |
| Presley, Elvis | Signed photo | £750 | £2,000 | £3,250 | £3,500 | £4,000 | £4,000 | £4,000 | £4,500 | £4,500 | £5,000 | £5,500 | 633.3% | 10.0% | 8.0% |
| Queen (rock band) | Signed album | £500 | £1,000 | £2,000 | £3,000 | £5,000 | £6,000 | £7,000 | £8,000 | £10,000 | £10,500 | £11,000 | 2100.0% | 4.8% | 12.6% |
| Rolling Stones, The | Signed album | £995 | £3,000 | £5,500 | £6,950 | £8,000 | £8,500 | £10,000 | £12,000 | £13,000 | £13,500 | £14,500 | 1357.3% | 7.4% | 10.9% |
| Rowling, J.K. | Signed book | £395 | £1,000 | £1,200 | £1,950 | £2,750 | £3,000 | £3,000 | £3,000 | £3,500 | £3,500 | £3,500 | 786.1% | 0.0% | 8.8% |
| Swift, Taylor | Signed photo | £1 | £10 | £200 | £250 | £350 | £400 | £500 | £600 | £750 | £750 | £800 | 79900.0% | 6.7% | 29.4% |
| Thatcher, Margaret | Signed photo | £250 | £350 | £500 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £1,600 | £1,700 | £1,800 | £1,800 | £1,900 | £2,000 | 700.0% | 5.3% | 8.3% |
| Trump, Donald | Signed photo | £50 | £50 | £50 | £450 | £750 | £800 | £1,000 | £1,250 | £1,500 | £1,750 | £2,000 | 3900.0% | 14.3% | 15.3% |
| William, Prince | Signature | £200 | £500 | £1,500 | £2,500 | £3,500 | £3,500 | £3,500 | £4,000 | £4,500 | £5,000 | £5,500 | 2650.0% | 10.0% | 13.6% |
| Overall | £53,036 | £106,610 | £181,150 | £263,250 | £329,700 | £348,350 | £382,950 | £405,650 | £434,050 | £445,900 | £472,550 | 791.0% | 6.0% | 8.8% | |
| Period growth | 101% | 70% | 45% | 25% | 6% | 10% | 6% | 7% | 3% | 6% |
Scroll horizontally to view all years
PFC40 Autograph Index 2024 Highlights
7.7% Growth of the index in 2024
34% Average annual simple growth of the index between 2000-2024 (825% over 24 years)
Up 66.7% Growth of an Elon Musk signed photo in 2024 – the biggest rise in the past 12 months: from £3,000 to £5,000
Up 7,400% The rise in value of Taylor Swift's signature from 2005 (the year she signed her first record deal) to today – from £10 to £750
Most valuable living signatures
NAME
VALUE
1. Steve Jobs (signed magazine)
£55,000
2. Stephen Hawking (signed book)
£32,500
3. Pele (signed jersey)
£25,000
4. Albert Einstein
£14,000
5. Princess Diana
£13,000
Most valuable deceased autographs
NAME
VALUE
1. Paul McCartney
£5,000
2. Elon Musk
£5,000
3. Prince William (signature)
£4,500
4. JK Rowling (signed book)
£3,500
5. Ringo Starr
£2,500
Best performing autographs between 2000 and 2024
NAME
ANNUAL GROWTH
VALUE
1. Taylor Swift
+3,121% pa
£750
2. Elon Musk
+2,079% pa
£5,000
3. Steve Jobs
+454% pa
£55,000
4. Kurt Cobain
+246% pa
£6,000
5. George Harrison
+167% pa
£8,000
Best performing autographs in 2024
NAME
GROWTH
VALUE
1. Elon Musk
+66.7%
£5,000
2. George Harrison
+60%
£8,000
3. Taylor Swift
+25%
£750
4. Ringo Starr
+25%
£2,500
5. Pele (signed jersey)
+25%
£25,000