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Autograph or Art? (Part 2)

Last month, I wrote about my autograph collection being recently expanded to include original comic and sports art. The hobby seems to be growing in popularity. There is a growing interest in not only commissioning artists to produce original works, but to also have the original works autographed by celebrities and athletes. I am currently undecided about having original comic and sports art autographed. I am considering it for a few of my pieces.

I also mentioned that I am very curious about whether or not the signature of an artist is considered to be an autograph, or simply an extension of the artwork. This curiosity would also apply to photographs.

Many collectors would be pleased to own a famous professional photograph with the signature of the photographer included.

Many people purchase professional photographs that have been signed by the original photographer. The photographs may be of actors, athletes, musicians, politicians and other famous people. They may also include photographs of nature. Some of these professional photographs may be very famous, and therefore very expensive, depending on the subject. Is it worth the additional money to purchase a professional photograph that has been signed by the photographer? If so, how much would you be willing to pay? The subject of the professional photograph would certainly be a determining factor.

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Comment by Paul on April 29, 2021 at 9:02pm: With photo it's an extension of the art. A signature is better than a stamped photo from the estate. I purchased a photo thinking the photographer would sign the photo but he signed a card along with the photo.

Comment by Mike Shepherd on April 30, 2021 at 2:14am: Interesting. Thanks for the comment, Paul.

Comment by Paul on May 18, 2021 at 11:19pm: I posted my used touring cymbal from a band called ,ALL Them Witches. The drummer painted art work all over it for me and signed his name.

Is it art ,used touring equipment or a autograph?

Comment by Paul on May 18, 2021 at 11:37pm

Comment by Eric Keith Longo on May 19, 2021 at 2:13am: When I heard that David Bowie died I immediately contacted the man who took one of my favorite photographs of him in concert back in 1978 and had this printed to my specs and signed to me. It has rich color, a great pearl finish and Perry's stamp/name on the Reverse. I hope you like it ;)

To me it is a signed photo. It is art but as it was printed as I wanted it is hard to consider it so.

Click to enlarge:

Comment by Eric Keith Longo on May 19, 2021 at 2:22am: What about Nick Mason's bubble "Pink Floyd" addition to his signature? I don't see that as art. Art Carney's drawings seem a part of his autograph as well. John Lennon's self portrait doodle is a part of his autograph as are Welles and Hitchcock self portraits, in my opinion. A Warhol quick signed soup can sketch is a sample representation of his work to me, not actual art. Vincent Price's signed profile sketch with fly - art? I don't think so. Bowie's signed lithographs are art I think. Dali's signature seems art in itself yet often has no drawing - in that case it is the execution - something to see. I can't think of anyone else who signed in to What's My Line with a big brush. He would sometimes add a crown with tips which he said was actually a representation of the famous very fast photo of a drop of milk. There is intent there and that seems art to me, but it is still a signature. This seems a case by case situation?

Comment by Mike Shepherd on May 27, 2021 at 3:44pm: Very cool, Paul. That is certainly a work of art.

Comment by Mike Shepherd on May 27, 2021 at 3:51pm: That is an amazing custom piece, Eric. Very nice. I also enjoyed your thoughtful references to the sketches. Very interesting. Thanks for the comments.

Comment by crazyrabbits23 on June 9, 2021 at 2:58am: There was a lithograph I sold for a very pretty penny last year -- the only signed art (video game-related) I owned.

I came across this at a Value Village and didn't hesitate to pick it up because I was a fan of the franchise it came from (King's Quest), and because the character in the foreground in the piece had the same name as me. The piece was autographed by both the creator of the series, Roberta Williams, and the artist who designed the piece, John Shroades.

It wasn't until I got home and did some research that I found out this was an absurdly-limited piece (450 copies made), of which a dozen or so are known to be in private collections. I hemmed and hawed with it a while -- hung it up in my office, tried to figure out if I could sell it at an auction house, keep it for the long-term -- until a seller found me through a Reddit post I made on the lithograph.

He made me a very solid offer in March and I decided to jump on it, not only because it was a huge ROI, but the guy was a big fan of the series, I could ship it to him relatively easily, and both he and I understood the value of the piece. Let's just say it was a good Friday afternoon when I had a nice sum dropped into my bank account.

I've dabbled at the edges of art collecting for a while, but I'm still not ready to jump in yet, at least not until I have a bit more disposable income and can be a bit more discerning about what my tastes are. There are a few pieces I've continued to keep an eye on though, particularly as they are all signed, and I may jump on them down the line. The Margaret Atwood signed print I recently purchased (shown off in the "What's New" topic) was a comparatively-miniscule investment with great lasting value for me, both as someone who's met her and as a fan of her work, so I may look towards pieces with a more personal connection with the artist.

Comment by Mike Shepherd on June 9, 2021 at 4:34am: Great story, Crazy Rabbits 23. Congratulations on a fantastic new acquisition, and what sounds like a very successful resale. Thanks for sharing.

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