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Fraser's 100 Index of Rare Autograph Prices: Do the Numbers Add Up?

Autograph Magazine Live! member Chris "Mak" was gloating on Facebook this morning about what a great investment his autographs have been:

"For all of you who think I am crazy for collecting memorabilia and autographs. They have the best return as of late, second only to gold!"

Chris shared the latest Frazer's 100 Index, which has tracked the value of a stable of 100 autographs since 1997. The numbers are pretty impressive. According to the index, autographs that were worth a total of £80,720 in 1997 would be worth £337,650 today...over $553,000. That's almost 420% over 13 years.

So here's what I'd like to know:

  • Are the index's prices reasonable indications of market value?
  • What about the percentage increases in value from 1997 to 2010?
  • What are your feelings of autographs as investments?

Here's the index:

Investment Indices

The ability to track long-term historic prices is invaluable to any investor. That is why we launched our  indices. They are such a useful investing tool that Bloomberg started listing them on their Bloomberg Professional service at the start of 2008.

 

Personality
Type
1997
2010
Inc%
Abba sp £325 £1,250
284.6%
Al Pacino sp £50 £295
490.0%
Ali, Muhammad sp £175 £1,750
900.0%
Apollo 11 sp £1,750 £11,000
528.6%
Armstrong, Neil sp £475 £5,500
1057.9%
Astaire & Rogers sp £575 £1,950
239.1%
Beach Boys sp £775 £1,750
125.8%
Beatles - album page aps £2,750 £9,500
245.5%
Beatles, The sp £4,950 £24,500
394.9%
Bolan, Marc aps £275 £1,250
354.5%
Brando, Marlon sp £875 £3,000
242.9%
Cagney, James sp £175 £750
328.6%
Callas, Maria sp £500 £1,750
250.0%
Carpenters sp £275 £1,950
609.1%
Caruso, Enrico sp £500 £1,750
250.0%
Casablanca aps £1,400 £3,950
182.1%
Castro, Fidel sp £300 £3,950
1216.7%
Chagall, Marc sp £375 £975
160.0%
Chaplin, Charlie sp £1,200 £3,750
212.5%
Churchill, Winston sp £2,500 £6,950
178.0%
Clapton, Eric sp £85 £750
782.4%
Clarke, Jim aps £750 £1,950
160.0%
Clint Eastwood aps £50 £350
600.0%
Dad's Army aps £250 £1,600
540.0%
Dali, Salvador sp £300 £1,500
400.0%
Dickens, Charles aps £750 £3,950
426.7%
Disney, Walt sp £395 £5,500
1292.4%
Dylan, Bob sp £875 £1,950
122.9%
Edward & Wallis Windsor aps £750 £1,200
60.0%
Einstein, Albert aps £1,700 £9,500
458.8%
England 1966 sp £1,200 £4,500
275.0%
Fleetwood Mac sp £675 £1,500
122.2%
Flynn, Errol aps £450 £1,250
177.8%
Gagarin, Yuri sp £375 £1,750
366.7%
Garland, Judy sp £1,500 £2,500
66.7%
Grace, W G sp £1,200 £2,950
145.8%
Grant, Cary sp £400 £1,950
387.5%
Hanna Barbara sp £250 £600
140.0%
Harrison, George sp £175 £2,250
1185.7%
Hendrix, Jimi aps £975 £4,500
361.5%
Hepburn, Audrey sp £850 £1,750
105.9%
Hepburn, Katharine sp £325 £1,500
361.5%
Hitchcock, Alfred sp £775 £2,950
280.6%
Hitler, Adolf sp £3,950 £6,950
75.9%
Holly, Buddy aps £375 £2,750
633.3%
Houdini, Harry sp £1,000 £4,950
395.0%
James Dean sp £1,500 £14,000
833.3%
Johnny Depp sp £50 £295
490.0%
Joplin, Janis aps £950 £1,950
105.3%
Kelly, Grace sp £850 £1,750
105.9%
Kennedy, Jacqueline aps £475 £1,950
310.5%
Kennedy, John F aps £1,750 £4,750
171.4%
Laurel & Hardy sp £400 £3,500
775.0%
Lee, Bruce aps £1,500 £15,000
900.0%
Leigh, Vivien sp £575 £1,950
239.1%
Lennon, John aps £675 £5,950
781.5%
Lugosi, Bela sp £400 £2,500
525.0%
Madonna sp £350 £895
155.7%
Marley, Bob sp £850 £3,250
282.4%
Martin Luther King Jnr sp £750 £4,250
466.7%
Marvin Gaye sp £325 £1,300
300.0%
MASH sp £675 £1,750
159.3%
McCartney, Paul sp £125 £1,500
1100.0%
Monroe, Marilyn aps £2,750 £6,750
145.5%
Monty Python sp £225 £1,950
766.7%
Moon Walkers aps £1,800 £11,000
511.1%
Morrison, Jim aps £1,500 £3,500
133.3%
Mother Teresa sp £475 £1,250
163.2%
Napoleon Bonaparte aps £750 £4,500
500.0%
Nelson aps £1,500 £9,500
533.3%
Newman, Paul sp £175 £1,750
900.0%
Pele sp £100 £950
850.0%
Phoenix, River sp £250 £950
280.0%
Picasso, Pablo sp £1,250 £8,500
580.0%
Presley, Elvis sp £600 £3,750
525.0%
Princess Diana sp £1,200 £9,500
691.7%
Queen Elizabeth II sp £1,200 £2,250
87.5%
Queen sp £650 £1,750
169.2%
Queen Mother aps £275 £1,500
445.5%
Queen Victoria aps £325 £995
206.2%
Robert De Niro sp £50 £295
490.0%
Rolling Stones sp £900 £5,500
511.1%
Rowling, J K  book £330 £1,750
430.3%
Schulz, Charles sp £775 £1,950
151.6%
Schumacher, Michael sp £100 £450
350.0%
Senna, Ayrton sp £600 £1,600
166.7%
Sex pistols - incl Sid aps £1,750 £3,500
100.0%
Shackleton, Ernest aps £750 £1,500
100.0%
Sherlock Holmes - Rathbone & Bruce aps £575 £950
65.2%
Sinatra, Frank sp £775 £1,750
125.8%
Star Trek sp £1,250 £1,950
56.0%
Star Wars sp £675 £1,950
188.9%
Starr, Ringo sp £175 £850
385.7%
Taylor, Elizabeth sp £185 £950
413.5%
Warhol, Andy sp £175 £1,950
1014.3%
Wayne, John sp £1,500 £1,950
30.0%
Who, The sp £475 £3,950
731.6%
Wilde, Oscar aps £850 £5,500
547.1%
Williams, Robbie sp £75 £350
366.7%
Woods, Tiger sp £950 £1,750
84.2%
       
