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Faded Signatures

Hi,

I have casually collected autographs here and there over the years, but I am just now getting more interested in the hobby. I was just wondering how much value does a signature lose when it becomes somewhat faded. Attached is an example of a Jerry Garcia signature that isn't nearly as dark as it was when it was freshly signed.

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Permalink Reply by James on May 19, 2015 at 11:28pm

I don't think value loss from signature fading can be precisely quantified. However, there's no doubt that the bolder an autograph is, the more it is worth. On a scale of 1 to 10, an autograph that is an 8 or 9 is going to be worth considerably more than one that is a 3 or 4. A Babe Ruth signed baseball that is an 8 in boldness may be worth three or four times more than one that is a 3.

I don't know the value of Jerry Garcia autographs, though I'm pretty sure they're not cheap. This Garcia autograph has a couple of problems. For one, obviously it is a bid faded. Second, it is signed in black on a dark part of the photo, thus rendering the signature even more difficult to see.