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Can Autographs be considered investments?

What is this communities thoughts on autographs being considered investments?

My thoughts are collect what you enjoy first and foremost, if for some reason they go up in value that is just an extra benefit.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on June 20, 2019 at 7:45pm

There's nothing worse than seeing gnrs watching them cover pink floyd songs of I wanted to listen to floyd you'd go and see whatever their names are.

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Permalink Reply by marc e on June 20, 2019 at 7:46pm

if u know what ur doing its the same as playing the stockmark and buying artwork no different ,if your cluelees and have a bad attitude you will just go broke

I have tons of stuf wortn 10 to 20 times what they were worth only a few years ago not to mention all the stuff I put away .

I mean when johnny cash when alive sold for a few hundred .last one I sold sold for 17,500. I made so much money since he died its stupid

Clapton signed enough guitars to buy me a condo in nyc

my eagles and fleetwwodmac stuff have sky rocketed

anything that u can prove is real .the fact that im the first person in line that actualy got the stuff is a big premium for buyers and collectors.

beatles stuff doing amazing

heritage does a quartly music auction and does 5 million on junk stuff.

look what brenan has made from rr in the last since he teamed up do the math is it a half million on stupid photos and albums

look at what a complete metalica goes for now that james sucks

piok Floyd dark side of the moon 4 to 5 k now

I guess u right real bad investment

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Permalink Reply by Paul on June 20, 2019 at 9:15pm

17500 for Cash signed guitar?? Marc you talking from an IP dealers perspective which is fine but if you pay 17500 today for cash how long will you need to hold onto it for it too be an investment.

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Permalink Reply by marc e on June 20, 2019 at 9:23pm

it sold in auction 6 moths ago for 18500 what do I care ,I made a lot of money

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Permalink Reply by Gratefulphish on June 20, 2019 at 8:41pm

Obviously, it also depends on whose autograph, the rarity and the demand. People who sign rarely or die young are going to appreciate a lot more, assuming the demand is the same, versus someone who signs regularly and lives out a long life. See Jimi for example. Barely four years in the limelight before he was gone, and there wasn't the same level of autograph seeking back then as there is now.

In the world of rock posters and handbills that I spend most of my time in, prices have just kept increasing. There are a lot of rich boomers out there with time on their hands, and more money than they know what to do with, and the human species instinctively seems to collect things. So, once they get a hair up their butts, they just open the wallet and scoop up whatever they want. See Jim Irsay and many others.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on June 21, 2019 at 7:49am

Sure they can considered investments, if you really know what you're doing and are cautious. That being said, there are some variables in the mix that frequently prevent them from being GOOD investments. As many unknowns as there are about stocks, for example, authenticity is not among them. In the autograph hobby, it's obviously an enormous issue. If you buy a stock in a large cap Google or Apple, or even a startup company in it's initial IPO, there are a lot of questions to ask before you pull the trigger, but whether or not it's fake generally isn't in the equation. The autograph hobby is a minefield, and even if your own purchases aren't forgeries, the sheer amount in the field does affect just about everything.

I collect rising music stars, namely those I'm a fan of and those from shows I go to. If they go up, great. If they don't, odds are I'm not taking anything resembling a devastating loss. Meanwhile, the value of some of these acts has increased tenfold within the course of a year. Obviously this area isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's what I like and works out alright.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on June 21, 2019 at 9:18am

Point made, bhe same is true with fine art and that has "always" been a good investment.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on June 21, 2019 at 9:22am

Collectibles are always spotty as investments to varying extents. But fraud in the autograph realm in't just rampant, it's extremely easy to do and easy to get away with.

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Permalink Reply by J.Seah on June 21, 2019 at 9:35am

Personally for me. The thrill in hunting down the rare autographs comes first. Secondly will be the enjoyment of owning it. In terms of investment, I think I have done well fro myself over the years in the hobby.

Here are some of my autographs over the years that had made good returns for me:

1) Bruce Lee autograph. Paid $900.00. Sold for $8K
2) Nelson Mandela. Paid $40.00. Sold for $700.00
3) Prince. Paid $1200 for 5 of his autograph cuts. Sold all for $6k before he passed.
4) SRV Signed Guitar. Paid $5K. Sold for $18K within 2 years.

All profits usually goes into another grail piece that I had coveted.

I am sure Marc E and Brennan are able to cash in as their collection are all IP. They worked hard for it and is cashing in now.

Always have fun in whatever you are doing and the returns are like bonuses !!!!