Autograph Common Sense

Let's take some time to talk about autographs, sounds silly right? In the last few weeks a number of new & old collectors have popped in here on this site and elsewhere with items they want to know about...Is this real? What's the value? and so on.

Many of us collect different things, some only collect sports, some mostly music, astronauts or presidents, whatever you collect this topic will fit into any category, for my purposes, seeing as I collect celebrity autographs, these are the examples I will use.

There are so many things that should be looked at when you are deciding what you should collect and where the actual value can possibly end up.

Lets start with the item. Is it a photograph? Maybe a poster and is it original or a cheap copy? What size is it? Was it produced in a photo lab or printed out on your computer? All of this matters.

Maybe it's a size that the signer rarely autographs. As we saw recently with an oversized Armstrong photo selling for 10 times the normal price.

A photograph should be a good size to display with a strong autograph that you can see clearly ...even from across the room. If the celebrity signed in a dark area with a dark pen (as many do).....the value will be different..... far different.

Avoid magazine pages or flimsy paperstock lithographs, they will not last for the long term, and computer printed images will fade and look horrible in time, that is if the sharpie doesn't bleed into the image. Good lab produced photos have a lifespan of 100 years or more. Paper stock magazine pages will crumble to dust over time....think about old newspapers.

While we are on the subject of images.....is that image from the celebrity's most famous role? The one character which he or she is know for worldwide? This is also of huge importance but it is also a double edged sword on occasion. Certain celebrities are so well known for a specific role that nearly everything signed by them in their career is images of that role. Sean Connery will always be James Bond, and for 50+ years he has been singing James Bond images, posters and memorabilia. He has certainly signed far fewer pieces from Highlander or Indiana Jones, both of those franchises will always have a place in collections and will have collectors who want them.

Other examples of this would be Joe D on a Mr. Coffee ad photo or a shot swinging a bat in uniform, Armstrong in his NASA jumpsuit or a business suit. Roger Maris in pinstripes or in a Cards jersey. Which do you think will be more valuable to the average fan? Sure a shot of Joe D holding a Mr. Coffee coffee pot would be a fun piece for someone who owns a dozen Yankees shots of Joe, but what would the "normal" fan prefer?

There are rare celebrities whose career has given them multiple characters with far reaching long term recognition. Al Pacino will always be Michael Corleone and Tony Montana. Harrison Ford has both Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Other celebs aren't that lucky, but if they are recognized forever as one character ....that is nothing to sneeze at, and it is probably a good bet that if you want to add that person to your collection, it is probably wise to be sure you get the right item signed. Marlon Brando on a Godfather photo would likely sell for 20 times what a standard Brando image would bring. Heath Ledger photos as the Joker ( I only know of about a dozen) will sell for far more than any other Ledger graph.....no offense to the Brokeback fans.

Be smart about what you add to your collection and if you are in a position where you have to be buying a piece.....save up and holdout for the right piece

Posters, props and costumes are all options for signing, but again.....quality always matters, both in the item signed and the autograph ......choose wisely.

Of course sometimes you have no choice but to compromise, especially when you are in search of a celebrity that is no longer with us, just take your time and be patient, don't jump into anything without doing your homework.

I am sure there are dozens of other factors.....these were just the few that popped into my head in the last day or so. Please add to the list.

10 members like this

Comment by Pete Bendu on January 25, 2017 at 4:34am: If there is one thing I have learned looking at all the bad Harrison Ford forgeries and secretarial Carrie Fishers on ebay this past month..... The guys holding the "sticker power" aren't always the true experts in the particular field they are authenticating.

Things have no choice but to change, and soon.

Caiazzo certs with a Beatles Piece, actually mean something. When is the last time you trusted a JSA sticker enough to let that make up your mind?

Comment by Corey Moylan on January 25, 2017 at 6:46am: Completely agree Pete. Much rather have a Grad cert than a Beckett or...perhaps one day a Chuka LOA...?

Comment by Joe W. on January 25, 2017 at 6:54am: +1

Comment by Bradford on January 25, 2017 at 8:49am: Actually a Grad cert and a Beckett is one and the same these days....the question is whether or not you feel it adds value (validates) to the resale (a reputable cert that is) for when that time comes to unloading a collection whether it's you or someone on your behalf.

Comment by Joe W. on January 25, 2017 at 8:56am: Depends on who you are marketing to. Knowledgeable collectors do not need a TPA. Less experienced collectors look for certain TPAs to ease their concerns. I do think it certainly helps sell an item quicker when a solid cert goes with it.

Comment by Paul on January 25, 2017 at 9:15am: Some of these tpa's look after their mates in the hobby, ive heard items being submitted and failing and later after a email saying mate i had those graphs signed, then the items were able to be stickered.
I think we all know this happening.