Authenticity is Everything
Which is preferable: one expensive piece, or a couple of lesser priced pieces?
Would it be preferable to buy a $5000 JFK signed photo, or an array of signed pieces by various notables totaling $5000?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on
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It depends on your collecting goals. Are you collecting for investment or simply pleasure? What is your yearly budget? Would you be happier getting a quality, lesser-priced, say, JFK soon and fill more slots, perhaps upgrading to a SP later? Many people want to complete a set that they define, and would rather not wait decades to complete it.
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Permalink Reply by Garrett Meadows on
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Extremely insightful response. I hadn't considered approaching collecting from that standpoint. For a novice uninformed collector, such as me, a person becomes "star struck" by the upper end quality pieces and becomes reluctant to settle for a lesser priced/quality piece by the same individual. For me, I become afraid that a real nice piece will "get away" and never be seen again.
you're absolutely right about a self-identified "set." I have yet to do that; although, there is narrow group of individuals I do focus on. I rather like obscure unknown historical individuals. The downside is that "unknown historical individuals" seldom got request for autographs nor were their letters/documents saved once he/she died.
I sincerely appreciate your response which has given me serious pause to stop and reconsider my own personal collecting goals.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
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Yes, Steve raises good points. For me, it was The Honeymooners. First I started by learning Gleason's signature (after the secretarial fiasco), then pursued a cut (1946), then an album page (1951), then a signed playbill/program (1967), and then signed photograph(s) (1962, then 1955). Now I have the entire cast and rehearsal photographs etc. Even met Trixie along the way. My first was in 1978 (a Spear secretarial)!
The beauty is you get to set the confines of your collection - parameters is a better word. There might be some you prefer in this form or that. Some may only be available in this form or that. Were you to pursue Gleason you will almost certainly find a cut or album page perhaps signed in pencil first. I once had a complete cast collection from the 1944 film Lifeboat and I deliberately had a signed portrait, check, candid, album page, note card, playbill and so on to show what one could select from and to have an example of each form.
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It's interesting you should mention your interest in The Honeymooners. Just this past week I watched on Youtube the only appearance of Jackie Gleason on The Tonight Show. While I'm not old enough to remember when The Honeymooners was on TV, The Jackie Gleason Show was regularly viewing in our household.
I always thought Jackie Gleason was one of the truly great talents of his era. I still say he should have won on Oscar for The Hustler
Lifeboat is one of my favorite movies. So much talent in one boat. John Hodiak was a great actor.
I never really had a rhyme or reason to my collecting. I think that is why I've ended up with little of nothing. I did have some exemplary JFK pieces which I always ended up having to sell because of financial difficulties. I'm going to regroup my preferences and start over.
I appreciate your encouraging response.
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"...I can't understand it John. The only thing I can figure is I was waiting to see if you were a hit..."
That man was a genius. What is really interesting is that Orson Welles, who bestowed the name "The Great One" on Jackie, wanted Gleason to play the advocate in his Trial of 1962 from the Kafka film.
The Honeymooners was a staple in my house too - many of my memories of my Dad are interlocked with watching that program at 11:30 on WPIX Channel 11 at in NY. I agree about the Oscar and The Hustler. G.C. Scott was also superb.
My collection(s) are guided by the things that made or make me happy. Not investment. I keep an eye on quality to b sure. That is my "mainstream" - in tandem with what I have learned along the way re ink, paper and so on. And looking at other collections with criterion other people have set.
Having said that, here is my Orson Welles Kane/Third Man/Trial collection 1941-1975: It was assembled quite by chance. I had realized I could simply add a bit. These items range from $12 to $1200. I enjoy them all.
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You know whose autograph I always wanted? Alida Valli. I loved her in The Parradine Case with Gregory Peck. Do you have her autograph? The Orson Welles pieces are great.
BTW, I love the behind-the-scenes materials.
Can you verify an Alida Valli autograph for me should I find one to purchase?
I've always thought one of the great all-time cinematic tragedies was the butchering of "The Magnificent Ambersons" by studio executives. They were only interested in making a buck, besides being an attempt to get back at Welles for being the genius he was. Welles should have never gone to South America before the editing was completed on "Ambersons." According to what I've been able to find out, the studio gave Welles his own personal 35mm copy of Ambersons before any cuts were made. What Welles did with it is anyone guess. Knowing Welles, he probably sold it to finance another picture. I'd like to think his copy of Ambersons would materialize some day, perhaps being found in a dusty suitcase in someone's attic.
This is probably heresy to say, but I always thought "Touch of Evil" was better than Citizen Kane. Touch of Evil was another film the studio chopped up, but mercifully, it was restored to align with Welles' vision for the film.
I'll send you a couple of Valli autographs for you to consider.
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Hi Garrett,
In a rush but I have never pursued her. Very tough. I satisfied myself with a candid of her with Joseph Cotton working on a Mercury Theater radio program.
Here is one I have on file but I have seen next to nothing:
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Thank you for posting those. Obviously, I can't say. Perhaps Eddy might have some knowledge here, either about the signature or source of card.
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