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Should I Buy at this Value?

Hi everyone!

So I've been looking to buy a set of Beatles autographs for a little while now, and I'm torn between whether I should go for this one, found on RR, which ends tonight:

https://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=568

The good news is it's oversized when opened, standing at 9x5 x 14.5." But it's a little more than I anticipated spending -- currently, the lowest possible next bid is $6,800, which is over $8,000 with the buyer's premium.

Now, I do recognize that I will likely not find another one this size for a while. But my question for you all is how good of a value this is?

To be honest, I've been hoping to get a set for $5,500 or under, although based on my research it seems that may only get me an off-color, lower-tier, small page signed. If I keep a close eye on RR, can I get a quality set for a price like this eventually, one that goes for under estimate ( (not necessarily a big photo like the aforementioned auction, but maybe a more bolder set of signatures on a bigger album page)?

Or should I be expected to pay a higher rate for a more quality set -- an amount that would be not much less than the $8,000+ this magazine is going for?

Thanks for your help.

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Permalink Reply by Marc Koenig on January 21, 2018 at 8:40pm

and then again by icollector.com Feb 2017. But it didn’t sell.

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Permalink Reply by Marc Koenig on January 21, 2018 at 8:43pm

Here’s a different one that sold at RR in 2013 for just over $20,000.

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Permalink Reply by Marc Koenig on January 21, 2018 at 8:46pm

Heres’s one Signed on the back of the same PYX book that sold for $29,000 in 2003

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Permalink Reply by Marc Koenig on January 21, 2018 at 9:06pm

Thanks also for some reassurance on the price. I certainly didn’t think that it was a huge bargain but it is from Frank and I think it is a reasonable market value. I could drive myself crazy thinking about theoretical missed opportunities such as buying this exact item when it was in that auction a little over a year ago. However, I wasn’t looking then and never would have been confident enough in its authenticity at that time to risk that kind of money, back before it had the Caiazzo blessing. I don’t even begin to have the familiarity with genuine autographs that you fine folks have here and yet, as was already pointed out, the authenticity of my item was met with substantial skepticism on this forum when it was in that auction. So, I personally would never have the confidence to buy an autographed item until it has worked it’s way up the food chain to Frank (or Perry, or Tracks). BTW, during the purchase process from Mr. Caiazzo I was told approximately what he had paid for the item (which is not my prerogative to share publicly) and I thought his markup was was very reasonable.

Anyway, thanks for the added info and history on my item! Also, thanks for sharing in my excitement. I’m very happy I found this forum.

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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on January 21, 2018 at 10:01pm

That's a great reply Marc.

I am actually amazed that Mr. C would sell the book for more or less what similar books had sold for at auction.

I presume he was not the buyer at the UK auction at which your book was sold and therefore would have paid more than the ca. $10,000 that the auction buyer would have ended up paying with all the commission and other fees.

Even if Mr. C had been the buyer I don't find a mark-up from $10k to $18.5k as at all unreasonable given that he is probably the biggest name in Beatles autographs there is.

It is pretty obvious that you don't buy something from Mr. C to sell on for an immediate profit but a quality item like this should only appreciate with time.

Permalink Reply by Nate on January 22, 2018 at 9:21am

I second Pug, a great reply Marc. And also great that you've been able to understand more about the history of the piece (and its cousins!).

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on January 21, 2018 at 9:55pm

Marc,

You didn’t pay too much for your PIX even if you paid Frank’s asking price. A band-signed Beatles photo would be $16,000-$20,000 easy—and those are B&Ws!

I have no doubt that you’ll be smiling every time you look at or even think about your PIX for the rest of your life.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Cornthwaite on January 22, 2018 at 2:22am

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Here is one we have, it was clearly signed at the same time. I think this copy may have been just afterwards as George's pen is starting to run out slightly.