 
    £80,720 £337,650
318.3%

 

 

Fraser's 100 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Total £80,720 £95,905 £114,535 £136,625 £161,960 £192,745 £197,570
Increase   £15,185 £18,630 £22,090 £25,335 £30,785 £4,825
Cumulative Increase %   18.8% 41.9% 69.3% 100.6% 138.8% 144.8%
Annual Increase %   18.8% 19.4% 19.3% 18.5% 19.0% 2.5%
               
Fraser's 100 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Total £218,465 £245,610 £264,760 £287,855 £306,500 £314,965 £337,650
Increase £20,895 £27,145 £19,150 £23,095 £18,645 £8,465 £22,685
Cumulative Increase % 170.6% 204.3% 228.0% 256.6% 279.9% 290.2% 318.3%
Annual Increase % 10.6% 12.4% 7.8% 8.7% 6.5% 2.8% 7.2%

 

Average compound increase of 11.64% over the 13 year period

About The Frasers 100 Autograph Price Index

The Frasers 100 Autograph Price Index was designed to provide the definite measure of overall market performance and a yardstick against which to measure individual increases within the market for autographs and memorabilia. It serves to highlight the real price increases being achieved, especially amongst the rarer and more desirable items.

The index covers the full range of collecting themes and provides an objective measure of the current state of the market. All prices quoted are for outstanding examples in superb condition for 100 of the world's most sought after and frequently traded autographs and includes selected items from all major collecting areas.


Key: sp = Undedicated signed photograph
aps = Undedicated album page signature

Remember – you can contact us for advice at any time on 0845 126 7170 or email investment@stanleygibbons.com

View Frasier's index plus investment advice on their Web site:

http://www.frasersautographs.com/frasers/view/content/fr_page_frase...

Views: 2892

Tags: 100, autograph, autographs, frasier, index, investments, prices, rare

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on April 25, 2011 at 3:41pm
Dick, but what do you think of the percentage increases?
Comment by Garry King on April 26, 2011 at 2:21am

No they are not kidding, those are the prices they have in their shop, but i can't be sure they sell at that price!

I do know that if you go to the shop and try and sell them something, they either won't buy it at all, offer you a very low price, or suggest you enter it into their own auction.

Now i have heard a number of people tell me how they have been enticed into puting items into their auction, only to lose out when the items never reched the equaly high reserve price, have any others heard or had this experience?  

 

 

Comment by Mike Digby on June 8, 2011 at 11:52am
I think, like Garry, these are the prices Frasers would like items to sell for to justifyb their pricing levels. In most cases, I feel,  the prices listed for 1997 are closer to todays obtainable prices. I would love to get £700+ for a Sinatra  or a C Dickens signed page!!
Comment by Hitch1010 on August 3, 2011 at 5:03pm
Where on earth did they get some of these prices?  Maybe they have sold a few of these in their gallery?
Comment by Mike Digby on August 4, 2011 at 12:51am
Hi George its the prices they are asking and the `publishing` of a list like this must comvince a few idiots that is the value. If I could get the prices they quote I would only need to sell 2-3 pieces a month to live a very good lifestyle !. I assume their buyers do not trust anyone else when they buy their stock at the same auctions as most of us. Not even sure who they have working their these days that knows anything about signatures etc
Comment by carl cripps on December 25, 2011 at 1:26am

i believe the problem with this type of pricing makes one think well damm....my autographs must be fakes and it sometimes takes the fun out of hobby even though it is nice to dream of these prices. the reality is i think....frank sinatra...al pacino who has signed everything but the kitchen sink and who was in my hometown several months ago where i obtained his autograph.....marlon brando....james cagney...humphrey bogart...clint eastwood...cary grant...katherine hepburn...elizabeth taylor...patsy cline to name a few that are in my possession would be doing well to bring in 100.00 each.  i am not as rich as these people so do not buy foolishly and i believe all mine to be as authentic as any of theirs maybe more so.    thank you......carl.

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