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A dying hobby?
I was talking with another forum contributor who said that this would make for an interesting group topic. My opinion is that unfortunately much like numismatics, autograph collecting is a dying hobby. History is becoming lost and it seems as if most of the younger generation aren’t overly interested in preserving it. I’d venture to say that most of us are in our 40s, 50s, 60s or 70s on this forum.
I don’t see a resurgence in the hobby as Sportscards has done. With that being said, what’s your opinion? Are we holding soon to be depreciated investments? I understand not everyone is looking at the financial aspect of the hobby, but many of us are. What’s everyone’s opinion regarding the “State of the hobby”?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Doug James on
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Enjoy dinner!
*Eddy was my deciding factor to post 😀
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Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on
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Same. This thread topic is very interesting. I had noticed a few days ago that certain individuals bring a lot less money than I would had expected. For example a John Denver signed 8x10 only brought a few hundred dollars on RRAuction. I would had expected it to be like $800 or something. I also noticed some prices decreasing on some individuals while staying steady on others but no real increases on the older celebrities.
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Appreciate the contribution! I think with Denver it’s the fact he did see his 50s (albeit died prematurely) he was a very willing signer. That coupled with country/folk not being as popular as traditional country or contemporary country holds him down. Regardless, he’s an absolute legend.
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That’s interesting to know. I didn’t know anything about his autograph but I was just surprised at its valued compared to other music autographs from the same era.
Not really autograph related but I have noticed certain musicians that they used to play on the radio that they no longer play. I hear very little Jimi Hendrix and no Janis Joplin but 20 years ago both were commonly played on radio stations. Jim Morrison and the Doors is still played though. However all of their autographs still bring big money.
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Morrison, Joplin, Hendrix all died at 27. I think the reason you still hear the Doors is because they had a bit more commercial appeal and honestly, there’s a big mystique with Morrison. They have a cult like following.
Hendrix will always be an icon but Beck, Page, Clapton, Van Halen all had long and memorable careers (just my opinion).
Janis was a hippie. That movement faded. Everyone can name her two biggest hits but most struggle to come up with five. Certainly not a one hit wonder, she just didn’t have the opportunity to bloom.
Anyways, just my two cents.
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That’s interesting insight. I find it interesting that I used to hear all three very regularly on the radio 20 years ago and even saw many people wearing t-shirts of all three, but now a LOT less of that. Even the Doors have less airplay today. I never see Jim Morrison t-shirts being worn anymore, but it was quite common 20 years ago. Same with Joplin and Hendrix. I will still occasionally see a Hendrix shirt but that’s about it.
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I wear my L.A. Woman T-shirt often 😉
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Permalink Reply by James on
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I'm 24 and know a few others around my age who are interested in autograph collecting. The financial aspect is actually what primarily draws them in.
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Awesome to see. We need many more of you! The 20’s and 30’s crowd will be the “make or break” generation for this hobby as time moves forward.
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Permalink Reply by eddy To Doug James on
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James - That is very interesting. Can you share a bit more about those of your age group that you know who are collecting? Are autographs approached as investments primarily? Any particular categories more so than others?
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The hobby has changed in the decades that I've been collecting, but from what I see it's getting stronger over time.
It is normal for many collectors to buy or collect autographs from people they know, which means that older/past stars might fade in value as they fade in popularity or familiarity.
One thing that has become much more common in the past two or three decades is that many people collect celebrities from pop culture. Those celebrities are especially subject to rather quick drops in popularity and value.
There is a point at which a celebrity might achieve icon status, in which case their autograph transcends time and generations (Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, etc.).
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Good points!
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